We are planning a 70mi canoe trip down the Green river in Kentucky through mammoth cave national park. Has anyone floated this trip and what could we expect. Any good sightseeing or landmarks to be aware of? I heard of a big water fall and some caves. I am going in august and have heard its pretty low at that time of year.
You should talk to Tssplash
– Last Updated: May-08-04 8:15 AM EST –
about this river-he knows about it quite well.Do a search on Mammoth Cave National Park and you should get some good info there about camping, permit camping and maybe they can inform you about water levels for August.
thanks
thanks how do I get ahold of this guy?
I was going to go there last year
– Last Updated: May-09-04 7:40 AM EST –
and I had to cancel but I can give you a bit of info, not first hand knowledge, but it's a start. The best site I found for info was at http://www.mammoth.cave.national-park.com/ I was going to camp at Headquarters campground-you can also camp at Dennison Ferry and/or Houchins Ferry-the last 2 are more primitive sites. You can do a cave tour which you can prebook. You could probably check water levels through Americanwhitewater.org or email the park rangers. Hope this helps you. Tssplash may be emailing you if he picks up his mail soon enough. Make sure you post photos of your trip-I've never been there and it's on my list! Iwas going to do from Dennison's Ferry to Houchins Ferry, about 20 miles just to let you know...
thanks
Thanks!!! I have been all over on line. We are going to start above mudfordsville and go close to the end of the national park. Ijust bought the water proof housing for my digee so i’ll be sure to post some pics!
I’ll E-mail Tony…
…and let him know you need Green River imfo. If he doesn’t reply to this in the next day or two he may be in Florida. WW
I already emailed him
and figured the same thing, that he was working or travelling or something of that nature.
The old Sehlinger guidebook described
the run. Is it still available? We did a single overnight back in '73, finishing at Mammoth.
are you talking about the canoe and
kayaking guide to the streams of kentucky? I just ordered it from amazon. Got a god deal i think 8.99 plus shipping is less than cover price.
be aware
I purchase the guide for Ohio. While it has proven to be of value things have changed since it’s last publication. Many of the put ins on the Little Miami are not listed in the book. Things change, especially on river so do not rely on the book too much. It is a good place to start. I went to the mamoth cave site and it looks really nice. I went there as a child but will noww look into the possibility of a trip. Next year most likely. Good luck.
Green River
Sorry for not responding before now, but as my good friend Terry predicted I’ve been gone for awhile, and just got back from a Florida trip last night.
The section of river you will be traveling is a very scenic one. You are in for a treat. Unless it has changed this year, the camping permits have always been free in the past. All you have to do is obtain your permit for the time you’ll be staying in MCNP. There are some nice island campsites btw. You can obtain a map of the river through that site, or by calling the number listed on the site. The map is very accurate, and helpful for that particular section of the Green. If we do get alot of rain before you come, there is a great possibility that all the sites will be underwater so plan accordingly. The sites are gravel bars mostly, but if the water is up you can count on plenty of muddy banks to deal with. There is a nice small campground at Houchin’s Ferry you might consider as your take out. The fee is only around $12 - $15 per night, and no reservations are taken so they are first come, first serve. There are only a dozen, or so sites, and if you get there during the week you should have no problem getting one. There are no showers, or electric, but there are porta-johns.
Don’t count on big waterfalls. You will see alot of small ones, but nothing huge by any means. There are some caves along the river you can explore. If it’s hot you will feel the cool air from them at various spots along the river. This will be your best indication that you are within the vicinity of one of these caves. Be very careful of snakes. We have our fair share. (smile)
Splash
thankss…
– Last Updated: May-15-04 12:20 PM EST –
I am wondering If you have any pics of the river you can E mail me. Also snakes don't bother me as much as bugs. At this time of year what do I expect in the way of bugs. Iusually float the current river in the ozarks (MO) and they are usually pest free with the exception of 1.5 in horse or deer flys (they sound like helicopters hovering over your head). I am starting to plan meals... Are there any places to buy ice along they way or will I have to eliminate most fresh meat,milk and eggs from a five day trip... Lack of civilization will not bother me at all but a place to stop for Ice halfway through would be covienient.. I will be bringing my dogs will that pose any problem in the national park? Also What is the water quality like. I am planning to bring a filter will that be sufficent?
Green River
- I’ll see if I can’t dig up a couple of pictures, but I believe that all the ones I have from past trips were on film so I’d have to scan them. Who knows where they are, but let me see what I can do.
-The dog won’t be a problem at all. Just bring a leash just in case one of the Rangers were to say something at the take-out. I’ve seen many people on the river tripping with dogs.
-As for ice stops along your route I wouldn’t count on. There’s not much of anything except a few houses, and wilderness along your planned route between Munfordville, and the Park. If you are taking a canoe, and have ample room you might consider taking one of the good 5 day (keeping ice) coolers on the market, and using block ice. If you limit how many times you open your cooler you should be able to keep everything cool just fine. There is plenty of information in the Archives here of things you can take if you would like to look it up. You really don’t need ice to eat good on the river.
-Water quality you ask? You might want to ask someone else about that one. I’m very picky about what I consume, and let me just simply say I wouldn’t drink it. But then again, there are very few rivers that I know of that I would drink directly from, even with a filtration system. I’m sure alot of people do drink it, but I’m more picky about that than some are. There’s certainly no outrageous claims of contamination that I’m aware of here, but my rule of thumb has always been “when in doubt, do without”. You might even be able to get water quality tests about the river from the Park. Wouldn’t hurt to ask. You never know.
- Plan for all types of bugs. If it is cool you shouldn’t have much problems. We have them all if it’s hot when you come. Lots of ticks also. Especially the small deer ticks.
When? Size of group?
I’ve done it aa few times and prefer it in the fall when there’s less people. Since you cannot get permits in advance, we usually have one early bird in line (that person will need to have the license plate numbers, as well as names, etc. of evryone for permits). Banks tend to be vertical with thickets where they level out, so camping is almost always on the islands (we don’t like campgrounds). Even on the islands, the usuable area is somewhat limited, especially at higher water. Therefore, I recommend that you have a camping area in mind, with a backup not far downstream, in case it’s unavailable. Paddlers aren’t the only ones vying for that space; there’s some anglers in powerboats who camp. All those caveats aside, it is wonderous place, teeming with wildlife. A nice feature is the milepost signage, so you always know exactly where you’re at.