Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve Tours
Oregon Caves National Monument & Preserve
Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve is suspending cave tour operations and reservations until further notice. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in accordance with guidance from the White House, CDC, and local public health authorities, the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service are working to gradually increase access to national parks in a safe manner. The NPS will continue to work with state and local officials as these changes are implemented. Surface areas, including hiking trails, are open.
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.
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.
Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve is suspending cave tour operations and reservations until further notice. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in accordance with guidance from the White House, CDC, and local public health authorities, the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service are working to gradually increase access to national parks in a safe manner. The NPS will continue to work with state and local officials as these changes are implemented. Surface areas, including hiking trails, are open.
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.
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.
Notifications and Alerts
Cave Tours are closed due to COVID-19. Tours will start based on current Centers for Disease Control (CDC), as well as state and local public health authorities, and Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA). We look forward to welcoming you back as soon as possible! Alternative ranger programs will be announced soon. Meanwhile, all surface areas are open for you to enjoy!
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. 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 purses), food, drinks, gum, candy, flashlights, walking sticks, tripods, 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 in 2019 for repairs and rehabilitation throughout the 2019 season. Pack a lunch or eat before you come.
- 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
- Service Animals
Changes and Cancellations
No refunds once tour starts. See Facility Rates for fees.
Contact Information
Mailing Address
OREGON CAVES NATIONAL MONUMENT & PRESERVE 19,000 CAVES HWY. CAVE JUNCTION OR 97523
Phone Number
541-592-2100 EXT. 2280
