We have a very limited time to spend there. We arrive in the morning one Saturday in September and leave Sunday morning.

I read here a number of posts, including those from 1998, on tours of the caves and still not sure which one to take and how many. If we take four tours during this short trip are we going to feel overcaved?

Based on your posts and descriptions on www.nps.gov we are considering the following:
1. Mammoth Cave Discovery Tour. Ranger guided at 10:45 am Saturday
2. Violet City Lantern Tour at 2 pm or
Great Onyx Lantern Tour at 3 pm. Both on Saturday
3. Star Chamber Tour at 6:15 pm Saturday
4. River Styx Cave Tour at 8:45 am Sunday

We are thinking about staying in the hotel right at the entrance so we will need time between tours to check in. Anyone stayed there recently? What can you tell me about this place, rooms, service, food?
Thank you

I've visited Mammoth caves at least 3 times. The most recent was 2 or 3 years ago. Personally I'd feel a little caved out after all the tours you've listed.

Mammoth Cave does not have many stalactite/stalagmite types of formations. Almost all of the miles and miles and miles of caves are the same: jumbles of rock piles in a mammoth cave. The "Discovery Tour" will show you what 90% of Mammoth Cave looks like.

You don't have a tour that shows "Frozen Niagara" which includes some of the very few formations in the cave. They are pretty spectacular. This tour has around 500 steps. The "Travertine Tour" will show almost the same things but without the steps.

As far as the hotel & restaurant I've only walked by and read the menu. Nothing on the restaurant menu seemed that exciting. The hotel appears pretty basic. This is certainly not a concierge/day spa/send-your-dry-cleaning-out-with-the-bell-hop kind of hotel.

Mammoth Cave and the surrounding area are in a dry county. The closest alcohol that can be purchased either in a restaurant or a store is ~20 miles away in Bowling Green.

With limited time I think you can see enough in a day. Take the "Discovery," "Frozen Niagara" and one other. Maybe "Onyx" or the "River Styx" tour. Then get back on the road and at least make it to the next wet county for dinner and a hotel.

We were at Mammoth Caves last summer. Frankly, one guided cave tour was plenty. We got to see a wide variation of cave formations on that one tour, including total darkness, tight squeezes, water falling, and unusual formations. Very tame deer greeted us at the main entrance into the park. We didn't like any of the nearby hotels so we got a room elsewhere.

Thank you, Indytravel. Your post is very helpful.
Frozen Niagara tour is not offered in September.
I think we are going to take three tours, stay in tis very simple park hotel as we don't drink alcohol anyway. If they don't have a room available at the Mammoth Cave Hotel we should try Hampton Inn in Horse Cave. We are going to skip River Styx tour on Sunday morning

1. Mammoth Cave Discovery Tour. Ranger guided at 10:45 am
2. Great Onyx Lantern Tour at 3 pm.
3. Star Chamber Tour at 6:15 pm

offlady, thank you too. What hotel did you stay in and which tour did you take?
We need to rethink Star Chamber Tour at 6:15 pm on Saturday. Would like to hear from those who took any of the tours I listed in my post.
Thank you

Sorry, I don't recall the name of the tour but we had a park ranger give us the guided tour so it must be the Discovery Tour. The guide gave us quite a bit of information as we walked which made it more meaningful and educational. He told us of an unrequited love story that happened inside the cave many years ago, and did some things in the dark which made it fun for the kids. As a note, the narrow sections were very tight where we had to squeeze through, and some ceilings were low so we had to crouch as we walked. Also, towards the end of the tour, it got very cool inside so if you get cold easily, take a jacket.

We went in May about 5 years ago. It was before the season really started, so the tours were different. There were school kids there for field trips, so some of the tours were sold out, which we didn't expect at that time of the year, so if you know what you want to do, I would get tickets ahead of time.

We were there for 3 nights, so only took one tour a day (and did some hiking etc.). Every tour we went on was ranger led. Our favorite was the lantern tour. (and Frozen Niagara which you said wasn't offered at the time you're going) There is a fair amount of walking on each of the tours. Personally I would probably do 2 on Saturday and 1 on Sunday, but that is a very individual thing. How long are the tours? I thought I remembered our lantern tour (there was only one a day offered then) lasted 3 hours -- which might make it hard to make the 6:15 tour)

We stayed in the lodge next to the entrance and were glad we did. We were told to get a room on the second floor on the side facing the cave. We sat on the balcony and could see the people walking to one of the cave entrances. We took peanuts and fed the bluejays and squirrels from our balcony. The other side faces the parking lot.

We ate breakfast at the lodge, but drove to chain restaurants near the expressway for dinner. No special reason except we had time and were exploring the area. Since you are only going to be there the one day, I would think the restaurant there would be adequate and you probably wouldn't want to take the time to drive elsewhere. Also you can walk to the cave entrance/visitor center (some of the tours has a bus take you to other entrances right from the visitor center)so you wouldn't need to get in your car at all. The rooms were fine -- not 5 star, but you're not going to be in it for a very long time. It was clean and the staff was friendly. The convenience of the location was well worth it for us.

I was in the Mammoth caves about 1 month ago in late July. I took the Discovery tour, The Frozen Niagra tour and the Star Chamber tour all on the same day and went for a long day hike the next day.

I found the tours very enjoyable.
Here's my trip report:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=34653069

Not sure if you are taking children. We were there 3 weeks ago and quite enjoyed the Star Chamber Tour. (The kids were a bit creeped out by the scary stories). I've heard the Violet City is similar but you see a little farther back in the cave. The Travertine is very easy and does show stalagmites and stalagtites. Not sure what you want in a hotel, we stayed in Cave City. Worn and dated. Iw ould think the Mammoth Hotel is fine but it doesn't have a pool.

Thank you for all yur help. We decided to take two or three tours on Saturday and Sunday morning we'll go hiking. We are going to get to our hotel late after Star Chamber tour, the next morning planning to start hike early so we are going to have limited time in hotel. Mammoth Cave Hotel should be fine for such short time. We are not expeting anything faboulous but want to be as close as possible to the entrance. Having a pool is not important, we are going to be there in the end of September anyway. We'll ask for a room on a second floor and facing the cave.
There are only some tours offered in September so here are our tours we chose
1. Mammoth Cave Discovery Tour with a Ranger
2. Great Onyx Lantern Tour
3. Star Chamber Tour

bonmark, there are only two of us, no kids. Travertine tour is not offered in September but thank you for your description

ssachida, thank you for the link to your report. You helped me decide on taking three tours. Did you hear about any other hike near the cavethat would be worthy to take for scenary? We are going to have no more than four hours.

Sounds like good advice by everyone so far. My only suggestion...get your cave tour tickets early. The Star Chamber Tour was sold out when we arrived...I was fortunate to already have our tickets via the internet. Oh, another warning...if you are out of shape...we took 3 tours in one day and the River Styx walk the next day. My muscles were sore for a week

prarihil, thank you and I am happy to notice there are other visitors who take three tours in one day.

We got a Mammoth Cave Guide at the Visitor's Center which was free that had the hikes listed. We took one that began around the historic cave entrance (which we easily walked to from the lodge). We ended up at the Ferry and then walked back up the hill ending up by the cottages (which are behind the lodge). I'm sorry I can't remember how long it was (we may have even combined a couple of hikes), probably a couple of hours.

Incognito, I don't have any other details about better hikes. Though I do remember a ranger telling me about a drive and a short walk to the river lookout (?) or something like that. It was on the south side of the river. Didn't sound like 4 hours worth of activity though.

Talk to the rangers and try to avoid the trails where horses also go.

have fun