Dixon Cave Trail

Dogs Leashed

Features Birding · Cave · Fall Colors · Wildflowers · Wildlife

The Dixon Cave Trail departs from the Historic Entrance of Mammoth Cave, passes Dixon Cave, and ends at an Overlook where you can enjoy views of the Green River and surrounding forests. To access the trail, hike down the Historic Entrance trail from the back of the visitor center and past the station where people clean their shoes after emerging form the cave. On the right hand side of the path, the Dixon Cave Trail begins to climb uphill along the ridge where you can see rock outcrops that have been weathered over the years. The trail has transformed into a singletrack dirt trail where roots and rocks are scattered along the path. Watch your step. The trail winds around the hillside and arrives at the Dixon Cave Overlook, where you can climb some stairs up to a platform that overlooks the entrance to Dixon Cave. Dixon Cave was once a part of Mammoth Cave, but a sinkhole collapsed and separated the cave into two. Now, Indiana and Gray bats call the cave home causing the cave to be closed year round in order to protect the bats. In the late summer or early fall, you can see bats flying in and out of the cave as they search for mates before hibernating for the winter. It is important to remain quiet and not shining light into the cave entrance to avoid frightening the bats. After enjoying the cave entrance, a trail to the picnic area breaks off to the right. The trail descends toward and crosses the Green River Bluffs trail before passing a bench and emerging at a spot where you can enjoy views of the Green River. From here, you can either retrace your steps back to the visitor center or use the Green River Bluffs Trail to explore more of the park.