Paul in the Parks

September 30 – October 1, 2022 —

After I visited Mammoth Cave National Park for the first time in 2019, I knew I’d have to return one day. My visit to the park with Maria was great, but all too brief and all too hot. We’d visited in July, when humidity, heat, and pesky bugs plagued all of Kentucky. In addition, we had planned the trip last-minute, which only allowed us to do one tour in the park: the cave’s popular Historic Tour. There was so much more of Mammoth Cave that I wanted to see. Since the park sits only three hours from Indianapolis, I knew I’d make it back before long. What I didn’t know was who I’d end up visiting the park with. As it turns out, life, fate, and God can work in funny and unexpected ways.

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Enter Benjamin Peacock

Who is Benjamin Peacock? To many, he’s a youth associate pastor at Victory Church in Lakeland, Florida. There, he touches the lives of many young people with his work and his passion for his faith. To others, he’s a dedicated (and insane) triathlete who puts more time and effort into his physical health than just about anybody I know. At the time of writing, he will be competing in the 2022 Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Utah. To me, he’s one of my oldest friends and – thanks to his physical feats – an inspiration for me to chase goals I never thought possible for myself.

Benjamin raises a stick above his head while standing in the water of the Narrows of Zion National Park — Benjamin at Zion National Park in 2021, shortly after his first Ironman 70.3

Benjamin and I were best friends during my childhood in Georgia. From kindergarten until 3rd grade, we were inseparable and made countless memories together. Our friendship turned on its head when I moved from Georgia to Missouri in 2007. After a brief meetup in Georgia in 2009 and plenty of attempts to stay in touch over the next couple of years, our friendship waned. Thanks to the distance and thanks to life taking us in different directions, we eventually fell out of touch.

Paul and Benjamin - both very young and in school uniforms - smile for a photo — Me and Benjamin in 1st or 2nd grade

In 2021, this all changed. Through social media, we discovered we had an important interest in common: America’s national parks. On top of that, Benjamin’s passion for races – especially triathlons – led me to begin scheming to complete my own Ironman 70.3. I began texting with him for advice to bolster my lackluster swimming ability, and we started communicating semi-regularly as a result. Before long, we agreed to plan a trip to a national park together as part of a long-overdue reunion. I recommended we go to Mammoth Cave: this would be his 18th national park and a re-visit to my 4th.

Reunion in Indianapolis

On September 29, 2022, I picked up Benjamin at the Indianapolis airport. Despite some noticeable physical differences (namely our heights and our voices), we started talking as if no time had passed. Though we’d caught up on each others’ lives briefly over the phone, we had so much more to talk about. We talked at a million miles an hour as we drove to my apartment. Once there, Benjamin departed for a solo exploration of Indianapolis while I finished work for the afternoon.

To Mammoth Cave

We began our drive to Mammoth Cave in the evening. During the 3-hour drive, we talked constantly. We swapped stories about our lives, discussed triathlon subjects, shared our aspirations, gave updates on each others’ families, and – of course – chatted extensively about our favorite (and least favorite) national parks. Our conversations continued well after we arrived at the dark campground and pitched our tent. We stayed up until 11 PM in the dark tent finishing our conversation about the parks and fantasizing about our next trips in the great outdoors.

A tent light illuminates a tent in the darkness — Our tent in the dark

Despite not seeing each other for thirteen years, we were vibing. It was interesting to find how similar we still were despite our differences on the surface.

Day 1: Exploring the Underground

Our alarms went off at 6:45 AM. We awoke to a beautiful morning in the Mammoth Cave Campground. The rising sun illuminated faint fall colors in the trees around us. The brisk, chilly air felt refreshing after a long night of sleep. Several deer walked around our campsite, munching on vegetation amidst fallen leaves. A freight train sounded its horn in the distance. Without any neighbors to disturb the quiet, it was a peaceful morning.

Benjamin pokes half of his body out of a tent as a deer grazes in the forest behind him — Benjamin poking out of the tent with a deer behind him

Benjamin and I started our day with a quick 4-mile run along the park’s Bike and Hike Trail, a relatively flat gravel trail that winds its way through the park’s forests. We encountered few other trail-goers braving the cold morning air. We ran to the Doyel Valley Overlook before turning around and returning to the campground.

Paul and Benjamin take a selfie in front of the overlook of a forest, partway through a run — Doyel Valley Overlook during our morning run at Mammoth Cave National Park

The top of a forest stretches into the distance below a blue sky in Mammoth Cave National Park — Doyel Valley Overlook during our morning run at Mammoth Cave National Park

At 8:45, we finished breakfast and headed to the park’s visitor center for our 9 AM cave tour. There, we found our tour group and hopped onto a bus that took us to the cave’s Carmichael Entrance. Opened in 1931, the Carmichael Entrance provides access to a much different part of Mammoth Cave than the Historic Entrance does. Though the entrances are connected, it is difficult to reach the other part of the cave using natural passageways.

Paul and Benjamin take a selfie in front of a bus on their way to their first tour in Mammoth Cave — Me & Benjamin in front of our bus

A line of people begin entering a small door leading into Mammoth Cave — Me & Benjamin in front of our bus

The Grand Avenue Tour

At the Carmichael Entrance, our ranger guide gave us a preface to the tour. Then, we began descending hundreds of steps into the cave. The staircase deposited us at the “Rocky Mountains,” a portion of the cave named for large hunks of rock that litter the floor. Then, we began our 4-mile walk through the cave.

A boulder-covered floor sits at the bottom of a large passage in Mammoth Cave — The Rocky Mountains, named for all of the rock on the floor

While I loved our walk through the cave, it’s hard to differentiate the various sections and tunnels from one another. So, I’ll spare you from excessive details and stick to the highlights.

The Grand Avenue Tour began with a walk through Cleaveland Avenue, a large and tubular passageway stretching for over a mile under the surface. As we walked, Benjamin and I met some of our fellow cave explorers. These included a trail runner from Chattanooga, a rock & ice climber/dad, and a student from the University of Kentucky. With every person we met, we swapped stories about outdoor adventures while taking in the underground sights around us.

The Slot Canyon

Once reaching the end of Cleaveland Avenue, we ventured into the next section of the tour: an underground slot canyon. It was every bit as impressive as the description implies. The passageway resembled Arizona’s Antelope Canyon, just without the sunlight or the red rock. Artificial lighting in the cave created an orange glow around us as we wound our way through the canyon.

Orange light illuminates a slot canyon in Mammoth Cave — A photo of the slot canyon above my head

Artificial light illuminates a large pit in Mammoth Cave — A photo of the slot canyon above my head

We attempted to capture photos of the canyon while maintaining conversation with the other group members, which became difficult once the canyon forced us into a single-file line.

Benjamin acting goofy for the camera in the slot canyon

By the time we exited the slot canyon, we’d already been underground for 2 hours. We started crossing another tubular passageway known as Kentucky Avenue.

Everywhere we looked, we saw endless passageways that turned pitch black once the artificial lighting reached its limit. Since Mammoth Cave is a dry cave, we didn’t see any of the stalactites, stalagmites, or other decorations typically found in caves. Thanks to a thick layer of sandstone at the top of most passages in the cave, water rarely seeps through the cave’s ceiling. The result is a fascinating network of long, large, and empty passageways not found in most caves. This makes the cave unique and can make tours that navigate its massive tunnels rather impressive.

A line of tourists traverses a paved walkway crossing a cavern in Mammoth Cave — Two photos of Mammoth Cave during the Grand Avenue tour

A paved walkway disappears into the distance in a large passage of Mammoth Cave — Two photos of Mammoth Cave during the Grand Avenue tour

“National Parks” Inside the National Park

As we walked Kentucky Avenue, we passed through a pair of misleadingly-named sections. The first – Mount McKinley – was named for its relatively high elevation compared to other areas of the cave. The second – Grand Canyon – was named for the opposite reason. Perhaps the naming conventions were meant to evoke feelings of these other national parks, but I can assure you they did not.

Benjamin and Paul crouch under a low overhang as they pose for a photo in Mammoth Cave — Benjamin & me ducking below a low ceiling on the Grand Avenue Tour

At this point, our ranger guide provided some interesting history about the park. In the 1920s and early 1930s, a man named George Morrison had owned this portion of the cave. He blasted a new entrance into the cave in 1921, discovered untouched passageways, and operated his section as a privately-owned attraction in subsequent years. Property disputes eventually ensued with the Mammoth Cave National Park Association, which was attempting to form the national park at the time. As it turns out, these disputes and others – like with the Great Onyx Cave – resulted in a unique Kentucky property law. The law dictates that one’s property includes not only land on the surface, but also the earth beneath their property extending from the surface all the way to the center of the earth. Wow… not a bad property investment.

A ranger stands in front of a group of people below a cave ceiling covered in sparkling gypsum — Our ranger guide talking to the group at a stop in the cave

In 1931, the Kentucky National Park Commission purchased Morrison’s “New Entrance” portion of the cave. Eventually, this commission merged with the Mammoth Cave National Park Association. They formed the national park in 1941, which included Morrison’s cave section. Check out the National Park Service’s website to learn more about the history of the park.

Domes & Dripstones

We concluded the Grand Avenue Tour in the Frozen Niagara section of the cave. Here, water seeps through the cave’s ceiling. This creates a rare section of Mammoth Cave where stalactites and stalagmites abound. Frozen Niagara – a large stalactite resembling a large, frozen waterfall – highlights this section. Our group took its time navigating the section, and Benjamin and I took plenty of photos. Everyone around us ogled at their surroundings with jaws hanging open and cameras out.

Paul and Benjamin pose at the top of a staircase in front of some intricate cave decorations — Me & Benjamin posing with the cave

Wispy stalactites hang down from a ledge, illuminated by yellow artificial light — Me & Benjamin posing with the cave

After nearly 4 hours in the cave and 4 miles of walking, we returned to the surface at 1 PM. There, another bus scooped us up and returned us to the visitor center, where we cleaned our boots to prevent the spread of white nose syndrome.

The Historic Entrance

Before returning to our campground for lunch, I took Benjamin to Mammoth Cave’s famous Historic Entrance. Thanks to his flight being moved up the next day, we’d had to cancel the Historic Tour on our agenda for the following morning. This meant Benjamin would miss out on seeing iconic parts of the cave. But, thankfully, this didn’t prevent us from stopping at the Historic Entrance and taking a peak in the cave.

Paul leans on a railing while posing with the gaping natural entrance of Mammoth Cave — Me in front of the Historic Entrance

Benjamin holds a squirrel stuffed animal in front of the gaping natural entrance to Mammoth Cave — Me in front of the Historic Entrance

After taking some photos, we returned to our campground for some rest and relaxation before our Great Onyx Lantern Tour at 3:30 PM.

The Great Onyx Lantern Tour

At 3:30, we boarded a bus to the Great Onyx Cave. Though the Great Onyx Cave shares some geological similarities to Mammoth Cave, it doesn’t connect to the national park’s namesake cave. One of its passages comes within 50 feet of Mammoth Cave, but no known connections exist. Fascinating history surrounds the Great Onyx Cave, mostly in context of the Kentucky Cave Wars: the time period where cave owners in the area fought bitterly with one another to attain wealth and popularity. Visit Wikipedia’s page on the national park to learn more about these cave wars.

After the national park’s foundation in 1941, Great Onyx Cave’s owners refused to sell their land to the NPS. So, the cave existed as an “island” in the national park until the owners finally sold in 1961. Since the cave doesn’t sport the same intricate artificial lighting as Mammoth Cave, the only way to explore the cave is by lantern light.

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At 4 PM, our group gathered at the cave’s entrance and our ranger guide distributed gas-powered lanterns to the group. Every fifth visitor carried a lantern to evenly distribute the light. I was one of those lucky visitors.

Paul holds a lantern and gives a thumbs-up while entering Great Onyx Cave — They who wield the lantern wield the power of the cave

Nature’s Showroom

Our group descended a long staircase into Great Onyx Cave and found a room much different from anything we’d seen on the Grand Avenue Tour. Though much of Great Onyx Cave is dry – like Mammoth – its entryway is not. A low-ceiling room full of stalactites and stalagmites greeted us upon our arrival.

A group of people carrying lanterns huddle in a room with a low ceiling filled with stalactites and stalagmites — The first room in Great Onyx Cave, which contains a plethora of stalactites and stalagmites

Waxy stalagmites are illuminated by a lantern — The first room in Great Onyx Cave, which contains a plethora of stalactites and stalagmites

We continued from the small, decorated room into a large passageway resembling the dry passageways we’d seen earlier. There, our ranger guide provided us some history of the cave’s management in the 1920s. The short version: the cave’s owners engaged in sleezy, nickel-and-dime tactics to squeeze every penny out of its visitors. Once visitors were lured to the cave, they’d have to pay money for every tiny “add-on” to their experience. The ranger also talked about property disputes with the cave, a common theme with caves in Kentucky.

A ranger tells a story to a group of visitors standing in a lantern-lit cavern in Great Onyx Cave — Listening to our ranger guide talk about the history of Great Onyx Cave

A few minutes later, our ranger led us to another beautifully decorated showroom. More stalactites and stalagmites dotted the passage, including a cluster known as “the Nativity” named for its resemblance to the Holy Family.

Lantern illuminate a plethora of stalactites and stalagmites in a cavern in Great Onyx Cave — A room in the Great Onyx Cave, with the “Nativity” at center-left of the image

Stalactites, Stalagmites, and… Helictites?

Just before 5 PM, we reached the end of the cave’s guided section. As our group began to head back, Benjamin and I stayed back with the other ranger to nab some photos of the dark passage before us. We also had someone take a cool photo of us wielding the lantern, which showcased the impressive lighting and shadows it cast.

Paul and Benjamin smile for a photo while holding a lantern in a dark tunnel in Great Onyx Cave — Benjamin & me with a lantern

A tunnel grows dark as it extends away from the camera — Benjamin & me with a lantern

We stopped by a couple of areas with sparkling gypsum ceilings before returning to the room with the Nativity. There, our ranger guide pointed out something called “helictites.” Stalactites – which hang down from the ceiling – and stalagmites – which grow up from the floor – are both common in caves. Helictites, on the other hand, are much less common. These cave formations grow sideways… a bizarre demonstration of the way capillary forces can work against gravity. They are typically very small and delicate, but impressive nonetheless.

Popcorn-like mineral formations pepper the ceiling of a cave, including small helictites that grow sideways — Intricate cave decorations in Great Onyx Cave, including the mysterious helictites

After this final stop, we made our way out of the cave. We returned to the surface around 5:30 and handed our lanterns back to the rangers.

Sunset in the Woods

When we made it back to our campground at 6 PM, the setting sun was poking through the trees. Golden light bathed the forest around us as we made dinner and deer began to appear.

The setting sun peaks out from behind a tree in a dense forest above Mammoth Cave — The sun setting in the woods near our campsite

Benjamin and I retired to the tent shortly after dark set in, around 7:30. We’d walked or ran 13 miles throughout the day, so we were both pretty exhausted. Despite this, we stayed up for another couple hours chatting. This time, we reminisced on childhood memories from our time in Georgia. Benjamin – who I found has the memory of an elephant – helped me dig out memories that I didn’t know I had. Vague recollections of my time in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade took me down memory lane.

Paul and Benjamin make goofy faces while posing for a selfie inside their tent — Benjamin’s BeReal post showing us in our tent

Eventually, our exhaustion caught up with us, and we fell asleep early in the night.

Day 2: Morning on the Surface

My alarm went off around 7 AM, and I rolled out of bed. I’d slept nearly 9 hours and felt plenty refreshed. I stepped out of the tent as Benjamin woke up and began packing away his sleeping bag and mat. Deer were once again roaming our campground, seeking food among the fallen leaves.

Since we’d had to cancel our Historic Tour, we decided to do a quick surface hike near the visitor center before leaving the park. Once we packed away our tent and gear, we ventured to the parking lot and began our hike. We were one of the first cars in the parking lot, so we had the trails to ourselves. The hike was brief, but pleasant. The rising sun poked through the trees, adding a golden glow to the forest – already colorful from early signs of fall. Fresh, chilly morning air filled our lungs as we trudged along the trails.

During the short hike, we stopped at an overlook of the Green River, a riverbank, and the River Styx. The latter is an underground river that winds through Mammoth Cave before exiting through an impressive rock bluff and merging with the Green River. I completed a similar hike with Maria during my 2019 visit, but the lack of humidity, heat, and bugs this time around made the hike much more palatable.

The Green River winds its way through forested hills on a clear morning — Green River Overlook

The Green River passes a riverbank as fall colors begin appearing in the forest illuminated by the sun — Green River Overlook

Back to Indiana

By 9 AM, we were on the road once more to Indiana. Before our final departure from the park, Benjamin requested a stop at the Mammoth Cave entrance sign. He diligently finds the entrance sign for every national park that he visits and didn’t want to break his streak. After a few attempts, we managed to get a picture that we liked.

Paul and Benjamin pose for a photo with the Mammoth Cave National Park entrance sign — Mammoth Cave National Park’s visitor sign

Our 3-hour drive to the airport went by quickly thanks to our energetic conversations. I dropped Benjamin off at the airport around 1 PM (Eastern time), and we bid each other farewell. We both resolved to make sure this wasn’t our last visit to a national park together.

In Conclusion…

My second visit to Mammoth Cave taught me what time of year I should visit the national park. Never again would I attempt to see the park during the miserable Kentucky summer. Fall made for a much better experience.

Though brief, I thoroughly enjoyed the time spent in the park with my childhood best friend. As I said in the intro, God can work in unexpected ways. He brought together two friends – long out of touch – through their shared passion for His creation. Though Mammoth Cave is far from my – or Benjamin’s – favorite national park, it is certainly a special place. It was great to revisit the park with an old friend, and I’m sure I’ll be back for another weekend underground before long.

— Paul

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