Canoe Trips & Kayak Trips – Cave City, KY

It’s time to book a river adventure and explore Mammoth Cave National Park from the water! Our kayak trips and canoe trips in Cave City, KY, offer paddlers a wonderful excursion on the Green and Nolin Rivers. As you journey downstream and discover small islands, you’ll see turkeys, beavers, birds, reptiles, and deer. Our trips also include excellent opportunities for swimming, fishing, camping, picnicking, and birdwatching. Note that all trips are easy Class I paddling routes suitable for families.

Dennison Ferry to Green River Ferry

8 Miles, Approximately 3-3.5 Hours

Take our most popular trip! This short excursion is a great way for beginning canoeists, families, or those on a tight schedule to experience the beauty and wildlife of the Green River.

Nolin River Dam to Brownsville Ramp

11 Miles, Approximately 4-4.5 Hours

This trip begins in the tailwaters of Nolin Lake, with the launch site at the foot of the beautiful Dismal Rock. A picturesque canopy of trees keeps you shaded through most of this trip, as it once did in the 1900s when steamboats transported asphalt downriver. The entire trip is abundant with many forms of wild plant and animal life. As you enter Green River at the mouth of Nolin, turn right and paddle downstream for three miles to Brownsville Ramp, where your trip ends. Geology instructors at Western Kentucky University often take their students on this excursion as a field trip to study the area’s unique geological formations.

Green River Ferry to Houchin Ferry

12 Miles, Approximately 5.5 Hours

This trip begins at the Green River Ferry and lets you canoe the stream that helped form the mighty Mammoth Cave. It takes you through deep gorges and wooded hills with abundant wildlife. When the skies are clear, you’ll experience a sunny day and pass sandy beaches and quaint islands where you can take a break or have a picnic.

Fishing

Fishing is excellent year-round on our local rivers, with the summer and spring months being the most productive. Please note that state creel and size limits apply; however, a state fishing license isn’t required within the park boundaries. Fishing is only permitted with pole and line, rod and reel, throwlines, and trotlines.

The Green and Nolin Rivers are home to more than 100 species of fish, including:

Camping

Campsites are available in the park, but camping along the river is restricted to islands and riverbanks no closer than 0.5 miles from the ferries. Camping permits are required and can be obtained online from the Mammoth Cave National Park website.