Touring Mammoth Cave when walking is difficult
Mammoth Cave National Park — Outdoor adventures are more accessible than ever for people with mobility challenges. Recreation areas increasingly are finding new ways for them to get close to nature.
That’s great news for people with Parkinson’s disease who use walkers, wheelchairs or canes – and for those of us who may do so in the future.
Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky takes accessibility seriously. The park has more than 400 miles of caves, and it runs several different tours year round that can include lots of steps up and down.
An accessible tour
But its Accessible Tour takes away obstacles – zero stairs! – and accommodates those in the later stages of Parkinson’s who want to see the caves.
While this tour is designed for visitors who use wheelchairs or walkers, anybody can go. I decided to check it out, even though (thankfully) I still can get around with relative ease, despite having Parkinson’s disease.
Our tour group met at the Mammoth Cave visitor center, which is fairly new and quite stunning inside. But the Accessible Tour participants start outside in their own cars, lined up along the curb, so they can caravan to the starting place.
We followed the ranger’s minivan and arrived at our “trailhead” after a 5-minute drive. This trailhead was not your typical variety, but rather a small building with a large elevator.
Our tour group included some people with knee and back problems, but no one had a cane or wheelchair. One couple said they signed up because the other tours were sold out. Which is OK to do, according to the park rules.
Parkinson’s tip
This is a bring-your-own-mobility-device hike. And canes and wheelchairs will need to be wiped down after the tour to limit the spread of White Nose Syndrome, a fungal disease that affects bats.
In the elevator we glided down 267 feet, and the doors opened to a large, dimly lit space where our tour began.
The guide (I’ll call him Mr. Ranger) was full of stories and fun facts, which he shared liberally.
We learned that 150 years ago, visitors to the caves would spell out their names on the walls using smoke from a candle flame or by scratching with rocks or knives. Some were actually encouraged to do so!
Conservationists today would find that appalling (and a felony). That was another time, and we’ve set a much higher bar now for preserving our environment. Glory be for that!
Parkinson’s tip
The walk along the paved path was about a half mile long, out and back, with benches for resting along the way. At times while walking in the low light I felt a little disoriented and out of balance – that’s something to watch for.
Some of the tour highlights included:
- A large open area where parties, dinners and even dances were once held, some as recent as 2010. It was called the Snowball Room because of the light-colored bumpy gypsum formations on the walls.
- Beautiful formations on the cave ceiling that reminded me of flowers.
- A spot along the path that creates a sound effect when you stand on it and sing. “Any volunteers?” Mr. Ranger asked. Up went my hand. (No one else’s did — tough crowd!) When I stepped onto the spot, I hummed a few bars, and it sounded like a small chorus of voices were joining me. Pretty cool.
- A place where all the lights went off so we could experience total and complete darkness. Not even a cell phone screen gave any hint of light.
In the spirit of full disclosure, there is a downside to the tour. This portion of the cave system is completely dry year round. That means there aren’t the massive stalactites and stalagmites seen in other tours.
But it was definitely worthwhile. After about an hour and a half underground, the tour was over. Up went the elevator, and zoom went our cars back to the visitors center.
Of note:
The park offers other accessible activities; read more here.
I signed up for a second cave tour that day, the “Domes and Dripstones” tour, which had 640 steps going up and down. It made me grateful for bones and muscles that are still keeping me upright. Funny how having Parkinson’s allows us to more fully recognize life’s little mercies.
Hike info
PD difficulty level (see chart): Easiest
Distance: one half mile roundtrip
Elevation change: 267 feet down (via elevator)
Tour starting location: 1 Mammoth Cave Parkway, Mammoth Cave, Kentucky
Bathrooms: in visitor center and at tour start
Emergency medical support: hospitals about 25 minutes away in Bowling Green
Costs: $27 for tour, half price if you have a national parks Access Pass.
Insider tip: Check and double check availability. Certain tours may not be running depending on construction. Call the visitor center at 270-758-2180.
