From scenic hikes to subterranean adventures, there’s plenty to keep you active in Cave City. Discover a wonderland of ancient cave systems, some decorated with shimmering rock formations and others laced with underground rivers. Above ground, you’ll find family-friendly attractions and picturesque Bluegrass State landscapes.
Things to do in Cave City
Explore an enormous network of underground tunnels, caverns and chambers in Mammoth Cave National Park. Marvel at otherworldly rock formations and splash through crystalline underground rivers. In addition to being a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the park is a designated International Biosphere Reserve. There’s lots to explore above ground, including scenic hiking trails that meander through towering pine, cedar and beech forests.
Mammoth Cave National Park isn’t the only place for subterranean adventures in Kentucky. Privately operated show caves offer tours for all ages, interests and experience levels. Cross one of the longest underground swinging bridges in the world in Hidden River Cave and see incredible rock formations in Crystal Onyx Cave. Outlaw Cave tours take you into the former hideout of notorious American bandit, Jesse James.
Come face-to-face with prehistoric giants at Dinosaur World. The open-air theme park is dotted with hundreds of life-size dinosaurs, including gentle giants like the Brachiosaurus and apex predators like the Tyrannosaurus rex. Hunt for fossils in the palaeontology zone and test your aim on the mini-golf course.
Cave City is known as the “Zipline Capital of Kentucky”. Take your pick of multiple ziplines, all within an eight-kilometre radius of each other. Hidden River Cave is one of the most exhilarating and sees you soar over the mouth of the 30-metre-deep cave.
Getting around Cave City
Cave City is compact and easy to get around on foot. You’ll need a car to explore surrounding sights and attractions at your own pace. The city is in Barren County, a 1.5-hour drive from Louisville and Nashville, Tennessee. Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport is a one-hour drive away.