Oregon Caves National Monument - Oregon

Address:19000 Caves Highway
Cave Junction, Oregon
Tel: (541) 592-2100

Tucked away in the Siskiyou Mountains in the southwest corner of Oregon, the Oregon Caves National Monument is one of the Northwest's most unusual destinations. Dubbed "The Marble Halls of Oregon", the Oregon Caves National Monument, covers 480-acres of underground caverns and contains the most extraordinary natural marble formations on the West Coast Tours through the caves are offered daily from late March through November and reservations are not accepted. The lighted cave trail is about a half-mile long and climbs 218 feet. The tour takes about 75 minutes. Rangers lead you from room to room with marble formations that resemble human and animal heads, strips of bacon, a pipe organ, a banana grove, a wedding cake and more. Stalactites and stalagmites join together, creating columns that look as though they are supporting the ceiling of the caves. The trail consists of 195 steps down and 345 steps up and there are many low and narrow passages. The temperature in the caves is 42 degrees with nearly 100 percent humidity year-round; Warm clothing and good walking shoes are essential. The tour is not recommended for anyone with heart, breathing or walking problems.

Those who prefer to stay above ground have a choice of well-marked hiking trails that weave in and out of the old-growth on the monument, and hikers can enjoy great views and beautiful waterfalls along the way. And don't miss your chance to see the widest Douglas fir tree known to exist in Oregon.

Expect comfortable summer temperatures, snowy winters and rain during spring and fall. There is no campground at the Oregon Caves National Monument, but there are two campgrounds in the adjoining Siskiyou National Forest available from late- May to mid-September.

To access Oregon Caves National Monument, follow Hwy 199 to Cave Junction, turn south on Hwy 46 (a gas station is on the corner), and follow the road for 20 miles.

Oregon Caves National Monument is small in size, 480 acres, but rich in diversity. Above ground, the monument encompasses a remnant old-growth coniferous forest including a Douglas-fir tree with the widest known girth in Oregon. Three hiking trails access this forest. Below ground is a marble cave created by natural forces over hundreds of thousands of years in one of the world's most diverse geologic realms.