Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Mammoth Cave National Park
maca
; 1 Mammoth Cave Pkwy, exit 53, off I-65; tours adult $5-48, child $3.50-18; 8:45am-5:15pm
fall-spring, 8:15am-6:30pm summer)
has some 400 miles of surveyed passageways. Mam-
moth is at least three times bigger than any other known cave, with vast interior cathed-
rals, bottomless pits and strange, undulating rock formations. The caves have been used
for prehistoric mineral-gathering, as a source of saltpeter for gunpowder and as a tuber-
culosis hospital. Tourists started visiting around 1810 and guided tours have been offered
since the 1830s. The area became a national park in 1926 and now brings nearly two mil-
lion visitors each year.
The only way to see the caves is on the excellent
ranger-guided tours
(
800-967-2283; adult $5-48, child $3-18)
and it's wise to book ahead, especially in summer.
Tours range from subterranean strolls to strenuous, day-long spelunking adventures
(adults only). The history tour is especially interesting.
In addition to the caves, the park contains 70 miles of trails for hiking, horseback rid-
ing and mountain biking. There are also three
campsites
with restrooms, but no electri-
city or water hookups ($12 to $30), and 13 free backcountry campsites. Get your back-
country permit at the visitor center at the caves.
GEORGIA
The largest state east of the Mississippi River is a labyrinth of geographic and cultural
extremes: right-leaning Republican politics rub against liberal idealism; small, conservat-
ive towns merge with sprawling, progressive, financially flush cities; northern mountains
rise to the clouds and produce roaring rivers, while coastal marshlands teem with fiddler
crabs and swaying cordgrass. Georgia's southern beaches and islands are a treat. And so
are its kitchens.
Information
For statewide tourism information, contact
Discover Georgia
( 800-847-4842;
www.exploregeorgia.org
)
. For information on camping and activities in state parks, contact
Cars are the most convenient way to move around Georgia. I-75 bisects the state running
north-south; I-20 runs east-west.
