​Free Discovery Tours On National Public Lands Day This Saturday At Mammoth Cave

EV file photo.

Mammoth Cave National Park will offer free Mammoth Cave Discovery cave tours on Saturday, September 30, as a way to celebrate National Public Lands Day.  
 
The free Mammoth Cave Discovery tours will be open 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday.
 
Participants must pick up a free ticket in the visitor center before going on this tour.  
 
The Mammoth Cave Discovery 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 cave’s largest rooms, explore a vast canyon passageway, and learn about 19th-century saltpeter mining operations and the geologic origins of the Mammoth Cave System.  Allow at least 30 minutes; about 3/4 mile round trip.  This is a self-guided tour.
 
Note – Cave tour requirements regarding white-nose syndrome (WNS) in bats:  While there are no known harmful effects to humans, WNS is responsible for the death of millions of hibernating bats across the eastern United States since its discovery in 2006.  WNS was found in Mammoth Cave in winter 2012-13.  To minimize the spread of WNS fungus, all participants on cave tours must walk across bio-security mats immediately following the conclusion of their tour to clean their footwear.