Free Mammoth Passage Cave Tours For Celebration

MAMMOTH CAVE, Ky., August 6, 2015 – Mammoth Cave National Park will offer free Mammoth Passage cave tours on Tuesday, August 25, 2015, in honor of Founders Day, the 99th anniversary of the founding of the National Park Service.

“We are on the brink of multiple, noteworthy anniversaries,” said Superintendent Sarah Craighead.  “Next year, 2016, is our big year.  It is the Centennial of the National Park Service, the 75th anniversary of the establishment of Mammoth Cave as the 26th national park, the 35thanniversary the park’s World Heritage designation, and the bicentennial of organized cave tours.” 

“We invite the public to help us celebrate,” added Craighead.  “Come out for a free Mammoth Passage cave tour, or hike in the woods, ride your horse in the backcountry, or get your exercise on one of the park’s bike trails.  Kayak, canoe, and you can fish without a license inside the park – just abide by Kentucky creel limits.  Enjoy your national park!”

Mammoth Passage Tours will depart from the visitor center at the following times:  10:15, 11:00, 12:00, 12:30, 1:00, 1:45, 2:30, and 3:30(Central Time).  The ¾-mile, 1¼-hour Mammoth Passage tour is limited to 40 people.

Participants must pick up a free ticket in the visitor center before going on these tours.  The Mammoth Passage Tour requires a walk down and up the steep hill below the visitor center, as well as 160 steps.  Visit the Rotunda, one of the largest rooms, explore a vast canyon passageway, and learn about 19th-century saltpeter mining operations and the geologic origins of Mammoth Cave on each of these tours.