The Cave Guide
The entrance to Lost River Cave, Bowling Green, KentuckyPhoto: Nyttend, Public domain

Lost River Cave

Bowling Green, KY
57°F
inside, all year
45 min
on the main tour

Kentucky's only underground boat tour: a 20-minute guided walk followed by a 25-minute boat ride, an hour north of Nashville.

The story

Native peoples used the sheltered valley long before European settlement, and mills ran near the underground stream from the late 1700s. Union and Confederate soldiers camped here during the Civil War, and local tradition links Jesse James to the cave after an 1869 bank robbery, though that's a story rather than a proven fact. In the 1930s the entrance became a nightclub and dance hall with a bandstand. A conservation effort began clearing decades of dumped material in 1990 and turned the site into a protected park.

History source: Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet and WKU archives.

Tickets and timing

How long it takes
45 minutes (20-minute walk + 25-minute boat ride)
Hours
Open all year.
Booking
Book online ahead (highly recommended) or call 270-393-0077. Arrive 30–60 minutes before departure. Walk-ups are first come, first served.

Getting around underground

The walk
About 3/4 mile round trip, down and back up a paved road with a 30-degree slope, plus a few steps to the boat.
Wheelchairs
The tour isn't wheelchair accessible.
Strollers
Fine for the walk; leave them at the cave entrance before the boat.

Dogs, weather and what to wear

Dogs
Leashed pets welcome in the park but not on tours, and there are no kennels.
Temperature
57°F year-round

Special tours and events

Movie nights, a Scarecrow Trail and other seasonal events.

Getting there

NashvilleLouisvilleLexington

Lost River Cave is in or near Bowling Green, KY.

Directions in Google Maps

Distances are straight-line from each city center.

Questions people ask

How long does a visit to Lost River Cave take?

45 minutes (20-minute walk + 25-minute boat ride)

How cold is it inside Lost River Cave?

57°F year-round.

Can you visit Lost River Cave in a wheelchair?

The tour isn't wheelchair accessible.

Are dogs allowed at Lost River Cave?

Leashed pets welcome in the park but not on tours, and there are no kennels.

Do you need to book Lost River Cave in advance?

Book online ahead (highly recommended) or call 270-393-0077. Arrive 30–60 minutes before departure. Walk-ups are first come, first served.

Listed in: cave boat tours

Checked on 2026-10-22 against lostrivercave.org (home and FAQ pages). Prices and hours change, so confirm on the official site before you drive out.

Other caves in Kentucky

Onyx Cave

Cave City, KY, 60°F inside, from $12.50

See all 15 caves in Kentucky