Mammoth Cave National Park weather in November

November in Mammoth Cave National Park: cool, rainy, with clean air — an excellent time to visit.

Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

Mammoth Cave National Park🇺🇸 United States · Great Lakes & Midwest · National park82
  1. 66Jan
  2. 70Feb
  3. 81Mar
  4. 87Apr
  5. 77May
  6. 62Jun
  7. 50Jul
  8. 59Aug
  9. 75Sep
  10. 85Oct
  11. 82Nov
  12. 70Dec

#3 of 12 months in Mammoth Cave National Park · #369 of 1413 destinations to visit in November · comfort 82/100 (tier A)

Days
17°C
Nights
4°C
Wet days
7
Sun
6.8 h
Humidity
69%
Daylight
10 h
Mammoth Cave National Park, United States
Photo: Willis Thomas Lee · Public domain

Traveller notes on Mammoth Cave National Park in November

The cave does not care what month it is - the forum's constant is that it sits in the mid-50s F all year - so November is really a question about what you wear above ground and how many other people are there. Kentucky in November is pants-and-sweater weather with a jacket for the cooler days, above freezing more often than not, occasionally lucky enough to give you 50s and 60s, and not usually a snowy month. The compensation is quiet: regulars expect it to be well clear of the summer and school-holiday crush. Tours still want booking ahead whatever the season. The record: 16.7C days, 4.4C nights, 7.1 precipitation days, 0.7cm of snow, just 6.8 hours of sun and AQI 31.
MidFiftiesUnderground · November · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

Other months in Mammoth Cave National Park

Mammoth Cave-forum reviews on a January visit describe the surface as genuinely snowy, one visitor naming deer and wild turkey as visible right near a notably empty parking area. Regulars call the cave interior genuinely unaffected by season, several posters naming its constant temperature as the reason a January tour offers no real disadvantage compared with summer. Posters call crowds genuinely thin to nonexistent in January, several regulars naming this a real reason tours feel uncrowded with real time for questions. Regulars call hotels in nearby Cave City genuinely nearly empty this time of year, several threads naming promotional pricing as a real perk of visiting in winter. Posters recommend booking a January cave tour without hesitation, several regulars calling this standard advice given how little the season actually affects the underground experience. The record: 8.7C days, -1.5C nights, an extraordinarily high 126.5mm across nearly 10 days and 70 percent humidity.
MammothCaveJanuaryRegular · January · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Mammoth Cave-forum threads on a March visit call two nights genuinely enough if the cave itself is the main focus, posters describing a full four days as more than most visitors need. Regulars recommend the Domes and Dripstone tour for families with younger kids, several posters naming it repeatedly as the best March pick for that age group. Posters call Lost River Cave's boat ride and nearby hiking a real addition beyond the main park, alongside Kentucky Down Under for anyone wanting a zoo and gem-sifting mixed in. Regulars call spring break, typically the second week of March, genuinely crowded, posters recommending reservations well ahead for that specific stretch. Posters recommend real layers regardless of a mild-looking forecast, March conditions here capable of swinging from near sixty degrees down toward a real chance of snow. The record: 17.9C days feeling like 17C, 5.1C nights, an extraordinarily high 132.9mm across nearly 10 days and 68 percent humidity.
MammothCaveMarchRegular · March · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Mammoth Cave-forum threads on August crowds describe the cave as staying a constant, comfortable temperature regardless of the season above ground, posters calling this a real relief on a hot summer day. Regulars call the park genuinely busy through most of August, crowds noticeably thinning once Kentucky schools return around the 21st. Posters recommend booking cave tours well ahead during peak weeks, popular tour times capable of selling out on weekends. Regulars call midweek visits calmer than weekends if a flexible schedule allows it. Posters describe the surface trails and river as both worth a stop before or after a cave tour, though the heat and humidity above ground make the underground portion the real highlight this time of year. Regulars recommend real layers for the cave despite the heat outside, the constant underground chill catching first-timers off guard. The record: 32.2C days feeling like 35C, 19.2C nights, 106.4mm across over 9 days and 72 percent humidity.
MammothCaveAugustRegular · August · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Mammoth Cave-forum threads on the best time to visit recommend September specifically for avoiding both summer crowds and the season's worst bugs, a genuinely favorable window. Posters describe the cave interior as a constant mid-fifties Fahrenheit year round regardless of surface conditions, a medium jacket called sufficient for most standard tour routes even during a warm September above ground. Regulars recommend proper walking shoes and a lightweight layer for the cooler, damp cave environment. Posters call surface conditions in September still capable of running warm and humid, especially earlier in the month. Regulars describe the contrast between a warm walk to the entrance and the cave's steady cool interior as a real highlight. Posters recommend booking tours ahead given limited daily capacity. The record: 30.1C days feeling like a punishing 32C, 16.1C nights, an extraordinarily high 107mm across over 6 days and 69 percent humidity.
MammothCaveSeptemberRegular · September · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

Year-round notes are on Mammoth Cave National Park's overview. Add your own note from Mammoth Cave National Park's card on the map.

Mammoth Cave National Park climate normals — November

Daytime high17°C / 62°F🙂 cool
Nighttime low4°C / 40°F
Feels like (high)14°C / 57°F
Rainfall86 mm / 3.4 in🌧 rainy
Rainy days7 days
Humidity69%💧 humid
Dew point3°C / 38°F
Sunshine6.8 h/day
Daylight10.2 h
Wind15 km/h / 9 mph
Snowfall0.7 cm / 0.3 in
Air quality (US AQI)31🍃 good

Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.

Crowds in Mammoth Cave National Park in November

How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.

BusyThanksgiving break in United States(estimated)

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Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet

Best months for Mammoth Cave National Park's weather

Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).

Best weatherMammoth Cave National Park's best weather comes in April, October and November — separate windows, not one continuous season.

November includes Fall colour.

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Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather

What's on in Mammoth Cave National Park in November

Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.

  • Rule

    Cave tours by ticket only

    1 Jan – 31 DecBook early

    Every trip underground is a ticketed ranger tour, released six months ahead and sold out weeks in advance in summer. There is no way to see the cave without booking one. Source ↗

  • Rule

    Bio-security screening on exit

    1 Jan – 31 DecClosures

    Everyone leaving the cave walks over decontamination matting, and clothing or footwear worn in another cave is not allowed underground. It is the white-nose fungus in the bat colonies the rangers are keeping out. Source ↗

  • Nature

    Fall colour

    5 Oct – 5 Nov · usuallyAutumn colour

    The Kentucky hardwood above the cave peaks in the first half of October, which the park itself calls the best time to be here. The surface is the reason to come in autumn, not the cave. Source ↗

What's on around the world in November →

Nearby, and something's on

Within 300 km of Mammoth Cave National Park — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.

Where is Mammoth Cave National Park?

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Mammoth Cave National Park in November — FAQ

Is November a good time to visit Mammoth Cave National Park?
November in Mammoth Cave National Park: cool, rainy, with clean air — an excellent time to visit. It ranks #3 of 12 months for Mammoth Cave National Park on SeasonMap's comfort score (82/100).
What is the weather like in Mammoth Cave National Park in November?
In November, Mammoth Cave National Park averages a daily high of 16.7°C and a low of 4.4°C, with about 85.8 mm of rain over roughly 7.1 rainy days.
What is the air quality in Mammoth Cave National Park in November?
Mammoth Cave National Park has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 31 in November.

Within 300 km: Nashville's Fall colour around 20 Oct – 15 Nov, and Cincinnati's Fall colour around 12 Oct – 8 Nov.