Mammoth Cave Backcountry Camping

The hike in was a lot longer than expected. The website said 3.8, but I'd argue it's closer to 5 with the two trail spurs. The trail's scenery was unchanging and the terrain was moderate. While there were horseback riders, and lots of poo, there were no other hikers. The campsite itself was beautiful with a tiny waterfall/stream nearby. It was very clean and private.

We had a great secluded stay at the Bluffs campground. It was great to have a fire ring to have a fire. The waterfalls on the way in were a nice surprise as well.

We parked at the Lincoln Trailhead and hiked Collie Ridge Trail to Raymer Hollow Trail (3.5 miles to the camping site). The trails were well-marked and easy to follow, just be cautious of the high amount of horse droppings along the whole route! We didn’t see anyone the entire time and enjoyed that the Raymer Hollow backcountry spot overlooked a little creek that we went down and explored the next morning. The fire pit and grate were additionally handy for cooking dinner and coffee in the morning!

Absolutely beautiful campsite

Always have a great time backpacking in Mammoth Cave! The trails were a little messy because of the horses but that is always the case. No biggie!

Collie Ridge was a great backcountry campsite. There is a spring that was flowing nearby that could be a good water source even though I brought plenty. I don't know if it flows year round.

The directions for getting to the McCoy Hollow Campsite are INCORRECT. The actual campsite is PAST the 4.5 mile marker, despite the directions instructing you to look for it 4.3 miles down the trail. I wasted over an hour of precious sunlight and energy traipsing back and forth between the 4 and 4.5 mile markers before getting lucky with some cell service and finding a helpful review on AllTrails.

The campsite itself is nice, though the tent pad is solid rock. If your tent requires staking, this could cause some problems. Other visitors have collected a few flat rocks for makeshift "staking" (pinning the ties under the rocks), but that won't last long if the winds pick up.

For the hike out, keep in mind that the trail is frequently used for horseback riding, and some riders don't bother to keep their horses on the already-eroding parts of the path. There will be mud and it will be deep. I was careful and still found it impossible to not sink calf-deep into sucking pools of mud and manure. Bring quick-drying pants, socks, and hiking shoes.

Aside from one careless smoker's cast-off butts, there wasn't much trash on the trail. I only found enough to fill a 1 liter bag on the ~5 miles of trail I was on.

On the positive side of things, the rock formations are gorgeous. There are numerous little springs that tumble over small outcroppings, each one seeming like a tiny waterfall slowly dripping its way into the caverns below. The sound of the wind through the gorge is hauntingly beautiful. Deer and squirrels have no qualms about going about their foraging while you hike past as long as you don't pay them too much mind. And the coyotes give the nights a delightful eeriness with their howls along the river.

The Ferguson campsite in Mammoth Cave National Park was very peaceful and well kept. The trail leading to the campsite is fairly short, with some moderate inclines. Unfortunately several downed trees made it difficult to traverse and keep track of trail markers once you shoot off for the campsite. It was actually easier to navigate after sunset with the reflective trail markers than it was with the day navigating off trail to go around downed vegetation. We parked at the First Creek trail head, which had lots of Horse trailer activity, which wasn't an issue when we arrived, but a group did confront us when we were leaving about having parked in "the horse area", as if campers weren't welcome.

So I will start off by saying the group that I hike with are quite experienced, and are not novices. The first night we were scheduled to stayed at Turnhole Bend campsite. After speaking with the park, I was told that I would find a path to the river to get water. I asked “where is the path” and was told “you can’t miss it”. Well upon arrival, it was clear, there was no path to the river, let alone even being able to see where the river was. After looking at the map again and blazing a 1/2 into the brush, we came upon the river. Now the next issue was how we were going to bring about 7-8 gallons of water back up a 1/2 mile and 300 vertical feet. Thankfully we are 3 very fit guys and had the right gear to carry the necessary water, but for someone who had a inexperienced, they could have easily gotten lost in that terrain. Still not sure why there isn’t a clear path to the water. Not sure what it would hurt.

We did a two-night short loop trip from Lincoln trailhead to Raymer's Hollow campsite, then to Ferguson campsite and back out.
Raymer's Hollow was quiet and beautiful. Water was plentiful in the lovely nearby creek. The campsite itself is cleared, but is surrounded by poison ivy. Ferguson was another great campsite, though not as quiet. It is near the park boundary and there was some truck noise from a nearby road. The main trails--not the campsite spurs-- show a lot of use by horses. There were muddy rutted low spots. In response, the park has be regrading the trials and putting in gravel. While that may be better for the horse traffic, those trails no longer provide the feeling of being in the backcountry for hikers/backpackers. I wish the horses had to meet the same standards as many parks have for runners and mountain bikers, i.e., if it's muddy, don't use the trail.