Mammoth cave national park

[RED531]

any hangers out there like to hit up mammoth cave? id like to hear about your experiences.

[rcurry]

I've had a couple of trips kayak camping on the Green River in Mammoth Cave National Park. I loved it!
Hanging and paddling = peas & carrots. It just goes together perfectly.

[BittyGoat]

I've had a couple of trips kayak camping on the Green River in Mammoth Cave National Park. I loved it!
Hanging and paddling = peas & carrots. It just goes together perfectly.

I'm planning a trip down Green River right now from Dennison's Ferry to Houchin's Ferry. Have you made this trip?

[rcurry]

I'm planning a trip down Green River right now from Dennison's Ferry to Houchin's Ferry. Have you made this trip?

Yes I have. I did it split in two different trips due to the friends that I convinced to join me and their schedules.

The first trip I did inside the park was the Dennison Ferry to Green River Ferry. The second trip was Green River Ferry to Houchins Ferry. Both were great trips. Just a note about putting in at Dennison and the only reason I even mention it is that I was a bit surprised. I had never seen a kayak/canoe “shoot” before. That is what I’m calling the handrail height V shaped wooden rails that go down the very tall (knee height) steep steps that lead down to the water at Dennison. You can put your boat on the V shaped rails and slide your boat down. Otherwise you may struggle getting all the way down the steps (2 sets, 2 levels) with your boat and then all your gear. I’m not the most graceful and walking up/down crazy steps carrying kayaks & gear is not one of my strong points. I would actually dread taking out at Dennison Ferry. Putting in takes a little time but I can manage it. It’s not all easy fun and games becoming an old lady. But as long as I can be out on the water, I WILL.

[BittyGoat]

Yes I have. I did it split in two different trips due to the friends that I convinced to join me and their schedules.

The first trip I did inside the park was the Dennison Ferry to Green River Ferry. The second trip was Green River Ferry to Houchins Ferry. Both were great trips. Just a note about putting in at Dennison and the only reason I even mention it is that I was a bit surprised. I had never seen a kayak/canoe “shoot” before. That is what I’m calling the handrail height V shaped wooden rails that go down the very tall (knee height) steep steps that lead down to the water at Dennison. You can put your boat on the V shaped rails and slide your boat down. Otherwise you may struggle getting all the way down the steps (2 sets, 2 levels) with your boat and then all your gear. I’m not the most graceful and walking up/down crazy steps carrying kayaks & gear is not one of my strong points. I would actually dread taking out at Dennison Ferry. Putting in takes a little time but I can manage it. It’s not all easy fun and games becoming an old lady. But as long as I can be out on the water, I WILL.

Thanks for the info. I've heard about that "shoot". I think the person that told me about it said if you don't have everything secured nice and tight, you will be swimming after your gear! Did you do any fishing along the way?

[rcurry]

Thanks for the info. I've heard about that "shoot". I think the person that told me about it said if you don't have everything secured nice and tight, you will be swimming after your gear! Did you do any fishing along the way?

I have purchased my fishing license for the past few years but I really don’t have any fishing skills and usually don’t even wet a line while playing out on the water. I’m just making my donation for the cause and that’s ok. (Side note- inside the Mammoth Cave National Park boundaries you don’t have to have a fishing license.)
Some of the guys did a little fishing while paddling and then later tried their hand at some night fishing once camp was set up. The rest of us sat around and sampled snake bite medicine and told lies around the campfire.

[smashdn]

I'm planning a trip down Green River right now from Dennison's Ferry to Houchin's Ferry. Have you made this trip?

Yes. You can do it as a single night camp.

We left out about 10:00 from Dennisons and hit where we camped, maybe 3 miles downstream from the Green River Ferry, about 30 minutes before nightfall (August).

If you go now you won't run into this but in the summer the river is packed and the better (tent) camping spots go quick. So if you are with tenters (I was) it makes it a little trickier to get a spot.

There is a great spot up a feeder creek past Turnhole bend aobut a mile on the north side of the river. It is just wide enough to get a kayak in but opens up and shallows out. You go about 100 feet up the creek and it forks. The right fork is just fed by run-off from the hills. The left fork is fed by a spring that comes up out of a cave. The best way to find it is to check the water temp coming out of the feeder creeks. In summer it will be ice cold. In winter it may feel warmer. The reasons it is so good of a place to camp is A) it is not a camp site B) clean cold water C) you are up off the river a ways and more secluded.

The kayak/canoe "cradle" at Dennisons is a trip.

[rcurry]

Yes. You can do it as a single night camp.

We left out about 10:00 from Dennisons and hit where we camped, maybe 3 miles downstream from the Green River Ferry, about 30 minutes before nightfall (August).

If you go now you won't run into this but in the summer the river is packed and the better (tent) camping spots go quick. So if you are with tenters (I was) it makes it a little trickier to get a spot.

There is a great spot up a feeder creek past Turnhole bend aobut a mile on the north side of the river. It is just wide enough to get a kayak in but opens up and shallows out. You go about 100 feet up the creek and it forks. The right fork is just fed by run-off from the hills. The left fork is fed by a spring that comes up out of a cave. The best way to find it is to check the water temp coming out of the feeder creeks. In summer it will be ice cold. In winter it may feel warmer. The reasons it is so good of a place to camp is A) it is not a camp site B) clean cold water C) you are up off the river a ways and more secluded.

The kayak/canoe "cradle" at Dennisons is a trip.

Aha..."cradle". That sounds much kinder and gentler than a "shoot". But honestly as steep as it is I sort of launched my boat down like a slow arrow shooting out. I did hold on to my rope so as not to have the boat leave without me and the rest of the gear. Fun times! I can't wait for it to warm up and hit it again this spring.

[BittyGoat]

Yes. You can do it as a single night camp.

We left out about 10:00 from Dennisons and hit where we camped, maybe 3 miles downstream from the Green River Ferry, about 30 minutes before nightfall (August).

If you go now you won't run into this but in the summer the river is packed and the better (tent) camping spots go quick. So if you are with tenters (I was) it makes it a little trickier to get a spot.

There is a great spot up a feeder creek past Turnhole bend aobut a mile on the north side of the river. It is just wide enough to get a kayak in but opens up and shallows out. You go about 100 feet up the creek and it forks. The right fork is just fed by run-off from the hills. The left fork is fed by a spring that comes up out of a cave. The best way to find it is to check the water temp coming out of the feeder creeks. In summer it will be ice cold. In winter it may feel warmer. The reasons it is so good of a place to camp is A) it is not a camp site B) clean cold water C) you are up off the river a ways and more secluded.

The kayak/canoe "cradle" at Dennisons is a trip.

Thanks for the info. I'll Google Earth that spot and see if I can get some good coords for my gps.

[Ewker]

I haven't backpacked up there in over a yr. Good place to go but some of the designated campsites aren't that great for hammocking