(WCLU FILE PHOTO)
CAVE CITY – Mammoth Cave National Park is seeking public comments on a proposed increase in cave tour, camping rates, and electric vehicle (EV) charging fees which would take effect in 2024. Information on the fee increase, including a list of all proposed fees, is available for review and comment on the park’s Planning, Environment, and Public Comment (PEPC) website beginning Monday, June 26 to Friday, July 28.
“Mammoth Cave utilizes its recreational fee program to focus on projects that improve the visitor experience,” said Superintendent Barclay Trimble. “We have recently used the funds to replace deteriorated and unsafe benches and equipment at the park’s outdoor amphitheater, repaired handrails at the cave’s Historic Entrance that were damaged during a windstorm, and funded cave guides for our busy summer season. The funds we collect are essential to an investment in services and improvements that are necessary to serve the hundreds of thousands of visitors we receive each year.”
Upcoming in the park’s fee approval process is the addition of Level 3 EV charging stations, set to be installed in the visitor center parking lot within a year. These stations are the fastest on the market.
At Mammoth Cave, 80% of collected fees fund projects for maintenance, visitor programs, resource protection, and facility improvements. The remaining 20% supports projects in fee-free National Park Service units like Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park.
Recreational fees at the park are collected based on the 2004 Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act. Annual comparability studies determine increases in expanded amenity fees, such as tours, camping, and EV charging. These fees are adjusted to align with private operators, ensuring fair pricing for visitor amenities.
Comments regarding the proposed fee increase can be submitted at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?parkID=392&projectID=117106&documentID=130106 or via U.S. mail to “Mammoth Cave National Park, Attn: Proposed Fee Increase, P.O. Box 7, Mammoth Cave, KY 42259.” Mail-in comments must be postmarked by July 28. Anonymous and email comments, as well as bulk comments will not be accepted.
