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Trail Sign

Mammoth Cave National Park has recently opened a new hiking and biking trail called, Mammoth Cave Railroad Hike and Bike Trail. A nine-mile gravel and wooden boardwalk trail, it was opened in December 2007. We stopped at Mammoth Cave on our way home from our vacation and spent some time on the trail. Although better known for the famous caverns, what we discovered above ground left us wanting to come back again and again and see this beautiful path in all the different seasons. A little over 6 hours away from Chicago, off of I-65, makes this a very feasible weekend adventure.

 

Old railroad lines make great biking and hiking paths, but this is not a trail for a beginner bicyclist. There are numerous hills and three areas that are so steep, they recommend you get off your bike and walk it up the hill. It was a recommendation we thought highly of as we attempted to ride part way up the hill before hopping off the bikes and walking. Even that was strenuous! We did, however, have great fun riding down those steep hills!

Mammoth Cave

 

The path winds through some awesome forests and deep ravines. Since we were there in the Fall, we caught gorgeous fall foliage. We also got to see several deer including an amorous buck. The valleys and hills were well worth the ride with new glimpses of fantastic fall color as we rounded a bend. Pictures just never do it justice. We had the trail all to ourselves although we did see some other people biking it as we arrived in the park.

Stu riding down the trail

 

The trail passes a couple of cemeteries where several of the original settlers in the area are buried. You can also stop at Sloan’s Crossing Pond where normally you can see wildlife, but the water levels were way down when we were there so there was mostly mud to see. There are also several historic places and a privately owned cave, Diamond Caverns that you will pass by as you travel this path.

Furlong Cemetary

 

You will be sure to get a workout as well as see some great landscapes while riding or hiking the Mammoth Cave Railroad Hike and Bike Trail. Be sure to bring plenty of water, snacks and a repair kit as this nine-mile one-way trail could leave you stranded with a long walk back if not prepared. My back tire went flat while we were on the trail and we would have had a long walk back if not for my husband’s forethought to bring a repair kit and not just an air pump.

 

Trail Specs:
Length: 9 miles, one-way
Difficulty:  Moderate
Elevation Change: 12% steepness grade for hills

Trail Map

Multilingual exclamations of surprise and wonder spring from the lips of millions of visitors who annually arrive from all over the world to stand awestruck at the Grand Canyon’s rim. A mile deep, and more than eight miles at its widest, the Grand Canyon reveals layers of exposed limestone, shale, and sandstone walls that extend from Lees Ferry below the Glen Canyon Dam to Pearce Ferry on upper Lake Mead.

Grand Canyon

Beheld from one of its rim viewpoints, the Grand Canyon is indeed stupendous, fantastic, and awe-inspiring. Even if there were enough adjectives in English to drop one for each of the 277 miles of Colorado River plunging through the canyon’s gorge, such a string of superlatives could not capture the majesty of what it’s like to gaze into the Grand Canyon for the first time. Yet, below the rim, accessible by miles of hiking trails, there’s another canyon that very few of the five million annual visitors to Grand Canyon National Park ever see. It’s a place of high-elevation Boreal forests and low-elevation desertscapes, a landscape of rushing streams and abundant wildlife. This trail guide covers an area with over 300 miles of trails.
TRAIL GUIDE

Activity Type: Hiking
Nearby City: Flagstaff, AZ
Length: 300 total miles
Trail Type: Many Options
Skill Level: Easy to Strenuous
Trailhead Elev: 1600 feet
Top Elev: 9089 feet
Local Contacts: National Park ServiceÂ
Local Maps: Grand Canyon National Park Trails Topo Map

USGS Bright Angel, Grand Canyon, Phantom Ranch, Cape Royal, Grandview Point, Bright Angel Point, Vulcans Throne, Vulcans Throne SE, Whitmore Rapids, Mount Trumbull SE 

Source; Trails.com

By Stu Marks