NPS Website; Local Website
WHAT IS IT?A marble cave system located along a fault line in the Oregon Coast Range Mountains.
BEAUTY (7/10)
The standard cave formations that constitute the world below at Oregon Caves NM are much less impressive than the world above. Douglas Firs and Pacific Madrones line the steep sides of the Oregon Coast Range encasing its valleys in rich green hues. As the horizon deepens, the Mountains drift rightward on the color spectrum becoming multiple lightning shades of blue until they disappear into the crystal sky above.
HISTORICAL INTEREST (2/10)
Humorous anecdotes but little history. Our favorite anecdote involved our most corpulent President, William H. Taft. Taft proclaimed the Park a National Monument in 1909. He became convinced of the Cave’s beauty and significance through photographs, poetry and stories but not through personal visitation. Why was that, you may be wondering? Because Taft was too large to fit through the Cave’s narrow passages.
CROWDS (7/10)
We are always enchanted by the moment of darkness. If you have ever been on a Cave Tour you know what we are talking about. It’s the moment when the Tour Guide says, “Everybody turn off your lights, stand still and be quiet.” Then they turn off the cavern’s artificial light and you are standing in absolute darkness. That moment always elicits oohs, aahs, quiet shrieks, pangs of terror, unseen intimacies between couples and smiles all around.
EASE OF USE/ACCESS (2/5)
Take U.S. Route 199 to the aptly named town of Cave Junction. Cave Junction is 40 miles southwest of Interstate 5 at Grants Pass, Oregon and 55 miles northeast of Crescent City, California and Redwoods NSP.
From Cave Junction, take Oregon Route 46 east for 20 miles. The road ends at the Park Site. The 20-mile drive will take about 45 minutes; the last 8 miles are very twisty.
CONCESSIONS/BOOKSTORE (5/5)
The Oregon Caves NM is home to a six-story rustic lodge, aptly named the Chateau. We did not expect this remote and little known Oregon park to be home to a National Parks Lodge. Unlike the Lodges at Yellowstone NP, Yosemite NP, Zion NP, Glacier NP, etc… the Chateau is not owned and run by an anonymous resort corporation. The Chateau is locally owned by the Oregon Caves Outfitters. The Chateau’s dining room features foods grown in the area by small farmers. As their menu boasts, “In a world of corporate uniformity and increasing globalization we strive to bring you a uniquely local experience.”
The Chateau Gift Shop continues with the same theme. It features affordably priced crafts, woodworkings, arts, dishware and more done exclusively by Oregon artists. Good stuff all around. The actual Park bookstore seems to be in the process of remodeling. There are not a lot of books here and even the bat titles were scant.
COSTS (4/5)Cave Tours are $8 per person or free! with the National Parks Pass. After our Oregon Caves NM visit, we have been to all six NPS cave sites. Oregon Caves NM is the only one that honors the NP Pass with a free tour.
RANGER/GUIDE TO TOURIST RATIO (5/5)
The Park either had a lot of Rangers or utilized them with magician-like efficiency. Look left, poof, there’s a Ranger giving a tour. Look right, poof, there’s a Ranger giving a talk under the old Oak Tree. Look up, poof, there’s a Ranger repelling down the Visitor Center roof. OK, that last one isn’t true.
Cave tours leave every 15 minutes during the crowded summer months and are limited to 16 people. The Ranger gives everyone full attention. The aforementioned Oak Tree talks run once an hour. There were 8(!) Ranger talks the day of our visit, independent of the Cave Tours.
TOURS/CLASSES (7/10)
Our AAA book for Oregon told us that Oregon Caves was a popular destination and that we may need to wait a few hours for an available tour. Arrive early, the publication suggested.
We reached the entrance of the Site at 11:55 am. We were handed tickets to the 12:15 tour. Tours were leaving every 15 minutes, not every 30, as was posted. How often are there more tours than expected at an NPS site? On our travels, this is a first.
Tours are Ranger-led and limited to 16 people. Because of the physical demands of creeping through the cave, all participants must be 42 inches or taller. But fear not, munchkins. Special family/small child tours are arranged upon request. All you have to do is ask.
If you’d rather not venture into the dark and damp confines of the cave, there are Ranger talks given outside of the VC every hour. Shaded benches underneath large trees are the perfect spot for a Ranger talk or a picnic lunch, or for a picnic lunch while listening to a Ranger talk. We saw numerous families take advantage of this locale. Oregon Caves NM is a very visitor-friendly attraction.
FUN (7/10)It was all gravy once we learned that the National Parks Pass covered the Cave Tour entry fee. They could have showed us anything and we would have been happy. We did not expect to be overwhelmed by the cave’s interior beauty and we weren’t. In fact, the most exciting part about the cave was not a stalactite, stalagmite or any type of formation. When standing in the cave’s biggest room, you are under an earthquake fault line. You can see where two massive geological bodies come together here. From the inside! Do any other cave tours offer an insider’s look at plate tectonics?
WOULD WE RECOMMEND? (7/10)
Oregon Caves NM’s forte is not the cave itself, but the hard working and knowledgeable staff, the charming rustic lodge and the gorgeous Oregon coastal range scenery. If you are looking to be amazed by a vast and exquisite subterranean world, this Site isn’t it. If you want a pleasant day in a beautiful setting, a fascinating geology lesson, a cool respite from the summer heat and a nice dinner in a cozy National Parks Lodge setting, then Oregon Caves NM will suit you well.
TOTAL 53/80
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