Explore Cave City for Adventure Above & Below

If you’re looking for a place where retro family fun meets epic adventure, map a course for aptly named Cave City in the heart of Kentucky's Cave Country.

Conveniently located on I-65 between Louisville and Nashville, Cave City offers enough family attractions, local history, beautiful scenery and outdoor activities to fill a long weekend or more. 

In fact, it may be tough deciding just where to begin your journey, so we’ve rounded up a few top highlights you won’t want to miss.

Mammoth Cave National Park

You might as well start at the top.  Mammoth Cave National Park is home to the world’s longest cave system, a network of more than 400 miles of mapped caves, with another estimated 600 miles still waiting to be discovered. 

A variety of tours from sightseeing to exploration are available, providing fascinating history and an up-close look at a vast underground world full of dramatic rock formations, vertical shafts, towering domes, seemingly bottomless pits and dark passages opening to rooms lined with shimmering white gypsum crystals.

Above ground, Mammoth Cave National Park boasts more than 53,000 acres perfect for hiking, biking, fishing and paddling on the Green River. Trails weave through an extraordinary ecosystem of bowl-shaped sinkholes, hemlock groves and wetlands home to a host to birds and wildlife. (Don’t miss Big Woods, a 300-acre old-growth forest featuring massive trees more than 100 feet tall!)

Adventures of Mammoth Cave

Outdoor fun continues beyond the national park, with local outfitter Adventures of Mammoth Cave packing plenty of excitement as well. 

Tackle the aerial challenge course, cross two sky bridges, hop on a giant swing and brave a thrilling 70-foot drop tower. Or choose from two separate zipline courses that weave through lush tree canopies and open meadows across 60 acres. You’ll fly up to 950 feet above ground, reaching speeds up to 40 mph!

Prefer to keep your feet more firmly planted? We got you.

Enjoy a horseback ride through panoramic hills, or book a canoe or kayak trip through meandering waters taking you past limestone bluffs and through a small cave.

Dinosaur World & Jellystone Park

Cave City is known for its abundance of retro family attractions and Dinosaur World is as “big” as they come. 

Wander among dozens of life-size dinosaur replicas throughout a natural setting and scan interactive displays that bring their stories to life. A large dino-themed playground adds to the fun and a gift shop sells games, geodes and plenty of souvenirs.

Afterwards, hit the water at Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park, where Karst Beach’s sandy shores line a 2.3-acre lake with a large inflatable waterpark, water slides, small boats and loungers to relax in the water. 

An on-site store stocks beach supplies, toys and souvenirs, and dining options serve up classic treats like Nathan’s Famous hot dogs, crinkle fries, pizza, old-fashioned lemonade and – wait for it – soft-serve ice cream!

Plan Your Trip

For accommodations like no other during your stay in Cave City, check into historic Wigwam Village, a retro roadside attraction dating back to the late 1930s during the first heyday of the American road trip. 

One of only a couple such villages in the U.S. still in existence, this unique property lets you sleep inside single or double wigwams decorated in a teepee motif. Each features original beds, furniture, doors, windows and tile from nearly a century ago!

When you work up an appetite, grab great grub at family-owned Bucky Bee’s BBQ, serving up barbecue, wings, ribs, briskets, burgers and more.

Hungry for adventure, history and family fun? Plan your next road trip at www.cavecity.com!