Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve Tours

Name: Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve Tours
Address: Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve Tours, Oregon
Telephone: 541-592-2100 EXT. 2262
Rating: 4.702381

Oregon Caves National Monument & Preserve

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.

The Cave is not accessible without a guided tour.
All surface hiking trails remain open.
The Oregon Caves Visitor Center will reopen for the season April 23rd, 2022.
Our Illinois Valley Visitor Center remains open year-round. (541) 592-5125

Looking for an adventure? Explore a mountain inside and out. Twist and bend through angled marble passages deep underground on a ranger-guided tour of the Oregon Caves. Wonder at the smooth flowstones, stalactites and stalagmites. Above ground, you can hike old growth forests and high mountain meadows. Visit, discover, and have fun. Cave tours run late March through early November. Hiking trails are open year-round.

Need to Know Before you Go Video

Education Tour Information

Same-day tickets are available first come, first served at both our visitor center locations. Stop by the Illinois Valley Visitor Center in Cave Junction for current wait-times and conditions.

Notifications and Alerts

Cave tours are offered 5 days per week, Thursday through Monday. Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Due to COVID-19 uncertainties, reservations will be released one week at a time at 8:00 AM PST each Sunday for the following Monday through Sunday until further notice. Tour occupancy will be limited based on weekly county risk levels determined by the CDC until further notice. Review "Need to Know" for more information and all other facility regulations and expectations.

Need to Know

2022 COVID-19 Regulations
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 Sunday 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 Sunday 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.
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. Car sickness is a 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 at the monument no less than 30 minutes prior to the reserved tour time. Allow at least 1- hour to reach the visitor center from Cave Junction. (You do not need to stop at the Illinois Valley Visitor Center in Cave Junction unless you would like to check current conditions in the park.) NO REFUNDS for late arrivals. Parking lot check-in does not meet reservation check-in requirements.
Children's Height Requirement:
For their safety and yours, children must be a minimum height of 42 inches (107 cm) tall for the Discovery and Kids & Family Tours, and all children must be accompanied by an adult. Small children may not be carried, and childcare services are not available. No strollers or infant front/backpack carriers allowed in the cave. No exceptions.

Warning: Children with reservations that measure under 42 inches in height and/or do not meet age requirements will not be refunded; any guardian staying with the child will also not be refunded.
- Minimum Age Requirements: All children ages 15 and under must be accompanied by an adult to attend tours.
- Discovery Tour: Children must be a minimum height of 42 inches (107 cm) to participate
- Kids and Family Cave Tour: Children must be a minimum height of 42 inches (107 cm) to participate
- Candlelight Tours: Children must be 10 years of age and older.
- Off-Trail Tour: Participants must be at least 15 years of age with a parent or guardian present.
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 the Cave:
- Bags (including camera bags & purses)
- Food, drinks, gum or candy
- Flashlights/headlamps
- Walking sticks
- Tripods or monopods
- Pets
- Tobacco or vaping products
Limited 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.
Inter-Agency Pass Holders:
Visitors with America the Beautiful Senior and America the Beautiful Access passes need to bring your cards and identification to the counter at check in. Discount only applies to the pass holder. Misapplied discounts will be charged at the check in counter.
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.
Pets in the Park:
Please, there is little shade in the parking lot. If you have a pet be prepared! Pets must be on a leash and stay on paved roads when not in a vehicle. Pets are prohibited on trails, inside the cave, and in park facilities. Pets may be left unattended in vehicles, however, please be aware that if pets display signs of distress due to conditions such as hot weather, owners may be cited for endangering an animal. Whenever possible, please leave your pets at home, or look into nearby boarding options.

Service Animals: Service animals are welcome in the visitor center, Chateau, and other areas where pets are traditionally prohibited. For safety reasons, service animals are not allowed in the cave. This is for the safety of the handler, the animal, and other people on the tour. Guide Dogs for the Blind, Portland Campus, advised not to allow service animals into the cave because the animals become nervous or disoriented. Contact us and we will work with you to make the cave a safe, accessible, and enjoyable experience for everyone. For more information on service animals, please visit our accessibility page: https://www.nps.gov/orca/planyourvisit/accessibility.htm

Booking Windows

Due to COVID-19 uncertainties, reservations will be released one week at a time at 8:00 AM PST each Monday, until further notice.

The initial release will be Tuesday April 19, 2022.

Changes and Cancellations

Cancellation must be done at least 24 hours prior to your selected time to receive a refund. You may cancel online or by calling 877-444-6777. On site refunds are not available.

Contact Information

Mailing Address

OREGON CAVES NATIONAL MONUMENT & PRESERVE 19,000 CAVES HWY. CAVE JUNCTION OR 97523

Phone Number

541-592-2100 EXT. 2262

Available Tours and Tickets

Discovery Tour

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