This realistic Oregon Caves National Monument & Preserve Guide helps you plan your next cave tour adventure in the Siskiyou Mountains.

Oregon Caves National Monument & Preserve is a cave park in Southern Oregon. It protects a beautiful cave and mountain system.

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Oregon Caves is one of the oldest protected cave systems in the United States. The park became a National Monument in 1909. It was just 3 years after Devils Tower, the first one in the country.

Jewel Cave became the first cave monument in the nation in 1908. This makes Oregon Caves the second cave monument in the United States. In both cases, it is a clear testament to the beauty of these parks.

Sights & Places of Interest

Oregon Caves have a number of sights. You can choose to explore the cave passages, hiking trails, and historic buildings during your trip to Oregon Caves.

1. Hiking Trails

Most cave parks have some sights above the ground. Wind Cave, Jewel Cave, Lehman Caves, and Carlsbad Caverns all have trails and viewpoints. Oregon Caves are no different.

As a result, taking a hiking trail is one way to explore Oregon Caves. There are over 20 miles (32 km) of hiking trails in this park.

• Cliff Nature Trail: 1-mi (1.6-km) easy to moderate loop trail with 75 ft (23 m) in elevation gain.
• Old Growth Trail: 1-mi (1.6-km) moderate loop trail with 200 ft (60 m) in elevation gain.
• No Name Trail: 1.3-mi (2.1-km) moderate loop trail with 268 ft (82 m) in elevation gain.
• Big Tree Trail: 3.3-mi (5.3-km) strenuous loop trail with 1,125 ft (343 m) in elevation gain.
• Cave Creek Trail: 3.6-mi (5.8-km) strenuous out-and-back trail with 1,245 ft (379 m) in elevation gain.
• Mount Elijah Trail: 9.2-mi (14.8-km) strenuous loop trail with 2,390 ft (728 m) in elevation gain.

Hiking in Oregon Caves National Monument & Preserve is a delight. You get a chance to see mountain ridges, Alpine meadows, creeks, and lakes. Remote location also makes wildlife viewing common.

Oregon Caves National Monument is not quite Rocky Mountain. But some of the views greatly resemble Lassen Volcanic National Park.

2. Chateau

The hiking trails are not the only above-ground attraction of Oregon Caves. You cannot miss the Oregon Caves Chateau. This six-story historic building is a National Historic Landmark.

The Chateau dates back to 1934. It houses a hotel with 23 rooms, a restaurant, and a gift shop. It means that you could even spend the night or get lunch right inside of the park.

The Chateau is closed for renovations. But you could still admire its architectural elements from the outside. The wooden shingles look just like Haas-Lilienthal House in San Franscisco.

A similar looking Chalet building is home to the Visitor Center. You would enter this building even if you do not care about architecture. This is the place where all the Oregon Caves tours start.

3. Discovery Cave Tour

The above-ground sights of the park are worth some time to explore. Despite the beauty of the hiking trails and architectural landmarks, most people visit Oregon Caves to admire its underground system.

Similar to most cave parks and monuments, you can only see Oregon Caves with a tour guide. There is no self-guided exploration.

Pick a tour that works with your preferences and schedule. Few tours have availability the day of the tour. You have to book in advance to avoid making the long drive to Oregon Cave go to waste.

This Oregon Caves National Monument & Preserve Guide follows the path of a Discovery Tour. This tour takes 90 minutes. You need to check in at the Visitor Center 15 to 30 minutes before the start time.

The tour starts with a brief presentation from a park ranger. You will learn about safety precautions and things to expect on the tour.

3.1. Main Cave Entrance

You will be at the main entrance to Oregon Caves in no time . This scenic entrance is right next to the Visitor Center.

The entrance has a commemorative plaque. It provides brief historical information about Oregon Caves National Monument.

3.2. Watson’s Grotto & Petrified Garden

There are many things that make Discovery Tour at Oregon Caves unique. First, this tour covers the longest distance (0.9 miles or 1.5 km) of all cave tours in the park.

Oregon Caves have a different entrance and exit from the cave. This fact sets Oregon Caves apart from most cave parks in the United States.

As a result, the Discovery Tour is linear. You will only visit each chamber once. Do not expect to see the same formations on the way back. Make the most of your time in each cave chamber.

Last but not least, you will be hiking up the mountain inside the cave during the tour. Get ready for an elevation gain of 220 ft (69 m).

With key information out in the open, it is time to enjoy the cave formations. You will enter Watson’s Grotto and Petrified Garden chambers as soon as you enter the cave.

These are not the most beautiful parts of Oregon Cave. Your tour guide will likely pass through them quite quickly.

But you will certainly notice a rapid drop in temperature as soon as you step foot into Watson’s Grotto. It is about 44 °F (7 °C) in Oregon Caves year-round.

3.3. Imagination Room

There is a good reason for this rush. The goal is to get you through the Connecting Tunnel and Dry Room to the Imagination Room.

This chamber has beautiful stalactite formations. It is among the most scenic cave chambers in the entire National Park System.

Park rangers do a fantastic job with the in-cave lightning. It will be easy for you to take good pictures without flash.

3.4. Banana Grove

You will then pass a few no name passages and a cave exit in use on other tours. Your next stop will be in the Banana Grove chamber.

This chamber got its name from chunky formations that grow from the ceiling. Parts of the ceiling that do not have “bananas” looks a bit like Longhorn Cavern in Central Texas.

3.5. Niagara Falls

The tour will then bring you to Niagara Falls. This is a common name for formations in cave parks all across the United States. Frozen Niagara in Mammoth Cave is the most famous of these formations.

Niagara Falls refer to a waterfall like formation in most caves. Such formation could consist of stalactites, stalagmites, columns, and mushrooms. In many cases, this name is a bit misleading and overused.

But Oregon Caves deserve to have a Niagara Falls chamber. This cave system is one of the most diverse in the nation.

Oregon Caves have amazing geological and biological diversity. Both are on full display in the Niagara Falls chamber.

3.6. Miller’s Chapel

You will lose some elevation as you go down the Spiral Stairs. The uphill path will continue shortly thereafter. You will get back to the elevation level of Niagara Falls by the time you exit the Wind Tunnel.

The Oregon Caves Discovery Tour makes a quick stop at the Miller’s Chapel. This chamber has a handful of columns, stalactites, and stalagmites.

3.7. Paradise Lost

The next part of the Discovery Tour is quite flat. You will soon pass the Ghost Room. It is the largest single chamber in Oregon Caves you will see on the tour.

You will definitely notice a long steep staircase going to the ceiling. The stairs lead to Paradise Lost. This is the most iconic flowstone formation in Oregon Caves. It has become the symbol of the entire park.

Going up the stairs to see Paradise Lost is an optional part of the tour. The stairs are steep and wet. Anyone with a fear of heights might have a difficulty reaching the top. Know your limits before going up.

If you can comfortably navigate this setup, you will enjoy an amazing view of the flowstone formation.

3.8. Exit Tunnel

The Ghost Room and Paradise Lost formations are the last notable stops on the Discovery Tour. You will be hiking uphill until the cave exit.

About a third of the total elevation gain of the tour takes place in this cave section. Give yourself time to get through the Exit Tunnel. The Clay Pocket chamber is the only place to catch your breath.

You will exit the cave some 200 ft (60 m) above the starting point. You would need to hike downhill after you exit the cave to reach the Visitor Center and the parking lot.

This route goes on the Cliff Nature Trail. It is a good idea to skip this trail before the cave tour. Focus on other hiking trails before and after the Discovery Tour to see more of Oregon Caves.

Continue with this Oregon Caves National Monument & Preserve Guide. You will learn more about ways to get to the sights, entrance requirements, and places to stay.

Getting to Oregon Caves

Oregon Caves National Monument is in Southern Oregon. The park is in a remote and mountainous part of the state near California state line. The Siskiyou Mountains surround Oregon Caves from all sides.

This makes a trip to Oregon Caves an adventurous undertaking. In a way, it feels more like a drive in Calakmul jungle in Mexico than a park in Oregon.

As soon as you exit Highway US-199 in Cave Junction, you will be driving on one-lane country roads. The roads follow the creeks that feed the Illinois River: Tycer Creek, Sucker Creek, and Cave Creek.

The Caves Highway (OR-46) starts to quickly gain elevation over the last 8 miles (13 km) to the caves. Get ready to gain nearly 2,900 ft (884 m).

The last part of the drive is on a narrow mountain road. There are constant switchbacks and blind turns. With evergreen forests on both sides, this stretch of the road is wildlife paradise.

It is imperative to obey the speed limit. This will give you more time to react to wildlife crossings and cars appearing from around the corner.

It takes nearly 40 minutes to get to Oregon Caves National Monument from Cave Junction. You will be covering roughly half a mile a minute.

Grants Pass is the closest larger town to the park. It takes over an hour to reach the caves from there. A drive from Medford is over 1.5 hours. Crescent City, California is a similar distance away.

You would need to budget almost 5 hours to reach Oregon Caves from Portland. It is the nearest large airport. Sacramento, California is over 6 hours away.

Where to Stay near Oregon Caves

There are a handful of places to stay when visiting Oregon Caves. Between lodging in the park and in nearby towns you should succeed in finding a place that works for you.

You can elect to stay right inside Oregon Caves National Park & Preserve. Chateau at the Oregon Caves is a historic hotel. A location premium and limited dining options are its main downside.

Oregon Caves Chateau also remains closed due to a large scale repair project. That means that you have to seek a place to stay outside of the park.

There are few places to stay in Cave Junction. But for greater variety in lodging and dining you have to head to the larger towns.

Grants Pass, Medford, and Ashland are your best options in Oregon. Crescent City and Klamath are nearby towns with a few places to stay in California.

Entrance Requirements & Passes

You can only enjoy Oregon Caves on a guided tour. Most cave tours only run from March to November. There are four tours for you to choose from.

• Discovery Tour: 90-minute moderate tour that covers 0.9 miles (1.5 km).
• Candlelight Cave Tour: 60-minute moderate tour that covers 0.3 miles (0.5 km).
• Kids & Family Tour: 90-minute moderate tour that covers 0.6 miles (1 km).
• Off-Trail Tour: 4-hour strenuous tour that covers 1 mile (1.6 km).

All tours but the Off-Trail Tour have the same pricing. There are no discounts for America the Beautiful annual pass holders. This monument is one of the few parks where the pass does not add value.

• Adult: $10
• Child: $7
• Interagency Senior and Access Pass Holders: $5

The Off-Trail Tour is more expensive. You should expect to pay $45 per person. Kids younger than 15 years cannot take this tour.

There are also restrictions on the number of visitors on each tour. Most popular tours take 15 visitors or less per tour. Kids & Family and Off-Trail Tours take even fewer people.

Restrictions on the number of visitors, few tours, and affordable price are a recipe for crowds. Despite the remote location of the park, the tours fill up fast. It is best to book your spot well in advance.

Takeaways: Oregon Caves National Monument & Preserve

Oregon Caves National Monument & Preserve is a magnificent cave park. It is sure to impress the visitors with its beauty. In the end, the cave chambers are among the most impressive caves in the United States.

Oregon Caves still fall behind Carlsbad Caverns and Jewel Cave. The lack of discounts to annual pass holders and few crystal formations support this rating.

But Oregon Caves give Mammoth Cave and Wind Cave a run for their money. The latter caves are both national parks with some of the longest cave systems in the world.

Book a Discovery Tour to get a good sense of Oregon Caves National Monument. This tour is well run. It maximizes your time in the cave. You will see as many formations as possible during the 90-minute tour.

Other tours at Oregon Caves serve different purposes. You might not find them to be as exciting unless you enjoy off-trail caving, history, or kid friendly explanations.

The park location in the middle of a mountain ridge is also worth a mention. Even getting to Oregon Caves brings a spirit of exploration to your journey. This experience makes a long drive worth it.

Take a look at this Oregon Caves National Monument & Preserve Video Guide. And visit the YouTube channel for the latest videos.

Frequently Asked Questions

Safe realist travels!