Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve is a protected area in the northern Siskiyou Mountains of southwestern Oregon in the United States. The 4,554-acre (1,843 ha) park, including the marble cave, is 20 miles (32 km) east of Cave Junction, on Oregon Route 46. The protected area, managed by the National Park Service (NPS), is in southwestern Josephine County, near the Oregon–California border.For Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve and beyond, use our Cave Junction journey planner to get the most from your Cave Junction vacation.
Elijah Davidson, a resident of nearby Williams, discovered the cave in 1874. Over the next two decades, private investors failed in efforts to run successful tourist ventures at the publicly owned site. After passage of the Antiquities Act by the United States Congress, in 1909 President William Howard Taft established Oregon Caves National Monument, to be managed by the United States Forest Service (USFS). The growing popularity of the automobile, construction of paved highways, and promotion of tourism by boosters from Grants Pass led to large increases in cave visitation during the late 1920s and thereafter. Among the attractions at the remote monument is the Oregon Caves Chateau, a six-story hotel built in a rustic style in 1934. It is a National Historic Landmark and is part of the Oregon Caves Historic District within the monument. The NPS, which assumed control of the monument in 1933, offers tours of the cave from mid-April through early November. In 2014, the protected area was expanded by about 4,000 acres (1,600 ha) and re-designated a National Monument and Preserve. At the same time, the segment of the creek that flows through the cave was renamed for the mythological Styx and added to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
Oregon Caves is a solutional cave, with passages totaling about 15,000 feet (4,600 m), formed in marble. The parent rock was originally limestone that metamorphosed to marble during the geologic processes that created the Klamath Mountains, including the Siskiyous. Although the limestone formed about 190 million years ago, the cave itself is no older than a few million years. Valued as a tourist cave, the cavern also has scientific value; sections of the cave that are not on tour routes contain fossils of national importance.
Activities at the park include cave touring, hiking, photography, and wildlife viewing. One of the park trails leads through the forest to Big Tree, which at 13 feet (4.0 m) is the widest Douglas fir known in Oregon. Lodging and food are available at The Chateau and in Cave Junction. Camping is available in the preserve at the Cave Creek Campground, at a local USFS campground, and private sites in the area.
Source
Create an itinerary including Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve
© OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap contributors
Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve reviews
-
The visitor’s center was extremely helpful and knew what info to give to ensure a pleasant visit. The visitors center is located in town and the park itself is located further along the road up an... more »
-
One of the destinations that we wanted to see on our road trip. Very glad we made the time! We made a day out of it. Booked reservation prior to our trip for the discovery cave tour (there is also.... more »
Plan your trip to Cave Junction
Get a personalized trip
A complete day by day itinerary
based on your preferencesCustomize it
Refine your trip. We'll find the
best routes and schedulesManage it
Everything in one place.
Everyone on the same page.
Popular things to do in Cave Junction
Side trips from Cave Junction
Nearby attractions in Cave Junction
Wildlife in Cave Junction
Trips to Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve by other users
4 days in Gold Beach
BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES
Harris Beach State Park
Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve
The Mary D Hume
3 days in Brookings
BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES
Harris Beach State Park
McVay Rock State Recreation Site
Azalea Park
2 days in Central Point
BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES
Jacksonville Cemetery
Oregon Vortex
Ledger David Cellars
6 days in Cave Junction
BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES
Radar Station B-71
Gold Bluffs Beach
Taylor's Sausage Country Store
4 days in Gold Beach
BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES
Curry Historical Museum
Otter Point State Recreation Site
Prehistoric Gardens
5 days in Brookings
BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES
Azalea Park
Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve
Welcome to California