Date: July 13, 2009
On July 18-19, Mammoth Cave NP will offer Discovery and Mammoth Passage cave tours free of charge. The offer will be repeated again August 15-16.
Visitors must pick up their free tickets at visitor center ticket office prior to tour times. For the Discovery tour, visitor may pick up tickets between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. CT, and then walk to the Historic Entrance to begin their self-guided tour. The guided Mammoth Passage tours will depart from the visitor center at 9:15 a.m., and at intervals after 3:00 p.m., after the Discovery tour closes.
The Mammoth Cave Discovery and Mammoth Passage tours enter the cave at the Historic Entrance and follow approximately the same route, including Houchins Narrows, the Rotunda, nitre mining artifacts, Audubon Avenue, and Rafinesque Hall. These are some of the mammoth passages for which the cave was named.
Being a self-guided tour, the Mammoth Cave Discovery Tour gives visitors the freedom travel at a brisk walk or a slow stroll. Allow at least 30 minutes; the tour distance is ¾ mile round trip from the visitor center. Ranger guides are stationed along the route inside the cave to answer questions.
The guided Mammoth Passage tour is ¾ mile long and lasts about 1¼ hours.
Camping fees and fees for other tours of Mammoth Cave will not be waived for these weekends.
Check out all free NPS opportunities at http://www.nps.gov/findapark/feefreeparks.htm.
The NPS has also established a website listing family fun summer activities, at http://www.nps.gov/pub_aff/parks2009/index.htm.
- NPS -
