MAMMOTH CAVE, Ky. — Mammoth Cave National Park said it is seeking public comments on a proposed increase in cave tour, camping rates and electric vehicle charging fees which would take effect in 2024. The comment period is from June 26 to July 28.

“Mammoth Cave utilizes its recreational fee program to focus on projects that improve the visitor experience,” said Park 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.”

One new service covered in the park’s fee approval process is for the use of EV charging stations that will be installed in the visitor center parking lot within the next year. The new stations are planned to be Level 3 chargers, which are the fastest on the market today. 

According to the park, at least 80% of the fees collected at Mammoth Cave are used to fund projects that address deferred maintenance needs, improve visitor programs and services, protect resources and rehabilitate visitor facilities. The remaining 20% helps support projects in other National Park Service Units that do not charge entrance fees, like nearby Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park in Hodgenville, Ky. 

Comments can be submitted at the Park Planning website, which is the preferred method, but will also be accepted by U.S. mail addressed to “Mammoth Cave National Park, Attn: Proposed Fee Increase, P.O. Box 7, Mammoth Cave, KY 42259. All mail-in comments must be postmarked by July 28, 2023.