Green River/Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky

by  guest-paddler

A self-supported trip created by guest-paddler

Trip Overview

I decided to take the wife and kids kayaking through part of Mammoth Cave National Park's Green River a few weeks ago. We left home around noon and arrived 4 hours later at the entrance of Mammoth Cave National Park. We headed over to Dennison Ferry Day use area, and launched our kayaks. The launch is steep, but we made it in with no problems.

I'm used to paddling on the Wabash River. It was nice being on a river that isn't mud brown from being loaded with silt. The Green River is aptly named, the water was very green.

We were suprised by the abundance of wildlife in the area. Wild turkey, Great Blue Heron, and Deer frequented the banks for the whole trip. We saw fish pretty much everywhere we looked.

The scenery was beautiful. Cliffs, islands, trees, and even a small cave. My son paddled into the cave and was amazed by how cold the water flowing from the mouth was. We did stop about 2 miles from the Green River Ferry on a small island. While picking up Mussell shells, we found a small catfish lurking in one.

We pulled out at the Green River Ferry at around 7:45 pm, we traveled about 7.5 miles and had a great time.

Accommodations:

We stayed in the Park Hotel; cost was a little high, but the room was clean and the bed was comfortable. The Park Restaraunt was unremarkable.

Fees:

none

Resources:

Printed the map from the Park's web site:
www.mammoth.cave.national-park.com/map.htm

Trip Details

  • Skill Level: Beginner
  • Water Type: River/Creek (Up to Class II)

Trip Location