Thirty years ago I spent three months as a USGS intern as part of a team taking depth readings on explored portions of caves.

What makes Mammoth so cool is the huge size of the passages. But, I don't think I'd have been nearly as impressed if I'd not spend three months mostly crawling through the tiny passageways that comprise the vast majority of most caves.

Wyandott cave once ran a 12 hour 2 person + 2 guide tour into the tighter areas. If they're still running that tour then I highly recommend it. At the time, it was damned near impossible to ever see a cave in that way unless you had a friend already hooked into the spelunking community.

Reminds me of the time I visited Penns Cave in PA. It was cool. It's traversed by boat and part of the tour now is about how much damage running the tours over the century damaged the cave. It's kinda meta.

My favorite part is when they show you "the chimes" and talk about how tours used to tap them to make a spectacular noise during the tour and how they took millions of years to form but now they're all broken because we are all dumb monkeys.

I’ve been there, it’s absolutely amazing if you can appreciate the context.

No phones, very little people, and nature? Sign me the fuck up!

Sorry, but no thanks. If I wanted to see a disappointment I'd just get a mirror.

I'm guessing the disappointed visitors are probably also "Disney adults."

If you're in the mood to have a laugh at other people's bad reviews, check out the Your Stupid Opinions podcast. They have covered at least one other national park that someone reviewed as "mid" as well as a ton of other hilariously bad reviews that range anywhere from sex toys to local psychics. I always enjoy passing the time on my way to work with these guys. Small town murder is also really good by them, haven't checked out the crime in sports one yet though.

When you go, stop at the shitty dinosaur park right by there. Tons of hilariously bad dinosaur statues.

Total bullshit, didnt see a single mammoth!

Increasing success through lowering expectations

I credit my family trip to Mammoth Caves for why I love the outdoors. After a morning cave tour we hiked above ground, getting way too close to sinkholes and completely getting lost. I'm still amazed that my otherwise not outdoorsy family went along with it, and that none of us fell into the bottomless pits that we were marvelling over.

I went there, spent three days on various tours, it was fantastic!

If you're on Instagram check out NationalParkDisservice he basically makes and posts this type of content

Been there, loved it.

We have regret at home.

You only actually fail if you don't learn or you didn't give it your best shot

Not learning is a waste of resources and valuable development opportunity and not doing your best is inauthentic, taking away from your estimation of your own competency

The NPS Instagram account is one of the only reasons I still have an insta. They're fucking hilarious.

On a serious note you have to do the Domes & Dripstones Tour if you go. Be ready to climb some stairs though.

I want this post read by Cave Johnson

I'll make sure to miss it!

Trying is the first step on the road to failure.

I absolutely loved my visit to Mammoth and am planning on returning some day. They have a few different tours and I want to try some of the more challenging ones that take longer.

Worlds longest? Then the systems in Mexico are the biggest?

"Plugh"

-- a hollow voice

Or lower expectations.