Discovery Tour

Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve Tours

NOTICE: The time on your ticket is your TOUR START time. You will receive a safety message at the Oregon Caves Visitor Center before joining your guide. Arriving early is recommended. Arriving late can result in denied cave entry. All ticket holders must be physically present at the OREGON CAVES VISITOR CENTER to check in. DO NOT check in at the Illinois Valley Visitor Center, which is located 60 minutes drive from the park boundary. 

Tour occupancy limits will be determined weekly based on the current local county transmission risk level. The risk level will be updated each Thursday and will take effect in the park the following Monday. 

 Josephine County information is found here: Josephine County Oregon CDC Risk Level  

HIGH RISK: Advanced reservations will not be available. Tours limited to 6 people. All federal facilities will resume occupancy limits posted at each entrance and masks will be required, including inside the caves. Same-day tickets will be available at the Illinois Valley Visitor Center located at 201 Caves Hwy. Cave Junction, OR 97523, sell-outs will occur early.

MEDIUM RISK: Limited advanced reservations will become available for purchase on Monday for the following week. Tours will be limited to 8 people. Masks will not be required, but strongly recommended. Same-day tickets will be available at both Visitor Centers.

LOW RISK: Limited advanced reservations will become available for purchase on Monday for the following week. Tours will be limited to 15 people. Masks will not be required, but strongly recommended. Same-day tickets will be available at both Visitor Centers. 

All other park rules and regulations apply regardless of transmission risk levels.

The Cave is not accessible without a guided tour.

All surface hiking trails and the Oregon Caves visitor center remain open.

Please call for the most up to date information.

(541) 592-2100 Oregon Caves Visitor Center

(541) 592-5125 Illinois Valley Visitor Center 

Same day tickets are available for purchase at the Illinois Valley visitor center in Cave Junction or at the monument. Purchase tickets in Cave Junction to avoild long waits in Summer months.

Explore and discover the marble halls of Oregon on this guided tour with a ranger of one of the most geologically complex and interesting caves in the country where you can discover the fascinating geology of the Siskiyou mountains from the inside out. You will also learn about ice-age fossils found in the cave, endemic lifeforms found within the cave that are found nowhere else, and more. Children must be at least 42 inches in height and accompanied by an adult to participate. Children cannot be carried and there are no childcare sevices avialable. This tour is available all season, from late March through early November.

Select a date to see a list of times

Need to Know

• Drive Time and Directions

  The drive from Cave Junction to the Oregon Caves takes a minimum of 60 minutes. The last several miles are narrow, steep, and winding. Large RV's and Travel Trailers are not recommended. Vehicles over 46' are prohibited. Carsickness is a real possibility. 

  DO NOT trust Google Map, GPS devices and similar applications - from the east these direct you through Williams Oregon and over a confusing route on mountainous gravel roads.

• Claiming Tour Tickets:

  All Ticket holders must check-in at the Oregon Caves visitor center desk no less than 30 minutes prior to the reserved tour time. Allow at least 60 minutes' drive time from Cave Junction to the Monument. NO REFUNDS for late arrivals. Parking lot check-in DOES NOT meet reservation check-in requirements.

• Age Requirement:

  Children must be a minimum height of 42 inches (107 cm) and accompanied by an adult to participate. Child care is not available. NO REFUNDS for children reserved that measure under 42 inches, or the adult that must remain with them.

• Be Prepared:

  The average cave temperature is 44 degrees (7 Celsius) year-round. Bring warm clothing and close toed shoes with good traction.

• Prohibited in Cave:

  Bags (including purses), food, drinks, gum, candy, flashlights, walking sticks, tripods, selfie sticks, pets, and tobacco products. Lockers are available at the visitor center.

• Protect the Bats:

  Do not wear clothes, shoes or other items worn or carried in another cave or mine. White-nose Syndrome is a fungus that kills 90-95% of bats it encounters. The fungus spreads with spores carried on clothes and other items. Washing detergents do not kill the spores. Wear nothing worn in another cave or mine!

• Health Warning:

  Visitors with known heart or respiratory problems, poor circulation or difficulty walking long distances and negotiating stairs, should carefully consider their limitations. Evacuation from the cave to a hospital for medical attention could take several hours.

  The Cave is very narrow in some areas and not recommended for those with extreme claustrophobia.

• Accessibility:

  Only the first room of the cave is wheelchair accessible. For safety reasons service animals are not allowed along most of the cave route, though at the owners discretion may be used to access the first room of the cave. With advanced notice, a ranger can be assigned to personally assist persons with sight impairments through the cave. Please see health warning. (For more information: www.nps.gov/orca/planyouvisit/accesibility)

• No Food or Lodging:

  The historic Oregon Caves Chateau is temporarily closed for repairs and rehabilitation. Pack a lunch or eat before you come.

  Cave Creek Campground is open for tent camping Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. Sites are first-come, first-served and cost $10.00 per night. Sites cannot accomodate RVs or Travel Trailers.

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