Discovery Self-Guided

Mammoth Cave National Park Tours

Please note that tour is NOT always offered. This tour is typically offered Memorial Day to Labor Day. Please call the visitor center at 270-758-2180 on the day of your visit to check its availability. Many people visiting Mammoth Cave ask, “May we visit the cave without a guided tour?” The answer is yes! This self-guided tour requires a ticket, and proceeds into the Historic Entrance. Focusing on early history and prehistory of the cave, this section of cave houses many great artifacts. This tour is ideal for people wanting to move at their own pace or are looking for a cave experience without much time commitment. This tour is the self-guided version of the guided Mammoth Passage Tour. 

Tour will be offered daily between 10:00 and 2:00 for the months of June and July only. These are unlimited tickets only sold the day of.

Select a date to see a list of times

Need to Know

• All tours begin at the Visitor Center. When tickets are sold, the time on the tickets will be the last time you can enter the cave. This tour has designated multiple hours that you can enter the cave, between the time you bought the ticket and the last time being the one displayed on your ticket. Please do not wait until the last minute to use the ticket.

• Availability

  No advanced reservations accepted for the Discovery Self-Guided. Offered as visitation warrants. Call the Park at 270-758-2180 the day of your visit to check availability.

• Safety

  Includes a steep outdoor hillside trail to and from the cave’s Historic Entrance.

• Time Zone

  Mammoth Cave National Park is located in the central time zone and observes daylight savings time.

• Directions

  Do not rely exclusively on your mobile GPS, Google Maps, or similar automated navigation systems to get to the park Visitor Center in time for your cave tour. Routes can be misleading and incorrect.
  Directions from the North: Take Interstate 65 to Exit 53 (Cave City Exit). Turn right onto KY-70. Follow 70/255 as it becomes the Mammoth Cave Parkway in the park. Follow the Mammoth Cave Parkway to the Visitor Center.
  
  Directions from the South: Take Interstate 65 to Exit 48 (Park City Exit). Turn left onto KY-255 and follow 255 as it becomes the Park City Road into the park. Follow Park City Road until it joins the Mammoth Cave Parkway; turn left. Follow the Mammoth Cave Parkway to the Visitor Center.
  

• Ticket Ages

  Children 5 and under do not require a reservation or ticket.
  Youth under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult 18 years or older on all tours.
  
  Interagency Senior and Interagency Access ticket pricing applies to Interagency Senior and Interagency Access Pass holders only.
  
  The Interagency Annual Pass is NOT accepted for tours or camping.
  

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