Accessibility

U.S citizens or permanent residents with permanent disabilities qualify for the Interagency Access Pass, which provides free or discounted access to over 2,000 Federal recreation sites. Ask at our visitor center or call [phone] for more information.

Service Animals

The Department of Justice published revised final regulations implementing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for title II (state and local government services) and title III (public accommodations and commercial facilities) on September 15, 2010, in the Federal Register. These requirements or rules, clarify and refine issues that have arisen over the past 20 years and contain new or updated requirements, including the 2010 Standards for Accessible Design (2010 Standards).

This page provides guidance on the term "service animal" and the service animal provision in the Department's new regulations.

• Beginning on March 15, 2011, only dogs are recognized as service animals under titles II and III of the ADA.
• A service dog is a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability.

Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medicines, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), or performing other duties. Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person's disability. Dogs whose primary function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.

Under the ADA, dogs that are service animals will be permitted in the cave. As per ADA requirements, service animals must be harnessed or leashed, and in control and housebroken. When these conditions are not met, the service animal will not be allowed in the cave.

It is important to note that the surface of the cave trail often exceeds well over 120 degrees F in the summer months. While people's shoes protect them from this intense heat, a service dog's feet are right on the surface. In addition to providing water for your animal, we recommend dog booties for service dogs on the trail in the heat of the summer. Also, your animal might also benefit from foot protection on the metal bridges and grates inside the cave.

Owners are encouraged to identify their working service animal with a vest. Identification is not required, but helps prevent unwarranted "dog on trail" complaints from other visitors.

Physical/Mobility Accessibility

The trail to the caves is paved but strenuous, with a 1,100 foot elevation gain over a mile-and-a-half. Due to the steepness of the grade (15-20% in places), no wheeled vehicles are allowed. Ranger-led programs at the visitor center and the picnic area can be accessed by those with wheeled devices or walking aids. An online tour showing the cave is available.

Deaf/Hearing Impaired Accessibility

For visitors who are deaf or hard of hearing, a variety of publications may be obtained at park headquarters. Wayside exhibits with illustrations and text on natural features are situated throughout the park. Park films are open captioned. Ask at the visitor center to see if a signing tour is available. An online captioned, and signed tour of the cave is available.

Blind/Low Vision Accessibility

Some visitor center exhibits are tactile. Recorded descriptions of exhibits or waysides are not yet available.