Oregon Caves National Monument

The Oregon Caves Chateau is on the National Register of Historic Landmarks.

Snowshoeing on the Big Tree Trail.

The bananna grove was named for its calcite formations that resemble bunches of banannas.

Beneath the Siskiyou Mountains are labyrinths of cave passages, formed when groundwater dissolved and shaped the marble bedrock.

Visitors can explore the monument’s grounds year-round, and cave tours are offered from mid-March to late November.

The cave tour route is just over a half-mile in length and involves walking through narrow passages and climbing up and down over 500 steps. For safety reasons, children must be 42 inches tall to tour the caves.

Above ground, there are five miles of trails with many more in the surrounding Siskiyou National Forest. Visitors can walk among old-growth Douglas and White fir trees and view birds and wildlife.

There is lodging and dining available at the monument’s Chateau, a National Historic Landmark, from early May into mid-October.

The Siskiyou National Forest operates two campgrounds nearby from mid-June through early September.

A fee is charged for cave tours, but not for entrance to the monument.

The monument is 20 miles southeast of Cave Junction. Parts of the access road are narrow and winding and are not recommended for trailers.

To reach the monument, follow Hwy. 199 from Grants Pass, Oregon (Interstate 5) or Crescent City, California (Hwy. 101) to Cave Junction. Turn south on Hwy. 46 (a Chevron station is on the corner) and follow this road for 20 miles east to the monument. Parking in the summer is limited. Travelers are advised to get to the monument early, between 8:30 and 10 a.m.