Mammoth Cave's "Pedal For The Park" This Saturday

​Join the Friends of Mammoth Cave for the fifth annual Pedal for the Park at 8 a.m., Saturday, May 14, 2016.  The event begins at the Cave City Convention Center, and features three different bike routes through scenic rural terrain in and near Mammoth Cave National Park, plus a free bike rodeo.
 
“May is National Bike Month,” said Superintendent Sarah Craighead.  “Do something healthy for yourself and get outside and ride.  Mammoth Cave National Park is already covered in dense green foliage, shading many of the roads and trails in the park.  The Friends have put together a variety of routes to please novice or serious riders – take advantage of their efforts to help you enjoy your national park.”
 
The primary sponsor for Pedal for the Park this year is the Cave City Tourism and Convention Commission. The Greenways Commission of Bowling Green and Warren County is the primary sponsor of the free bike rodeo with obstacle course (bikes and helmets provided). 
 
All routes will begin and end at the convention center: 
•     12-mile loop is a family-friendly ride east of Cave City on roads that are not too busy or hilly, including Salem Church Road and Old Munfordville Road. 
•     45- and 62-mile routes feature rolling terrain at the beginning and end, with the hills of Mammoth Cave National Park in the mid-section of each route.
•     water stations will be at local attractions, including Hidden River Cave, the Caver Camp Store, Rock Cabin Camp, Porky Pig Diner, and the Grand Victorian Inn.  
 
“Bicycle tourism is a great opportunity for our region, and an important part of the Cave Country Trails concept that is currently being developed," said Sandra Wilson, President of Cave Country Trails, Inc.
 
“We will host a free bike skills rodeo from 10 a.m.-noon for ages 5-12, next to the market pavilion at the Convention Center,” said Helen Siewers, Friends’ executive director. “It will hone skills such as balance, control and safety.  Children who participate in the bike rodeo are eligible to win a bike, courtesy of Breck’s Bicycle Shop and the Monticello Bank in Glasgow.”
 
Pedal for the Park is a primary fundraising event for the Friends of Mammoth Cave National Park.  One of the Friends' most important goals is to promote life-long fitness and healthy lifestyles through opportunities provided by Mammoth Cave National Park and the surrounding region.
 
On-site registration at the Cave City Convention Center ($30) will begin at 7:00 a.m.  To register in advance online ($30), visit:http://www.active.com/cave-city-ky/cycling/races/pedal-for-the-park-2015?int=.  Route maps, created using Strava, are available on athttps://www.facebook.com/mammothfriends. 
 
The Friends of Mammoth Cave National Park, Inc., is a 501c3 nonprofit organization working in partnership with the National Park Service to fund projects and programs that protect and preserve natural and cultural resources, and enhance the visitor experience of Mammoth Cave National Park.  
 
The Cave City Convention Center, 502 Mammoth Cave St., is located about one mile from I-65, exit 53.
 
For more information on the event, contact Helen Siewers, Executive Director, Friends of Mammoth Cave, friends.mammoth.cave@gmail.com or 270-597-7604.

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