Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve Tours
Oregon Caves National Monument & Preserve
The Oregon Caves are only accessible by ranger guided tour.
The Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve offers a variety of hiking trails through old growth forests, high mountain meadows, or along babbling moutain creeks. The surface areas of the park remain open year-round. There is no fee to enter the park or hike the surface hiking trails.
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 of our visitor center locations. Stop by the Illinois Valley Visitor Center in Cave Junction for current wait-times and conditions. All members of your party must be physically present to purchase same-day tickets.
The Oregon Caves are only accessible by ranger guided tour.
The Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve offers a variety of hiking trails through old growth forests, high mountain meadows, or along babbling moutain creeks. The surface areas of the park remain open year-round. There is no fee to enter the park or hike the surface hiking trails.
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 of our visitor center locations. Stop by the Illinois Valley Visitor Center in Cave Junction for current wait-times and conditions. All members of your party must be physically present to purchase same-day tickets.
Notifications and Alerts
NOTICE: Tour schedules are subject to change at a moment’s notice. Weather, power-outages, and staff illness could cause tour cancellations or closures. Alerts during these unforeseen circumstances will be sent via text and email at our earliest ability.
Cave Tours closed for winter season. Surface hiking trails remain open year-round.
Oregon Caves are not accessible without a guided tour. We look forward to seeing you in 2023!June 6th. 2023, Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve will be closed to all Cave activity for a park-wide staff training day. Surface hiking trails will remain open. All other facilities, including the cave will be closed. Normal operations will resume June 7th.
Need to Know
- Cave Entry:
The Oregon Caves are not accessible without a guided tour.
Advanced reservations are highly recommended. Limited same-day tickets are available for purchase first-come, first served at both of our visitor center locations. - Claiming Tour Tickets:
All ticket-holding party members must physically check-in at the Oregon Caves visitor center desk together for a safety message. Arrive early; late arrival can result in denied cave entry. Allow at least 1- hour to reach the visitor center from Cave Junction. Reservation holders do not need to check-in at the Illinois Valley visitor center located 20 miles from the cave entrance. Please plan to be on-site at least 30 minutes before your tour start time to ensure you have plenty of time to accomplish any personal tasks prior to your tour.
- Drive Time and Directions:
Construction Ahead!
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 common occurance.Please, 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. Western travelers are promised an earlier arrival time than safely possible.
Maintian your lane. We understand the route is narrow and mountainous, but for your safety and everyone else traveling Hwy. 46, please, maintain your lane at all times.
- 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 less than 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 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.
- What to wear:
The average cave temperature is 44 degrees (7 Celsius) year-round. Bring warm clothing and close toed shoes with good traction.
- 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!
- 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 for a refunded 0.25 cent fee.
- 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 Holder Discounts:
Visitors with America the Beautiful Senior and America the Beautiful Access passes must apply their pass information to their reservation as well as bring both the physical pass and pass holder photo identification to the counter at check-in.
Tour discounts only apply to the pass holder, per pass. Misapplied discounts will be charged at the check-in counter.
America the Beautiful Annual, Military, Every Kid Outdoor, and Volunteer passes do not apply to expanded amenity fees, such as tours.
- 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.
- 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
- Camping:
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.
Booking Windows
Cave tours are offered late spring to early fall, Oregon Caves are not accessible without a guided tour. Seasonal reservations will be posted on the 1st of March, 2023.
Changes and Cancellations
Cancellation must be submitted 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.
There are NO REFUNDS for late arrivals or missed tours . Visitors are encouraged to plan their travel schedules carefully and be on-site at least 30 minutes prior to their scheduled tour time. Expect construction and other summer traffic related delays when planning your route through Hwy. 199 and Hwy. 46.
Contact Information
Mailing Address
OREGON CAVES NATIONAL MONUMENT & PRESERVE 19,000 CAVES HWY. CAVE JUNCTION OR 97523
Phone Number
541-592-5125
