Officials with Mammoth Cave National Park are set to celebrate National Park Week and multiple other commemorations.
Mammoth Cave, like many parks across the country, will host multiple events on Saturday, April 20. Guests can help clean litter and debris during a volunteer cleanup from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. in honor of National Volunteer Week and Earth Day. Tourists can take free, self-guided Discovery Tours from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. All events are in Central Daylight Time.
Molly Schroer is the Public Information Officer for Mammoth Cave National Park. She said the park is known for being the largest cave system in the world, but officials also want to highlight the attractions above ground.
“What’s great about our park is we also have surface activities, or as we would like to say, the sunny side of the park. We’ve got over 85 miles of hiking trails, we’ve got 26 miles of paddling riverways for people to come kayak or canoe,” said Schroer. “So, there’s lots of opportunities to enjoy the park other than just going down inside the caves.”
Visitors will also have the opportunity to participate in free guided wildflower hikes, birding events, exhibits, and more on Saturday, April 20 to celebrate Wildflower Day. All of the wildflower activities are free with no reservation required.
Schroer said by the end of the day, she hopes families and visitors gain a deeper appreciation of what national parks have to offer.
“We have 429 national park units across the country. These are very important places to us as humans and as Americans. They are there to protect our landscapes, the history, and the culture that really reflects the diversity of our country’s shared heritage,” said Schroer.
In celebration of National Park Week, all entrance fees at national parks are waived on Saturday. Schroer said Mammoth Cave is always free to enter, but they will offer free tours as well.
Registration for the volunteer cleanup event, as well as a full list of special events, are available online at the Mammoth Cave National Park website.