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Contact: Bridget Litten, 505.785.3024
On Friday, August 25, Carlsbad Caverns National Park will join the other 389 national park units around the country in celebrating Founder’s Day, the ninetieth birthday of the National Park Service (NPS). What started as a noble cause in 1916 “to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations” and consisted of only a few park sites has grown to what many view as the leading preservation agency in the world. The NPS now administers 390 units, and includes national parks, national monuments, national historic sites and national waterways—to name just a few. “We’d like everyone to come out and help us celebrate,” said park ranger Dave Thomas. “In addition to having birthday cake at noon, we’ll also be presenting some special programs.” Programs on the history of Carlsbad Caverns and the NPS will be given in the visitor center theater and a solar telescope with special filters to view the sun safely will be set up by astronomer Jerry Krause. The park’s visitor center is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. The park offers two self-guided tours of the cavern—the Natural Entrance tour is open from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and the Big Room tour is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Ranger-guided tours are also available. For a more detailed schedule of Founder’s Day activities at Carlsbad Caverns, call 505.785.2232. Additional park information is available at www.nps.gov/cave/. Note to Editors: The park’s fee-free day is on National Public Lands Day, on September 30. The park’s entrance fee (self-guided tour fee) will be waived that day only. For more information on National Public Lands Day, visit www.npld.com. |
Last updated: February 24, 2015