Historic Entrance of Mammoth Cave

Thousands of people enter into Mammoth Cave from the Historic Entrance each year.

NPS Photo/ Thomas DiGiovannangelo

Quick Facts

Amenities

5 listed

Cellular Signal, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Information - Ranger/Staff Member Present, Scenic View/Photo Spot, Trash/Litter Receptacles

You are standing at the largest known natural entrance to the Mammoth Cave system. This collapsed sink hole gave way to an extensive labyrinth of naturally formed passages. It is believed that this is where the Mammoth Cave story first began.

The cave system is constantly breathing in and out, assuring that the air remains fresh all the way down to the deepest levels. The brisk air escaping provides a blissful retreat from the heat of summer. Traveling around the opening you can feel the chill of the air tickle across your skin. Wouldn’t your curiosity be piqued? Maybe that was what occurred almost 5,000 years ago with Prehistoric Native Americans. They may have been out gathering supplies or hunting when they came across this amazing portal. Intrigued, they set off to explore. We find evidence they traveled over 19 miles with river cane torches to light their way. They journeyed into the cave for about 3,000 years before the exploration stopped... Why do you think they stopped coming into the cave?

It wasn’t until the late 1700s, that a local legend says a young boy, named John Houchin, rediscovered the cave. According to the legend, this young boy was hunting along the ridge line with his father’s Kentucky long rifle. He spotted a large black bear, a mammal we no longer find in the park. Raising the rifle to his shoulder he took aim and fired. BOOM!... When the smoke cleared, he realized he had only wounded the bear. The injured bear took off down the hillside and deep into the cave. Not wanting to come back empty handed, the boy took off after the bear. Do you think he ever found that bear? What we do know is that this story spread and cave travel began once more.

As you walk down the steps into the entrance, notice the water cascading from the limestone layers of the entrance. This feature will play an important role in one of our future stops.