Mammoth Cave National Park Superintendent Patrick Reed announced today that the park will offer free Mammoth Passage cave tours on Wednesday, August 25, in honor of the founding day of the National Park Service.

“Congress signed the Organic Act into law on August 25, 1916, creating the National Park Service,” said Reed.  “Some words from that piece of legislation echo in my mind on a daily basis.  It is key to almost everything we do in managing the parks.”

The Organic Act states, in part:  “…the Service thus established shall promote and regulate the use of the Federal areas known as national parks, monuments and reservations…to conserve the scenery and the natural and the historic objects and the wild life 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.”

Visitors must pick up their free tickets at visitor center ticket office prior to tour times. On August 25, the free guided Mammoth Passage tours will depart from the visitor center at 8:45, 9:30, 10:15, 11:45, 12:30, 2:00, 3:00, and 4:45; the tour is limited to 40 people.

The ¾-mile, 1¼ hours Mammoth Passage tour requires a walk down and up the hill below the visitor center, as well as 68 steps at the Historic Entrance.

Camping fees and fees for other tours of Mammoth Cave will not be waived this day.