Oregon Caves National Monument Introduction

Oregon Caves National Monument offers opportunities to explore a marble cave, as well as hike trails through ancient forests. Oregon Caves is located in Southern Oregon, near the California State border, in the Siskiyou Mountains. This region has among the country’s highest biodiversities per acre. The high rate of biodiversity is due to the diverse temperatures, moisture regimes, climates, and bedrock that make up the various habitats in the area.

There is a unique interaction of ecosystems at Oregon Caves National Monument between the old-growth forest above ground and the cave system below. These ecosystems blur in the area of the cave near its opening to the forest, resulting in a deep connection between the forest and the cave. This is especially true for species such as mosses that still depend on photosynthesis and for animals such as bats and woodrats that depend on the forest for food.

Tours of Oregon Caves
Cave tours are seasonal and are offered late March through the end of November. Tours are considered moderately strenuous and children must be 42 inches tall to go on the cave tour.

Hiking Trails
Oregon Caves National Monument also has several hiking trails through the old-growth forest. Trails pass by waterfalls and the widest Douglas fir tree known to exist in Oregon.

Climate
The Monument is located at an elevation of 4,000 feet on the wooded slopes of the Siskiyou Mountains, part of the coastal mountain range of Oregon and California. When you visit, expect comfortable summer temperatures, snowy winters, and rain during spring and fall.

Interesting Fact
The marble rocks of Oregon Caves were once a tropical reef that was pushed under the continental edge to a depth of 12 miles and then uplifted to 4,000 feet above sea level.

More information
See the Oregon Caves National Monument website for more information.