Five Nights, 20 River Miles & a Whole Lot of Caves: Labor Day at Mammoth Cave National Park, KY
A trip hosted by Crazy Kayak Adventure Club
Labor Day weekend called for an adventure, and this year that meant five nights of camping, kayaking, caves, horses, ziplining, good food, and plenty of laughs around Mammoth Cave National Park.
The trip was hosted by my friend Sandra Steel, founder of the Crazy Kayak Adventure Club. If you've ever traveled with Sandra, you know a kayaking trip is rarely just a kayaking trip. She has a way of finding all the interesting things to see and do around an area and packing as much adventure as possible into a few days.
This trip was definitely no exception.
20 Miles on the Green River
Of course, kayaking was a big part of our Labor Day adventure.
Over the course of the trip, we paddled approximately 20 miles of the Green River through Mammoth Cave National Park, covering sections between Dennison Ferry Day Use Area, Green River Ferry, and Houchin Ferry.
One of the biggest surprises of the entire paddle was the wildlife. During our time on the Green River, we spotted more than a dozen bald eagles. Seeing one bald eagle while you're paddling is exciting. After you've seen 10, 11, 12 and more, you start realizing just how special the stretch of river you're floating really is.
The Green River offered a completely different paddling experience from the rivers I spend most of my time exploring back home in eastern Kentucky. That's one of my favorite things about traveling with a kayak. Every river has its own personality, and experiencing a destination from the water lets you see things you would completely miss from a road or overlook.
The heat, however, was no joke.
With daytime temperatures pushing close to 100 degrees, this wasn't a trip where we were trying to break any paddling speed records. We stopped often, and whenever we found a cool, flowing stream entering the river, we took advantage of it.
We'd pull the kayaks over, climb out and simply sit down in the flowing water for a while.
Those little streams felt like natural air conditioning. We'd cool ourselves off, rest, drink some water, enjoy the shade and eventually climb back into the boats to paddle another stretch.
Sometimes the best part of a river trip isn't how quickly you get to the takeout. It's the places you discover because you're willing to stop along the way.
When It's Nearly 100 Degrees...Go Underground!
Kentucky apparently decided we needed a little extra challenge for Labor Day weekend. Daytime temperatures were pushing close to 100 degrees, so we quickly discovered one of the best ways to escape the heat around Mammoth Cave:
Go underground. And we certainly did.
We visited Diamond Caverns and Crystal Onyx Cave in Park City, Kentucky. Each cave had its own formations, history, and character, and the cooler underground temperatures were especially welcome after being outside in the heat.
In Horse Cave, we toured Hidden River Cave, where one of the highlights was crossing a swinging bridge inside the cave.
We also made the drive to Bowling Green for a completely different underground experience at Lost River Cave. Instead of walking through this one, we climbed aboard the cave boat.
Getting into the cave was an adventure by itself. At one point, everyone in the boat had to duck down incredibly low—basically like you're bending over to tie your shoes—while the boat slipped underneath the low cave ceiling.
There aren't many sightseeing tours where "DUCK!" is such an important part of the experience!
Horses, Zip Lines & More Adventure
We weren't finished yet.
The group traded paddles for saddles for a horseback ride with Double J Stables and also took on the Mammoth Cave area's zipline tour. I defiantly went zip lining but I am not a horseback rider, but the others on the trip went for the horseback riding tour.
That's something I really enjoy about trips like this. You don't have to choose between being a "kayak person," a hiker, a camper, or someone who enjoys tourist attractions.
Do all of it. (unless your me, and don't horseback ride)
A good adventure trip can mean paddling a river one day, climbing onto a horse the next, flying through the trees on a zipline, and disappearing underground into a cave when the afternoon temperature gets close to 100 degrees.
And Then There Was THAT Pretzel
You can't have a good adventure without finding somewhere memorable to eat.
One of our stops was Blue Holler Cafe, where we got to enjoy German food. I ordered a schnitzel, but the real showstopper was the giant pretzel our group ordered to share.
Calling it a "large pretzel" really doesn't do it justice.
It was one of the biggest pretzels I think I've ever seen. Plus the beer cheese was amazing.
After days filled with paddling, caves, horses, zip lines and camping, sitting around a table sharing an enormous pretzel with friends was pretty much perfect.
Adventure Is More Than the Destination
Five nights. About 20 miles of kayaking. More than a dozen bald eagles. Four different cave experiences. Horseback riding. Ziplining. Camping. German food. One ridiculously large pretzel.
And a lot of memories.
Trips like this are part of why I love outdoor recreation so much. Kayaking may be what brings our group together, but it often becomes the starting point for discovering everything else a destination has to offer.
It's also something that inspires what I'm building with Three Forks Adventure Company back home in Beattyville, Kentucky.
I don't want adventure to simply mean renting a kayak, paddling from Point A to Point B, and going home.
Sometimes the best adventure is making a whole weekend out of it. Paddle the river. Explore somewhere you've never been. Learn a little history. Eat somewhere local. Try an activity that's outside your comfort zone. And when it's nearly 100 degrees outside, find a cold stream and sit in it for a while!
Then head back to camp, relax with friends, and start talking about what you're going to do tomorrow.
That's what an adventure trip should feel like and Sandy with Crazy Kayak Adventure Club does an excellent job at just that.
And sometimes, the best ideas for the next Three Forks adventure come from getting out and having a few adventures of my own.
Until the next adventure,
Dedra
Three Forks Adventure Company
Birthplace of the Kentucky River
