By MICHAEL CRIMMINSGlasgow News 1Mammoth Cave National Park is an “economic engine” for surrounding communities, according to park Superintendent Barclay Trimble, commenting on the results of the recently released National Park Service survey results. The 2024 Visitor Spending Effects Analysis, which incorporated survey data from Mammoth Cave National Park, stated that 747,042 people visited the national park last year and spent $73.2 million on such things as gas, lodging, retail needs and in restaurants in local communities. Mammoth Cave is located in Edmonson, Hart and Barren counties. As the world’s longest cave system and Kentucky’s only national park, it draws visitors from across the globe,” Lessenberry said. “Thanks to newly collected visitor data, we now have a clearer picture of just how much our visitors contribute to local communities—over $73 million in 2024 alone,” said Superintendent Barclay Trimble.