oregon caves national monument

..in so many ways!Just wonderful, after the crush of Crater Lake..even in August The Caves were relatively uncrowded ( this was around 10 AM).WE got our tickets for the tour and had 90 minutes to spare so being hungry tried the quaint little 1940s style Malt bar at the base of the Chateau..wonderful..bit pricey but a FANTASTIC deal compared to the horror of the Rim Cafe at Crater Lake. Try the chili its fresh made and awesome.The old style malts are great also.The cave tour itself was very good and invigorating..our guide was fanatastic and got us all involved. Its a bit treasonous, but im a bit out of shape and made it OK , my 11 year old loved it..just dissapointed she couldn't see the huge Cave Crickets as they were down far in the the cave because it was a dry hot summer.Best National Park ..will be back every year.And after the Cave tour there is some wonderful nature trails up the mountain. The views are breathtaking!

We have toured dozens of caves and this rare marble cave is one of the better ones we have seen, and the beautiful surroundings, the scenic drive into the Siskiyou Mountains plus the opportunity to look around the historic Chateau all combine to make this an excellent experience. The cave is reached by a 40 – 45 minute drive east on Hwy 46 from US-199 in Cave Junction as it winds and climbs high into the Siskiyou Mountains; we found this drive to be wonderfully scenic without being too difficult although the last portion of the road is unsuitable for trailers or large RV’s. If you have a trailer, there is free parking at the Illinois Valley Visitor Center located on Hwy 46 just after turning off of US-199. However, since cave tour tickets can only be purchased in person on a first come, first serve basis at the National Monument visitor center at the end of the road, I recommend not stopping here unless you need to drop a trailer. Since tickets are only available on a first come, first serve basis and the wait can be lengthy and unpredictable, I would also recommended getting there as early as possible before the wait becomes too long; if you are on a tight schedule and/or would be disappointed in a visit that would not include a cave tour, I would strongly recommend getting to the visitor center by noon during the peak season of July and August. General cave tours are $10, for those 17 or older, and $7.50 for children 16 and younger but they must be over 42 inches (107cm) in height; Interagency Annual Pass holders get general cave tour tickets at half price and since phone lines are not reliable for credit card transactions, bringing cash is a good idea. The tour, which lasted about 90 minutes, is limited to 15 people, making it easy to hear the enthusiastic ranger and ask questions. The best features of the cave were towards the end of the tour and, as with any cave, the ability to hike, climb, duck and squeeze through a few tight spots is a must and since the cave’s temperatures is 44oF (7oC), bring some warm clothing. Highly recommended if you have the time it takes to go off the grid to reach this destination.

Loved this! I cant explain how much! We had an amazing time touring the cave. Worth the drive up, although my son got very carsick on the very windy road up. Be prepared and wear warm clothing, the cave is the temperature of your refrigerator, even during the Summer months. Don't pass this up when visiting Cave Junction!

Oregon Caves National Monument is not easy to get to but well worth the journey. The road to the cave is scary - narrow, twisting 2 way road - but if you have a fearless driver, no worries. The Chateau lodge is a throw back to a different era. The cave requires the ability to climb stairs without rails and twist around overhanging rocks but the trail is paved. Our guide was informed and funny. If the cave proves too much for you there is an early exit point half way through the cave. Don't forget your sweaters as the cave is cold. Great adventure!

It is a long and twisty road to get to the caves, but definitely worth it. We were able to walk right up and join a cave tour that was about to start. It was the first time that the kids had been in a cave and they loved it. The tour was very informative. There are some tight squeezes and some steep staircases on the tour.We also enjoyed the hike on the Cliff Nature Trail after our tour. Beautiful scenery and a lot of climbing opportunities if you have kids that like to climb. The Chateau is right next to the caves. There is a little restaurant/ diner downstairs that is really cool to sit at the counter.

When they say there are 1,000 steps, they don't mean walking steps. Wear good shoes! But, it was so worth it! The caves are beautiful and the whole area is naturally beautiful.

This is definitely off the beaten path for this unique marble cave. Our family has now toured 8 caves and they are all very similar. Being a marble cave, it is quite small compared to other caves. It is slightly strenuous and there are lots of sturdy stairs. We had 4 teens boys and we had no problem with the cave tour.The Ranger led tour, only option for this cave, is well done. The Rangers are informative and friendly. The entrance fee is minimal, but the drive up to the cave is twisty, and takes some time. We unhitched our RV and kept it in the parking lot at the information center. It was free to park and secure. I would not recommend traveling with an RV trailer to the cave entrance, road is very narrow and lots of sharp turns.The cave tours run frequently and it can get busy. We had a 45 minute wait and there is much to see and do before the tour. The chateau is historic and fun to explore. The caves cafe has amazing diner style food and we had dinner after our tour.There are lockers available to rent for backpacks, purses, etc. I think it was a quarter to use the locker. No large backpacks or purses are permitted in the cave.It is very cool and damp in the cave so bring a jacket.This is not an adventure to rush, so please allow sufficient time for drive to cave, possible wait for tour and exploring the chateau.We were enroute to Crater Lake, and enjoyed the Caves much more than crater lake.We will return to take the off trail cave tour in the future.My only complaint is that you have no idea how long the wait is for the tour until you arrive at the cave entrance.It would be nice to buy tickets at the information desk, 45 minutes from the cave, so you could minimize the wait AND it would be much more convenient to book or reserve online for a specific time and day.

This cave is made of marble, whereas most caves are limestone. The road into the attraction was winding with lots of bends and turns but was in good condition. The tour was 90 minutes long. It was cold and damp in the cave. You need a coat, gloves, and good shoes (no flip flops). There are stairs to climb and a long upward rising walk at the end, then a long walk down from the mountain top. Unfortunately, there were three boys (the oldest of which was celebrating his 8th birthday) who were initially very enthusiastic when we started but starting whining and complaining two-thirds of the way through the tour. This is NOT an event for young children.

We've seen a lot of caves and this one was interesting enough but it lacked the "wow factor." Other than getting buzzed by a bat, not much to really look at. If you're in the area, worth a look. Wouldn't go too far out of my way to see it. Staff was very nice so no reflection on them.

Once you've committed to visiting there's no looking back, from the initial turn off the main highway it must be at least 20 miles of slow driving on roads that have serious switchbacks and curves to it. We arrived around 1:30pm and were talked to by a park ranger waiting at the park entrance. This is step one of a two part process! Here we were asked many questions about caves we had visited in the past so as to protect against spreading disease to the bats in the cave - a BIG problem to bat populations. Also, this park ranger explained that the tour is quite long from start to finish, a tight squeeze in places (e.g. low ceiling spaces), with no bathroom breaks, a temperature of 44 degrees (think of your refrigerator temperature) and finally, ranks as a strenuous "hike" type of activity. All this served to heighten our curiosity! We were on for this tour! We were handed 4 tokens, one for each of us, then proceeded to the gift shop (a five minute brisk walk from the parking area).Step 2 - Redeem the tokens and pay for the tour at the gift shop (for the four of us, we paid a very reasonable $30.00 approx.). We were told the next available tour for our family of four (incl. two teenagers: 13 and 15) would be 3:20pm or so. The wait time until our tour suited us perfectly, we were all hungry for lunch and had a bite to eat at Caves Cafe (a fun retro cafe ice cream soda type of restaurant) located at the lower level of the Chateau of the Oregon Caves, a historic lodge in the National Park. Afterwards we explored the lobby of the Lodge.After lunch we had enough time to catch a film showing in the Park Ranger gift shop explaining the history of the caves, their discovery and finally the plight of the cave bats.We had an interesting and informative tour guide. She was good at keeping the group together in confined spaces! And no one from the group opted out to leave after the initial "easy" portion of the cave. The caves were very large and extensive (hence the lengthy tour time) and made of marble (a rarity for caves which are usually Limestone). At times, they were damp, cold, wet, with tight corners, low ceilings, confining and spooky - - a memorable, heart pumping, educational, family adventure!

A great tour of a local natural feature. It is alot of walking up wet stairs, leaning , crouching, darkness but the calcite features are otherworldly. If you are over 5'7" wear a cap- so if you do bump your head there will some padding. The tours are limited so plan on taking one of the 1-3 mile hikes in the area or eating a meal at the diner in the hotel if you have a wait for the tour .

The park service is diligent in its stewardship of the caves. There were many restoration projects underway and they were very gracious about asking visitors to respect the fragile eco systems within.

The Oregon Caves are a unique marble cave system. The tour takes 1 1/2 hours and requires some ducking and bending to do. There are also 500 stairs to climb or descend. But, that said, I had no trouble doing the tour and enjoyed it very much. The Visitor's Center is in a beautiful historic building and is worth a stop. They also have a good film if you don't want to go into the caves themselves. One word of caution, the road in is a very windy one, so allow plenty of time to get there, you can't hurry up on this road.

I took the half trip while my husband did the whole cave, it is NOT as strenuous as people put out. Not for the infirm, but a person of good health can walk it easily. Charming guide and so very cool, long pants, real shoes, and a jacket for those who get cold easily in the 40 degree range all year.

This National Monument is a great treasure. I am so glad that President Taft had the foresight to set aside this work of nature for future generations. The only marble cave in North America is up a windy mountain road in south west Oregon. It is the home to many rare creatures, some found nowhere outside the cave. The surrounding mountain is picturesque with plenty of trails to hike or climb. The cave itself can only be entered with a guide provided by the National Parks Service. The guide who took our group (Matthew) was so kind and attentive to the needs of everyone in our group, answering multiple questions both silly and sensible. You do have to crouch down, crawl up steps and otherwise be nimble to do the tour through the cave but even if you cannot do that you can watch a video in the visitors center to get an idea of the cave. Be sure to stop for a snack at the Chateau Cafe across the parking lot - although it is a manmade building it is also historic and the staff there are great too.