The easiest hikes in Mammoth Cave National Park, by the numbers
Of the 26 trails in Mammoth Cave National Park in our dataset, 12 (46 percent) rate easiest on the gain-and-distance scale we use, run 1 to 6 miles and climb 500 ft or less; all 12 are listed here, lowest rating first.
Cedar Sink Trail has the lowest rating: 59 ft of gain over 1 mile, 59 ft per mile.
Across the 12, gain runs from 59 to 459 ft and distance from 1 mile to 4.9 miles; the median gain is 189 ft and the median distance 1.8 miles.
11 of the 12 are point-to-point routes; the rest are loop (1).
| # | Trail | Miles | Gain (ft) | Ft per mile | Max grade | Elevation (ft) | Rating | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cedar Sink TrailCentral Kentucky | 1 | 59 | 59 | 11% | 581 to 642 | 10.9 | |
| 2 | Echo River Springs TrailCentral Kentucky | 1.1 | 83 | 75 | 19% | 491 to 583 | 13.5 | |
| 3 | Maple Springs TrailCentral Kentucky | 1.2 | 83 | 69 | 11% | 793 to 841 | 14.1 | |
| 4 | Sinkhole TrailCentral Kentucky | 1 | 260 | 260 | 13% | 551 to 793 | 22.8 | |
| 5 | Blair Springs Hollow TrailCentral Kentucky | 1.6 | 199 | 124 | 10% | 710 to 889 | 25.2 | |
| 6 | Turnhole Bend TrailCentral Kentucky | 2 | 160 | 80 | 16% | 738 to 877 | 25.3 | |
| 7 | Dry Prong TrailCentral Kentucky | 2.3 | 140 | 61 | 6% | 736 to 904 | 25.4 | |
| 8 | Green River Bluffs TrailCentral Kentucky | 1.4 | 459 | 328 | 24% | 521 to 840 | 35.8 | |
| 9 | Mill Branch TrailCentral Kentucky | 2.8 | 235 | 84 | 15% | 609 to 894 | 36.3 | |
| 10 | Collie Ridge TrailCentral Kentucky | 3.9 | 178 | 46 | 7% | 792 to 916 | 37.3 | |
| 11 | White Oak TrailCentral Kentucky | 2.4 | 379 | 158 | 13% | 569 to 892 | 42.7 | |
| 12 | Big Hollow Trail North LoopCentral Kentucky | 4.9 | 242 | 49 | 12% | 778 to 855 | 48.7 |
How this list is ranked
Rating = the square root of 2 x elevation gain (ft) x distance (miles), the gain-and-distance formula Shenandoah National Park publishes for its own trails. Bands: under 50 easiest, 50 to 100 moderate, 100 to 150 moderately strenuous, 150 to 200 strenuous, 200 and over very strenuous.
This list: band easiest (under 50), 1 to 6 miles, no more than 500 ft of gain, ordered by rating asc, miles asc, capped at 25. The rating column is computed from the miles and gain printed in the same row, the numbers each trail page uses, so every row can be checked from the row itself. The rating says nothing about exposure, scrambling, altitude or conditions.
Only trails with a full page count, so "Mammoth Cave National Park" here means the 26 trails in Mammoth Cave National Park in our dataset, not every trail in Mammoth Cave National Park.
Each trail page shows the full elevation profile behind these numbers and the same data drawn as a topographic print, made to order. Start with Cedar Sink Trail.
Easiest hikes elsewhere.
The same ranking for other parks in our dataset.