Oregon Caves National Monument & Preserve
Deep within the Siskiyou Mountains are dark, twisting passages that await your discovery. Eons of acidic water seeping into marble rock created and decorated the wondrous “Marble Halls of Oregon.” Join a tour, get a taste of what caving is all about, and explore a mountain from the inside and out!
Alerts
- InformationNPS ↗Major road construction on Hwy 199
Travelers using Highway 199 between Crescent City and Cave Junction should expect multiple traffic delays beginning as early as May due to ongoing Caltrans construction. For the most current delay and closure information—including upcoming four‑hour full closures—please check the Caltrans District 1 Road Information Bulletin for updates and follow their social media channels.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedPatterson Rx
43 mi from the park's reference point
Within 50 miles, as of 2026-10-14. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Check the park's alerts and the managing office before you drive.
Fees & passes
Free. No entrance fee here. The tours below are the exception.
| Type | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Tours & reservations | ||
| Discovery Cave Tour ↗Mar–Nov | $20 | |
| Candlelight Cave Tour ↗May–Sep | $20 | |
| Kids & Family Cave TourJun–Sep | $20 | |
The National Park Service does not collect an entrance fee at this park, but the cave itself is only accessible by guided tour. The America the Beautiful Annual and Military Passes do not apply to tour fees. The America the Beautiful ACCESS and SENIOR Passes provide a 50% discount on all applicable tours, but the discount applies only to the cardholder.
The National Park Service does not collect an entrance fee at this park, but the cave itself is only accessible by guided tour. Reservations are recommended but not required. During summer months long wait times and sell outs may occur.
Hours
| Spring hours | Varies by day ▾
|
| Summer Hours | Daily · 9:30AM - 5:00PM |
| Fall Hours | Daily · 9:30AM - 5:00PM |
Summer Hours: hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow | 9:30AM - 5:00PM |
| May 7 to Oct 1, 20277-day operation | 9:30AM - 5:00PM |
When to go
July draws the most visits here and February the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Campgrounds
| Cave Creek Campground | 17 sites | |
| $20 a night · Closed May 24 to Sep 30 | ||
Every campground here has its own page on Campsite Atlas, with site counts, hookups, rig limits and booking windows. All of them on one page → How park camping works
Visitor centers
- Illinois Valley Visitor CenterPassport stamp
The center provides information about the area, including up to the moment cave tour information at the Oregon Caves National Monument & Preserve. Same day tickets for cave tours are available at the center. Afternoon wait times can be long in the summer.
- Oregon Caves Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
Located at the Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve; cave tour tickets, park store, exhibits and park information are available here.
No webcams, no things to do or events in Park Service data. What is here comes from the official page. The rest lives there.
Checked nightly. Modules appear as soon as the Park Service publishes the data.
Explore
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
On the National Register nearby
- Cedar Guard Station No. 1019Building · Cave Junction · 4.1 mi
- Logan Wash DitchStructure · Cave Junction · 11.4 mi
- Logan Drain DitchesStructure · Cave Junction · 11.8 mi
- Logan CutStructure · Cave Junction · 12.3 mi
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Forest Service trails nearby
These trails are outside the park on National Forest land, within 15 miles of Oregon Caves. Each one opens on Trailhead Atlas.
Distance is measured from the park's reference point to the nearer end of the trail.
Guidebooks for the Pacific Northwest
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Seen this monthRuffed Grouse 1× · Fox Sparrow 1×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist
Full checklist: 116 birds, 50 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsGreat Gray Owl · Western screech-owl · american kestrel · bald eagle · cooper's hawk · flammulated owl · golden eagle · great horned owl · long-eared owl · northern pygmy-owl · northern saw-whet owl · northern spotted owl · red-tailed hawk · sharp-shinned hawk · turkey vulture
Shorebirds & seabirdsStilt Sandpiper
Gamebirds & dovesBand-tailed Pigeon · Sooty Grouse · blue grouse · california quail · mountain quail · mourning dove · rock dove · ruffed grouse
WoodpeckersAcorn Woodpecker · downy woodpecker · hairy woodpecker · lewis' woodpecker · northern flicker · pileated woodpecker · red-breasted sapsucker · red-naped sapsucker · white-headed woodpecker · williamson's sapsucker
Hummingbirds & swiftsAllen's Hummingbird · Calliope Hummingbird · anna's hummingbird · rufous hummingbird · vaux's swift
Also on the checklistAmerican goldfinch · Audubon's warbler · Black-capped chickadee · Brewer's blackbird · Cassin's vireo · Cassin’s Finch · Cedar Waxwing · Hammond's flycatcher · Hermit Warbler · Lesser goldfinch · MacGillivray's Warbler · Mallard · Nashville Warbler · New Name · Northern Waterthrush · Pacific wren · Pacific-slope flycatcher · Pine Siskin · Purple finch · Townsend's Warbler · Wilson's Warbler · Wrentit · Yellow-rumped warbler · american crow · american dipper · american robin · baird's sparrow · black-headed grosbeak · black-throated gray warbler · brown creeper · bullock's oriole · bushtit · chestnut-backed chickadee · chipping sparrow · clark's nutcracker · common nighthawk · common poorwill · common raven · cordilleran flycatcher · dark-eyed junco · dusky flycatcher · european starling · evening grosbeak · fox sparrow · golden-crowned kinglet · golden-crowned sparrow · gray jay · green-tailed towhee · hermit thrush · house sparrow · house wren · hutton's vireo · lazuli bunting · mountain bluebird · mountain chickadee · northern goshawk · olive-sided flycatcher · orange-crowned warbler · red crossbill · red-breasted nuthatch · ruby-crowned kinglet · savannah sparrow · solitary vireo · song sparrow · spotted towhee · steller's jay · swainson's thrush · townsend's solitaire · varied thrush · violet-green swallow · warbling vireo · western bluebird · western tanager · western wood pewee · white-breasted nuthatch · white-crowned sparrow · willow flycatcher
Small mammalsBotta's pocket gopher · California ground squirrel · Douglas ground squirrel · Douglas' squirrel · Flying Squirrel · Golden-mantled ground squirrel · Long-tailed vole · Meadow mouse · Mountain Beaver · Mountain Cottontail · Ocherous yellow pine chipmunk · Pacific jumping mouse · Porcupine · Red tree vole · Shrew-mole · Townsend's vole · Trowbridge's shrew · Vagrant shrew · Western red-backed vole · bushy-tailed woodrat · california vole · dusky-footed woodrat · fog shrew · montane vole · mountian beaver · siskiyou chipmunk · snow mole · snowshoe hare · tawney-mounted ground squirrel · western gray squirrel
PredatorsCalifornia striped skunk · Ermine · Long-tailed weasel · Marten · North American River Otter · Northwestern Bobcat · Oregon Spotted Skunk · Red fox · black bear · common gray fox
Hoofed mammalsColumbian black-tailed deer
BatsBig Brown Bat · California Bat · Little brown bat · Long-Eared Bat · Silver-haired bat · Townsend's big-eared bat · fringed myotis
Also on the checklistCalifornia Ring-tailed Cat · New Name
Activities
Activity guides for this park Birdwatching in the national parks · Camping in the national parks · Hiking in the national parks · Wildlife watching in the national parks
Weather & climate
For current weather conditions visit https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=42.07376224008719&lon=-123.3984375&site=mfr&smap=1&unit=0&lg=en&FcstType=text#.YCGJRWhKjIV
Questions people ask
Does Oregon Caves charge an entrance fee?
No. Oregon Caves is free to enter, though some tours and ticketed sites inside charge separately.
Source: National Park Service
Do I need a reservation to enter Oregon Caves?
The National Park Service does not collect an entrance fee at this park, but the cave itself is only accessible by guided tour. Reservations are recommended but not required.
Source: Timed entry, by park
What are the hours at Oregon Caves?
Standard hours are 9:30AM - 5:00PM on Sunday, Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and it is closed on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Source: National Park Service
Can I camp in Oregon Caves?
Yes. The Park Service lists 1 campground in Oregon Caves: Cave Creek. 1 takes reservations through Recreation.gov.
Do any Oregon Caves campgrounds have hookups or showers?
No. None of the 1 listed campgrounds report showers, electric hookups, or a dump station.
Source: Campgrounds
When do Oregon Caves campgrounds close for the season?
Cave Creek is closed May 24 to Sep 30.
Source: Campgrounds
Is anything closed at Oregon Caves right now?
1 active alert as of October 14, 2026: Major road construction on Hwy 199.
Source: Alerts
How busy is Oregon Caves?
64,354 recreation visits in 2025, number 246 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is Oregon Caves good for stargazing?
Yes. Oregon Caves is a certified International Dark Sky Park.
Source: Dark sky parks
When was Oregon Caves established?
1909. It covers about 7.1 square miles.
Source: Wikipedia
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
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