FILMING GUIDELINES TRAIL OF LIGHTS WALK TOUR Trail / TourAvailable at least spring through fall. A beautiful 60-80 minute trail meandering through small passageways into larger chambers. Some tight areas and low ceilings require careful maneuvering. Availability At least spring through fall - sometimes through January, depending on water levels. Equipment Handheld cameras fine. Good walking shoes recommended for traction. Environment Wet and muddy -trail and handrails may be slippery. Temperature is a constant 58°F with 90% to 105% humidity. Lighting Cave is lit for walking tours, but additional lighting is recommended for picking up more detail. Suggested Interior Shots The Jungle Room, the Wedding Chapel Suggested Exterior Shots Nature Trail. Permits Required None - privately owned property MAMMOTH CAVE EXPEDITION Trail / Tour 2-hour caving trip through tight crawl spaces opening into larger chambers. Lots of climbing, crawling and squeezing over hard rock. Good maneuverability requires the use of both hands - some tight squeezes require hands over head. Tight squeezes can be bypassed if necessary. Availability Usually July through December, but season can be longer, depending on water levels. Equipment Handheld, lightweight cameras, preferably digital okay. Helmet or lipstick camera recommended. Cameras can get damaged due to mud and the possibility of getting banged up on hard rock. Caving helmet with light, coveralls, knee pads and elbow pads provided. Dress in lightweight, grubby clothes and wear good, strong, ankle height hiking boots. Environment Wet and muddy. Temperature is a constant 58°F with 90% to 105% humidity. Lighting Cave helmet lights only. Additional lighting required for good pictures. Suggested Interior Shots Cavers diving into/emerging from “Womb Room," the Jungle Room. Suggested Exterior Shots Spelunking entrance, group getting prep. talk near spelunking entrance Permits Required None - privately owned property MIDDLE EARTH EXPEDITION Trail / Tour A 4-hour advanced caving trip through tight crawlways into larger chambers. This is a high adventure activity! Stamina and strength required. Begins with comparatively dry Mammoth Cave area then goes on to Middle Earth area which includes wading through deep water and thick, sticky mud and rafting across a naturally blue underground lake. Participants see the most spectacularly beautiful parts of the cave that cannot be seen any other way - but they are also the most inaccessible and muddy. Availability Usually July through December, but season can be longer or shorter, depending on water levels. Equipment Helmet/lipstick cameras okay but are likely to be damaged in inhospitable environment of water, mud and hard marble. Helmet with light, coveralls, knee and elbow pads provided. Dress in lightweight nonporous clothes that you don’t care about ruining and wear high-top good traction hiking boots. Environment Very muddy and wet - possibly up to chest. You will get soaked through to the skin. Temperature is a constant 58°F with 90% to 105% humidity. Lighting Cave helmet lights only. Additional lighting required for good pictures. Suggested Interior Shots Rafting across Tom's Lake, cavers diving into and emerging from Womb Room, sparkling crystals, helictites and flowstone in underground ravine Suggested Exterior Shots Spelunking entrance, group getting prep. talk near spelunking entrance Permits Required None - privately owned property Special Notes Filming the Middle Earth Expedition is very difficult. It is hard to get good shots without damaging/ruining cameras, partly because most of your attention must be on negotiating the difficult environment. Because caving can be dangerous, especially in a very wet environment, we like participants to make keeping themselves safe and protecting the fragile formations, their first priorities. We recommend a preliminary “reconnaissance” expedition before attempting to film. Pictures of the trip can be seen on this web site.