Exploring Guided and Self-Guided Caves at Carter Caves State Park in Eastern Kentucky

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This is the fifth post in a series for this trip. You can view links to the other posts at the bottom of this one.

Looking up inside Horn Hollow Cave to a spot where surface water drips below ground

Note: Some links throughout our site are affiliate links, which means we may receive a small commission at no cost to you.

This is the fifth post in a series for this trip. You can view links to the other posts at the bottom of this one.

We spent four full days (and five nights) at Carter Caves State Resort Part and enjoyed five of the park’s caves during our visit. We took three guided tours, explored two caves entirely on our own as self-guided adventures, and didn’t do some of the more intense caving options. If you have time to do hiking and check out other aspects of the park like the multiple natural bridges/arches, I’d recommend you check out our other posts. If you want to learn just about the cave options, this post is for you! And it won’t disappoint: there are really awesome, unique cave options at Carter Caves State Park!

If you just want to skip to learn about caving, scroll on; if you’re looking for some tips on what to bring with you, here are our top gear recommendations for this trip. You can view more recommendations on our Ultimate Guide to Hiking Gear.

Comfortable hiking clothes - Our favorite options all come from REI. My favorite pants are prAna Halle and these are my favorite lightweight hiking t-shirts. Dustin has a couple of pairs of pants from prAna and the REI brand.

Hiking boots - Our current favorite brand is Oboz. Dustin has their Sawtooth model, and I have the Sapphire.
Headlight style flashlight - A headlight, like this one from REI that we each use, was a must for the self-guided cave tours. I’d also recommend bringing a small, bright hand-held for greater versatility.

General Caving Information for Carter Caves State Park

getting to carter caves state park

Carter Caves State Park is located in Eastern Kentucky, just four miles off of Interstate 64. The closest town is Olive Hill, just under 20 minutes away. The largest nearby city is Huntington, WV, which is about 45 minutes away.

where to stay at carter caves state park

The park itself offers accommodations at the park lodge (similar to hotel rooms), private cabins (which is where we stayed), and RV and tent camping. It is equestrian-friendly for those traveling with their horses. You can learn more about our positive experience with the private cabin in this post.

Carter caves - seasonality

While your desire to tour a cave is appreciated, they are first and foremost the winter hibernation spot of bats. This means that some of the caves at the park are only open when bats are out and about in the warmer months. Of the four guided tour caves, two (Cascade Cave and X Cave) are available year-round since they’re not popular with bats, and two are only open seasonally (Saltpeter Cave and Bat Cave). Of the two self-guided caves, Laurel Cave is home to bats in the winter and is closed, and while Horn Hollow Cave didn’t have any signs that suggested the same so I believe that one is potentially open year-round, though the best thing to do is confirm with the park.

We saw bats in three caves while we were there - one little guy in the Saltpeter Cave, another solo fella in the Laurel Cave, and a cluster of them in Cascade Cave, which is surprising since that’s not a cave they typically spend time in.

what to know before caving at carter caves state park

Tickets for guided tours can be purchased at the Welcome Center at least 15 minutes before the tour begins. Tour days and times vary so always check the park’s website for the latest info.
Self-guided cave tours require (free) permits, also available at the Welcome Center. These must be picked up at least 2 hours before the Welcome Center closes (it closed at 6pm during our late May visit).
Caves are cold. Each cave varies between the upper 40s and about 60 degrees and is constant year-round typically. Wear/bring appropriate clothes since the guided tours last between 45-75 minutes, which is enough time to get quite chilly. We toured with adults and kids in shorts, short sleeves, and even a crop top. Sure, I felt overdressed in a winter hat and fleece, but I wasn’t shivering!
Self-guided cave treks require much more movement so you don’t need to bundle up as much for those. One layer of long-sleeves was perfectly fine for me, and I’m always cold.
Self-guided caves require visitors to wear closed-toe shoes (honestly, you should wear sturdy hiking boots) and bring a flashlight. A cell phone flashlight is not considered sufficient. We brought our two headlights and a small hand-held flashlight and liked having both. Self-guided visitors also need at least one person with them. Solo visitors are not permitted to hike the caves on their own.
Self-guided caves may require you to get wet. Water was knee high for a section of Horn Hollow while we were there and was likely about as deep in one spot of Laurel Cave that we were able to avoid through some suave moves (more on that below).
And finally, the self-guided caves are super awesome - there aren’t a whole lot of opportunities to explore a cave this way so consider pushing the bounds of your comfort zone if this is a tad outside of it, and you’ll likely be pleasantly surprised!
Because of white-nose syndrome in bats, which entered this particular park in 2013, the last stop of all the guided tours is to clean visitors’ shoes with a mixture of water and woolite to remove any bits of fungus and prevent further spread. For two of the caves (this one and X Cave), this is accomplished by walking over a vat holding what is essentially a giant sponge. For Saltpeter Cave, they spray the mixture on the floor for visitors to walk through. For those unfamiliar with white-nose syndrome, it’s not a threat to people or anyone else. You can learn more about it here.

Okay so here we go! First, you can read about the 3 guided cave tours. Next, you’ll find information on the two self-guided cave tours. Finally, I’ll share some basic information about the more intense caving experiences, which is the one thing we chose not to do ourselves.

Group Cave Tours at Carter Caves State Park: Cascade Cave, X Cave, and Saltpeter Cave

exploring cascade cave

Cascade Cave at Carter Caves State Park, Kentucky

Quick facts:

75 minute tour
The tour meets at the cave, which is a short (8 minute or so) drive from the Welcome Center, just outside of the park entrance.
There are 225 steps on the tour and while the ceilings are mostly tall, there are small areas that require stooping. Walking length is about 3/4 of a mile.
The tour is both indoors and outdoors - there are two separate cave areas so you’ll be outside a bit.
Tour cost is $12/adults, $7/child, free for 2 and under as of May 2024. This is the most expensive guided tour in the park and is still significantly less expensive than most private cave tours that we’ve compared it to.

Our experience:

The Cascade Cave tour took about an hour. Though park materials say it will take about 75 minutes, an exterior portion of it is currently being repaired due to storms and is expected to be reopened in October 2024. From the parking lot, there is a short walk downhill and down some stairs to the cave.

In our experience, some caves tend to have big, open rooms, others are more narrow spaces, which can be either short or tall in height. The 3 guided tours we took at Carter Caves included one of each type.

Cascade Cave is the one I’d classify as having big, open rooms. There are a few large, beautiful rooms, and a small in-cave creek. In the first room of the cave, we saw a couple groups of bats – maybe 10-20 in each cluster. The tour guide told us they didn’t see them in that particular cave all that often and that it was the first time he had seen them there (for what that’s worth, as he just started working for the summer season). This cave used to be privately owned before it was turned over to the state in 1946 and this first room is now called the ‘ballroom’ because the prior owners literally held dances in the space. The stalagmites had been removed from the floor to make the floor flat for dancers, and apparently they would bring in musicians, too. Destruction of thousands of years of stalagmite growth aside, what a cool place for a dance.

An eerie glow of the outside light in Cascade Cave once the lights are off

The next room was home to the in-cave creek and had a large opening where the water exited to the outside. There was a sandy area near the creek inside the cave (a cave beach?), and the guide told us that the room flooded up to and over the walkway we were standing up, multiple feet higher. He said that one inch of rain outside leads to 10 inches of water depth in the creek, so I’m sure there are times visitors can’t tour this cave during periods of substantial rainfall.

After leaving the main cave rooms, we took a short path outside to another cave area. This area holds a short hallway-like cave that culminates in an in-cave waterfall with a solid stream of water coming down from above. The waterfall travels down the cylindrical cave it has formed with the rushing water. The tour guide told us that they have been unable to identify the source of the waterfall despite testing various hypotheses. They even used dye in water sources they thought might feed it and had no luck. So, most likely, it is groundwater seeping out from somewhere, which is also maintaining a constant rate of the water flow. For those who enjoy waterfalls, seeing one within the confines of a cave is a cool experience!

While you’re there . . .

Right next to Cascade Cave is a short 0.8 mile hike called Box Canyon. The park’s brochure calls it the most beautiful hike in the park, and after hiking there for four days, I’d have to say I agree. As a bonus, one of the park’s several natural bridges/arches is on this trail. It is a fairly hilly and rocky trek so not for a beginner hiker but is still fairly quick going if you hike frequently. It took us about 20 minutes.

Natural Arch/Bridge on the Box Canyon Trail at Carter Caves State Park

exploring x cave

Quick facts:

45 minute tour
The tour meets at the Welcome Center. From there, there is a short walk through the parking lot to the cave entrance.
There are 75 steps on the tour and while the ceilings are mostly tall, there are small areas that require stooping, and the path is on the narrow side. Walking length is about 1/4 of a mile.
The tour is both indoors and outdoors - midway through, the tour goes outside to enter another entrance to a leg of the cave.
Tour cost is $10/adults, $6/child, free for 2 and under as of May 2024.

The entrance to X Cave at Carter Caves State Park. This shows two ends of the “x” shape the cave forms.

Our experience:

X Cave’s name comes from its shape. It was once two separate, parallel caves, one dry and one wet, and one much older than the other (as evidenced by its depth). At some point a section crumbled between them, which is now the central intersection where the two prior caves cross and form an “x”.

The tour first covered the wet cave, went outside, where we hiked downhill for a bit until we got to the entrance of the other half of the cave, and then we hiked the dry cave. This cave was not one with expansive rooms compared to Cascade Cave and instead was more like hallways and passageways that were tall and narrow. It was very pretty with interesting walls and ceilings and more obvious “cave diamonds,” the shimmering water along the ceilings and walls that glitter in the light. I actually think I preferred this one more, though they’re both very different and are worth experiencing. If you go on both tours back-to-back, be prepared for similar spiels from the guides. Both also take a moment to turn off the lights so visitors can experience the darkness of the cave.

While you’re there . . .

Natural Bridge, one of the park’s multiple natural bridges/arches, is a short 0.5 mile roundtrip loop hike that starts right next to the Welcome Center. The trail traverses through the center of the bridge before climbing up atop of it, where visitors can look through a large hole in the rock formation.

exploring saltpeter cave

Lantern Tour of the historic Saltpeter Cave at Carter Caves State Park

Quick facts:

(Okay, this one is an opinion) Do the lantern tour version - it was super cool!
45 minute tour
The tour meets at the Welcome Center. From there, there is a short walk across the road and up some stairs to an area that looks like a shelter in a cage. The stairs down to the cave are within that room.
There are 75 steps on the tour and there were a number of places that require stooping. I think I stooped more in this cave than any of the other guided tours (I’m 5’9”.) There are also some areas that are a bit narrow, though it’s wider than the X Cave. Walking length is about 1/4 of a mile.
The tour is entirely indoors once you get to its entrance.
Tour cost is $10/adults, $6/child, free for 2 and under as of May 2024.
This is the coldest of the caves in the park and maintains a steady temperature of 48 degrees year-round.
This cave is a bat hibernation spot and is only open seasonally starting in late May.

Our experience:

We purposefully chose our visit to Carter Caves once the summer season officially allowed for the opening of additional caves, including Saltpeter. In addition to regular tours of Saltpeter Cave, they offer a lantern tour at 2pm three days per week (during their early summer season, check their website for current options), and we quickly decided that was on our to do list for the trip. I’ve always wanted to do a lantern tour of a cave so here was a chance!

Saltpeter Cave is so-named because it was used to create saltpeter, an important ingredient in gunpowder, during the War of 1812. According to the tour guide, this single cave produced 10% of all saltpeter that the state of Kentucky produced for that war. So, while that’s not huge in the grand scheme of things, for one fairly small cave to produce so much is also impressive. The gunpowder produced from this cave was used in the battle in New Orleans. So this particular cave, which is more of a historic cave tour than a geologic one, is great to do by lantern light, just like the people using the cave at that time would have done.

Dustin and I had a bet as to whether these would be ‘real’ lanterns. Real meaning glass lanterns, not plastic; actual fire, not a modern light made to look like fire. I lost the bet. The lanterns were actual lanterns with burning flames, and they wisely do not let any children carry them.

While the other guided tours we had taken in the park were led by high school kids who were brand new and learning the ropes, this guide was more knowledgeable and clearly a history buff, which was really important for the experience of this cave.

The entry point to Saltpeter Cave is from above, so we descended a dark staircase that changed from cement steps to wooden ones to a final dirt step. The tour got underway at the bottom of the stairs while our eyes adjusted to the dim lantern light.

We learned some basics about the War of 1812 before continuing along to the next space that had examples of how the saltpeter was made. The work was incredibly difficult and labor intensive. A lot of water was needed to mix with the dirt in the cave, which held the right ingredient for saltpeter production. Young boys would haul water up from a creek outside of the cave way downhill. The workers received no pay for the work, having signed up due to patriotic fervor, the promise of three meals a day, and the hope for a land grant at the end of the war. There was (understandable) tension with the local Shawnee tribes so 2,000 US soldiers guarded the workers in the cave during this era.

Further into the cave, we saw an area that they believed the workers slept in when the weather outside was unpleasant, and a number of other areas of interest. This cave is entirely unlike the others and is clearly impacted by the humans that worked in it. In using the dirt to make saltpeter, the workers tossed huge amount of dirt along the cave’s walls so every passageway is lined with hardened dirt up to about waist height.

The tour lasted an hour, a bit longer than the 45 minutes advertised, though that may be unique to the pacing of the lantern tour. The cave had an uneven but generally flat floor and required occasional stooping (for adults) as we walked the halls of the cave. This cave is the coldest in the park at 48 degrees year-round. The reason for this is that its five entrances/exits are all above the cave and the heat rises to leave. This tour was great, and I’d definitely recommend it to others who enjoy history. Catch the lantern tour option if you can!

While you’re there . . .

(This is the same recommendation as for the X Cave given their proximity to each other.) Natural Bridge, one of the park’s multiple natural bridges/arches, is a short 0.5 mile roundtrip loop hike that starts right next to the Welcome Center. The trail traverses through the center of the bridge before climbing up atop of it, where visitors can look through a large hole in the rock formation.

Self-Guided Cave Tours at Carter Caves State Park: Horn Hollow Cave and Laurel Cave

There are specific requirements for those who wish to take these self-guided tours. None are onerous but they’re important. Check out the section above called “What to know before caving at Carter Caves” for more details.

exploring horn hollow cave

Quick facts:

This cave can be accessed two ways: (1) one entrance is directly off the 1.5 mile Horn Hollow Trail and is roughly halfway through that trail. This is how we accessed it. (2) Some visitors go through Laurel Cave first (open seasonally) and after leaving Laurel Cave, continue on to Horn Hollow Cave. They then back-track through all of them. We didn’t do that, so I can’t provide directions on how to connect from one to the other.
This cave requires stooping much of the way (but not crawling).
If you want to go all the way through from the entrance to the exit, you will likely wade through substantial water. During our visit, the water was knee height. If that doesn’t appeal to you, you can still enjoy a lot of the cave and then turn around before that section. That’s what we did and we spent over 30 minutes in the cave.

Our experience:

Horn Hollow Trail is 1.5 miles with the cave right in the middle of the distance. The trail was nice, wooded, and cut alongside creeks. There were very obvious signs indicating the access point to Horn Hollow Cave. The cave entrance at first looked small enough that I wasn’t sure I was up for the adventure. It really wasn’t that small but required a little stooping for the first bit. But ahead, I could see a larger space (still short-ish), rivulets of water across a stony cave floor, and what appeared to be a flowing creek beyond. The employee who gave us our permit told us there was water up to knee height in the caves due to rain over the past few months. With water visible right at the entrance, I was game to try going in a little, fully expecting to bail pretty quickly once the water got deeper. Wading through knee-high cold water didn’t sound fun especially considering that my hiking boots would be totally wet for the rest of our trip.

Looking up at the ceiling of Horn Hollow Cave where water dripping from the surface has carved out the rock over eons

As we got in and started to get the lay of the land, we could see both sandy ground to the right and small flows of water to the left. We had to stoop most of our time in this particular cave but didn’t have to do anything remotely like crawling. We basically started following the sand, walking a few times in a few inches of water but avoiding the deeper sections. Eventually we got to an area that would require us to fully wade in to water that was at least ankle deep and around that time, we heard other visitors coming up from the other side of the cave, screaming about how cold the water was and splashing a bit. We decided to wait for them to come through to see how deep it got. It was fully up to their knees and so we decided to abort the final bit of the cave and turn around and go out the way we came in. I glanced at my watch to time how long we were inside this cave, and we were in there over 30 minutes, some of which was just standing around and taking in the sites and trying to determine the best route forward.

Water droplets on a spider web made for a beautiful image in Horn Hollow Cave

But first we got to a spot where we turned off our flashlights and enjoyed the pitch darkness. Afterwards, we completed the rest of the Horn Hollow Trail and then drove the short distance to Laurel Cave, right down the street. Other hikers who plan differently, hike from Laurel Cave through to the end and then up through Horn Hollow, then returning back through the same caves. The group we passed was doing this; however, because the deepest water in Horn Hollow is at the end closest to Laurel Cave, you have to be prepared to deal with that if you go through both.

exploring laurel cave

Quick facts:

The main entrance to this cave is along the main park road shortly after the park’s entrance and perhaps close to a mile before the Welcome Center. There is no parking lot but a few pull-out areas for a small number of cars to park. There is also a creek and picnic area so the spot attracts other visitors. We were able to find a parking spot.
This cave requires maneuvering over rocks and boulders at the start and through fairly narrow spots for your feet, though the walls are wider for your body. The ceiling is generally tall.
If you want to go all the way through from the entrance to the exit, you may wade through substantial water during one section near the end, though we were able to maneuver ourselves creatively to avoid it.

Our experience:

Laurel Cave is well-labeled and is accessed by taking a bridge across the creek, climbing over and down a rocky section, and then the large entrance is right there.

The entrance to Laurel Cave couldn’t be different than Horn Hollow Cave. Whereas the latter was wet and low-ceilinged, Laurel Cave was tall and much drier. The entrance to Laurel Cave is strewn with large and small boulders and rocks and requires hiking across them carefully. After getting around the first corner, those rocks quickly disappear. From there, the fairly lengthy cave is generally tall and tunnel-like with narrow walls. But narrow as in a passageway, not anything that requires anything close to squeezing. This cave was absolutely, stunningly beautiful. The ceilings were far above and multi-tiered, having been eroded by water over the eons. There were lots of ‘cave diamonds’ growths and other glittering water droplets that made the cave all shimmery in the light of our flashlights. We spotted one bat nestled in a solo slumber in this cave.

The floor eventually got quite narrow with a spot just about the width of a shoe to tread on fairly flat ground that became increasingly wet until it had several inches pooled along the ground. The walls arched out from there, so it didn’t feel like a narrow space for our bodies, just our feet. In spots where water was dripping with more force, there were deeper pools along the way. Eventually, we got to a few areas where the water was quite a bit deeper – at least mid-calf if not knee height.

The majority of this photo is underwater, but it’s so clear that it’s hard to tell. This is an example of the deeper crevices carved out by water continuing to drip into the cave.

Again, we had no interest in getting our shoes totally inundated with days of hiking left on our trip. Mine were waterproof, to a point, but were only a few inches over my ankle and getting them inundated with water on the inside sounded like a bad idea. So, we made do with some creative maneuvers, which included walking with one foot on either side of the water on the small, semi-slick ledges as well as putting our hands on one side to hold ourselves up as we balanced delicately along the other side. Success! We got to the end without falling in!

At the cave exit, we had the choice to turn around and go back the way we came or find another way back to the car. Dustin’s vote was to go back through the cave, mine was to look for a path. Straddling slippery rocks to avoid water once was fine but I thought trying a second time was asking for trouble. Dustin spotted an unlabeled but clear path across the dry riverbank just outside of the cave exit that we followed. Eventually we were able to climb down to a parallel creek’s shore. We balanced on the river rocks to cross it, and got back to where we started right near our car. The route back from the cave was fairly short but required a little bit of guesswork on the right path to take since I don’t think it was truly an official path.

Upstream from the creek we crossed, the water exited from a small hole in the rocks

Adventure Cave Tours at Carter Caves State Park

In addition to the guided and self-guided tours described above, Carter Caves State Park offers some more intense caving experiences for those looking for an extra challenge. While we weighed doing one of these, once we read the description, it was a clear ‘nope!’ for us. I’ll provide some basic information here for those interested and recommend you check out the latest info from the park for availability and times.

bat cave “walking” excursion

This is the only tour through Bat Cave so we seriously considered doing it . . . at first. The tour is 2.5 hours in length, is “fairly strenuous” with about 2 miles of walking and a 40 yard “duck walk” along with slick surfaces, muddy water up the knees, in typical cave temperatures (50-60 degrees). On the plus side, there is no crawling on this tour. Individuals on the tour are provided a helmet with a headlamp and are required to wear closed-toe shoes. Hilariously, the park brochure indicates that “crocs are not acceptable as closed-to shoes”. I feel like I can imagine the argument that led to them including that statement. If it weren’t for the water - cold, muddy, up to the knees, of all things, I’d be up for this. The current cost of this tour is $20 as of May 2024. Individuals must be 8 year or older and those under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

“Next level” adventure tours

Remember how the Bat Cave doesn’t require crawling? If crawling is your thing, this is your category of tour! These tours are available by appointment only and require a minimum of 10 people. It sounds like they may visit a variety of different caves and crawl into their smaller confines. From the park’s brochure: “you’ll spend most of your time low to the ground”. Keep in mind, this ground is not pillowy soft. This would never be on my to do list but we’re all into different things!

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