any hangers out there like to hit up mammoth cave? id like to hear about your experiences.
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any hangers out there like to hit up mammoth cave? id like to hear about your experiences.
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 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
i love backpacking at mammoth cave national park
http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery...r&imageuser=11
the last time i went back in December was really nice
me and three other people hiked to collie ridge, gota say that was a great campsite
setup a trip on here. I am sure you will get some folks to go
Not the best backpacking, most of the trails are hores trails as well and get really rutted. I do love to canoe camp along the green river though, as long as the flood plain is open you can pretty much paddle and camp where ever you want. I am down there alomst every weekend in the summer and fall. The green river is calm enough you can paddle up or down without a issue. Never had a issue with finding plenty of trees to hang from, always a good time on the river.
that is true, i hate having to dodge horse droppings during the hike.Quote:
Originally Posted by jgrant0553
No horse droppings to dodge on the river;)
IMO on the river is the best bet. The trails are beat by horses or they grow up in summer. Second creek is an ok site as well as three springs.
My favorite float is Nolin from the dam down to houchins. Nolin has some great early spring scenery. The woods are in full bloom but still open enough to see the bluffs and hemlocks up on them.
The flood plain is quite large in some places. You can get well up away from the river and creeks if you wish. Be careful with any fires or cooking and practice lnt.
I tent camped one of their remote sites in '11, as long as they allow hammocks id say go for it
I'm planning a trip down Green River right now from Dennison's Ferry to Houchin's Ferry. Have you made this trip?Quote:
Originally Posted by rcurry
I'm hoping to do this or the red river gorge on vacation. Was thinking of the tecumseh trail but don't think I am ready for that. Plus I want some more views. Hoping for a little solitude also seeing how it'll be during the week. Looking at the elevation changes here vs. Red river. I know the gorge has big elevation changes but this doesn't look too bad. Any suggestions?
Yes I have. I did it split in two different trips due to the friends that I convinced to join me and their schedules.Quote:
Originally Posted by yakitup
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.
How many days?Quote:
Originally Posted by mountainhanger
Stay on the north side trails.
http://www.nps.gov/maca/planyourvisit/trails.htm
For two nights I would park at First Creek trailhead and stay the night at Second Creek campsite. It is located at the confluence of Second Creek and Nolin River. Hike up the bluff to the Temple Hill Trailhead and down the ridge on the McCoy Hollow Trail and stay at the McCoy Hollow site night two. Then you hike back to the First Creek Trailhead on the McCoy Hollow Trail.
That will be about 13 miles.
For one night I would go from Temple Hill trailhead and hike down to one of the First Creek sites or depending upon how far you want to go stay the night at Second creek campsite.
Yes. You can do it as a single night camp.Quote:
Originally Posted by yakitup
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 :lol: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.Quote:
Originally Posted by smashdn
I was actually planning on like four days..thought maybe do the whole loop thing..sal hollow then to first creek then raymer hollow and back out? Thinking that the sal hollo would be the longest..or maybe start out from first creek trail head and go counter clockwise?Quote:
Originally Posted by smashdn
whatya think? should be plenty of water available at all those sites and sal hollow is hikers only I believe.. I know i a out of shape so I am allowing alot of time here to do this..
Water shouldn't be a problem. It came a gully washer all up through there about 4 hours ago.Quote:
Originally Posted by mountainhanger
I don't know about it being hikers only. I worked with a guy that was big into biking and he kept me up to date on the Sal Hollow trail as it was the mtn. biking trail. I had heard that they closed it to biking and opened it up to the horse people. But supposedly they were building a mtn. bike trail on the east side of the Ferry road that runs north-south. Not sure if that is done yet or not. I know it isn't on the maps that I can find.
The horse people must have a lot of pull up there. I'm not a fan generally.
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! :eek: Did you do any fishing along the way?Quote:
Originally Posted by rcurry
Thanks for the info. I'll Google Earth that spot and see if I can get some good coords for my gps.Quote:
Originally Posted by smashdn
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.)Quote:
Originally Posted by yakitup
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 :laugh:and told lies around the campfire.