Bowling Green, KY – Yesterday, April 22, 2025, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02) welcomed Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum to Kentucky’s Second District for a tour of Mammoth Cave National Park. Secretary Burgum visited the park to celebrate National Park Week and to discuss the importance of preserving our public lands for Americans to enjoy.
The visit included a guided cave tour by National Park Service staff. The National Park Service briefed Secretary Burgum and Congressman Guthrie about the rich history at Mammoth Cave National Park and the ongoing investments the park is making to improve the visitor experience.
“It was an honor to welcome Secretary Burgum to Kentucky’s Second District for a tour of the world’s longest known cave at Mammoth Cave National Park,” said Congressman Guthrie. “Every year, this Kentucky natural wonder draws hundreds of thousands of visitors and contributes nearly $90 million to our local economy. I am so grateful for the Secretary’s visit to our park to highlight the importance of this Kentucky landmark and for his desire to responsibly unleash the potential of our public lands.”
"As we continue to celebrate National Park Week, I visited Mammoth Cave National Park, home to the longest known cave system in the world, with Congressman Guthrie," said Secretary Doug Burgum. "We toured the expansive cave system, met with park staff, and highlighted Interior's ongoing commitment to ensuring our parks remain open and accessible to the public."
Photos from yesterday's tour of Mammoth Cave National Park with Secretary Burgum can be found here.
Background:
Established as a National Park in 1941, Mammoth Cave National Park is home to the world’s longest known cave system that hosts incredible amounts of biodiversity and history. In 1981, the park was named a World Heritage Site, and in 1990 a Biosphere Reserve.
The National Park Service reported that in 2023, Mammoth Cave National Park received more than 650,000 visitors and generated $89.6 million for communities surrounding the park.
Congressman Brett Guthrie and Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) soon plan to introduce the Mammoth Cave National Park Boundary Adjustment Act. This bill would allow the park to purchase additional land from the Nature Conservancy. This expansion would protect land in the Green River watershed to further conserve the area’s wildlife and cultural heritage, and expand tourism opportunities, including Coach Cave and James Cave, which hold prehistoric and historic artifacts.
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