Parking
North access is at Hotel Parking in the visitor-center area. South access is at the South Park Entrance; parkway access points also reach shorter sections. For the full one-way crossing, leave a second car or arrange a return ride.
Overview
About Mammoth Cave Railroad Bike and Hike Trail
Why go
- A long former-railroad corridor with historic waysides and cemetery access.
- Several Parkway access points make shorter outings possible.
Heads up
- The full point-to-point route needs a return plan.
- Gravel, steep pitches and road crossings interrupt the easy rail grade.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Mammoth Cave map
Full mapElevation651–881 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
4 active Mammoth Cave alerts
- ClosureGreen River Ferry suspendedGreen River Ferry service is suspended because low water levels prevent operation. - Service will resume once water levels rise and conditions are safe; a river forecast is available.Official details
- ClosureAccessible Tour unavailableThe Accessible Tour is unavailable because mechanical issues have taken the cave elevator out of service. - Check back for updates or call the visitor center at (270) 758-2180.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Mammoth Cave Tour Guide
Your drive to Mammoth Cave Railroad Bike and Hike Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Mammoth Cave National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this trailhead
The Lodge and Heritage Trail0:00 / 0:33
“You're coming up on The Lodge at Mammoth Cave, across the footbridge from the visitor center. You can stop here without staying overnight.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Mammoth Cave Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Visitor Center and Historic Entrance
- Mammoth Cave Campground and Caver's Camp Store
- Mammoth Cave Picnic Area and Dixon Cave
- Green River Ferry and Echo River Springs
- 52 audio storiesacross Mammoth Cave’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor White-tailed Deer, Tricolored Bat, Cave Salamander, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 47 trails, 42 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Mammoth Cave Railroad Bike and Hike Trail
The full corridorThis is a 9-mile, one-way hike-and-bike route along the former Mammoth Cave Railroad, from…
This is a 9-mile, one-way hike-and-bike route along the former Mammoth Cave Railroad, from Hotel Parking in the visitor-center area to the South Park Entrance on the Park City side. It follows a wooded corridor through the campground area, past a boardwalk beside Mammoth Cave Parkway, down into Doyle Valley, and south past Sloan's Crossing, a wayside and cemetery access, and Diamond Caverns. It works best as a point-to-point outing. Budget three to four hours to walk it one way, and plan how you’ll get back to your car. Published measurements range from about 8.5 to 9 miles as endpoints differ; the park lists 9 miles for the full corridor.
A rail grade, with a few surface changesNear the hotel and campground, pavement gives way to gravel by Cavers' Camp Store.
Near the hotel and campground, pavement gives way to gravel by Cavers' Camp Store. The early section is relatively level, but the railroad grade still has rolling hills, and the gravel can feel rough on narrow bicycle tires. The route is shared by hikers, cyclists and horses, with access at several points along Mammoth Cave Parkway if you want to do a shorter stretch.
Hills and crossingsThe boardwalk beside the parkway leads toward Doyle Valley, where the trail drops before a…
The boardwalk beside the parkway leads toward Doyle Valley, where the trail drops before a steep climb out. There are more hills and steep pitches farther south. Cross park roads carefully; cyclists are required to dismount and walk at every road crossing and wherever signs direct them to walk. Give horses space on the shared trail.
What the railroad left behindThe railroad opened in 1886 to bring visitors to Mammoth Cave and neighboring caves.
The railroad opened in 1886 to bring visitors to Mammoth Cave and neighboring caves. It ran for 45 years, making its final trip on August 1, 1931. Today, interpretive stops along the grade include the Larkin Procter wayside and Locust Grove Cemetery access. Sloan's Crossing Pond and its boardwalk make a worthwhile nearby detour; Diamond Caverns sits near the south end.
Access and dogsThe north access starts at Hotel Parking.
The north access starts at Hotel Parking. The south access is at the South Park Entrance; the route is not a loop, so a second car or a return ride makes the full crossing much easier. Leashed pets are allowed on surface trails, with a leash no longer than six feet. Keep dogs calm and to the side when horses pass.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Mammoth Cave
228 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
23 sightingsTricolored BatMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
75 sightingsCave SalamanderMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
151 sightingsWild TurkeyMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
13 sightingsBarred OwlMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
40 sightingsSnapping TurtleMost seen around 11 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Mammoth Cave. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
