Oregon Caves

https://www.nps.gov/orca https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon_Caves_National_Monument_and_Preserve Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve is a protected area in the northern Siskiyou Mountains of southwestern Oregon in the United States. 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. 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. 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! Take 199 to Cave Junction, Oregon. Turn onto OR-46 (a Chevron gas station is on the corner). Follow OR-46 for 20 miles to the Monument and Preserve. Illinois Valley Visitor Center The center provides information about the area, including up to the moment cave tour information at the Oregon Caves National Monument. Same day tickets for cave tours are available at the center Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day. Afternoon wait times can be long in the summer. Buying tickets before driving to the park can save a lot of time and hassle. (Reservations can be bought up to one day in advance of the day of visit on Recreation.gov.) In Cave Junction, from Highway 199 coming from either direction, turn onto Highway 46 (Caves Highway). A Chevron gas station is located on the corner where you turn. The Illinois Valley Visitor Center is located 300 feet up the road on the right. Oregon Caves Visitor Center Located at the Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve; cave tour tickets, bookstore, exhibits and park information is available here. Cave Creek Campground Sleep under the boughs of an old growth forest beside Cave Creek. This campground is located 15 miles up Highway 46 from Cave Junction and just four miles from the cave entrance. The campground has fire rings, water and vault toilets. The spaces are too small for large RVs or trailers and no pull through sites. The campground offers 17 sites available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Maximum vehicle length: 20 feet. Campsite Fee 10.00 Sites include tent space, grills, tables and a small paved parking spot. Pit toilets and water are located throughout the campground. 5 of the sites can accommodate RV's up to 20'. There are no individual hookups or electricity available. Please only park on pavement, and keep your campsite clean to avoid bears. The camping fee is per night and limited to 14 days. Family enjoying Cave Creek Campground Family sitting around a campfire at Cave Creek Campground Family sitting around a campfire at Cave Creek Campground Cave Creek Campgound Camp Site Campsite nestled amongst the trees at Cave Creek Campground Cave Creek Campgound Campsite Campground Day Use Area Cave Creek Campgound Day Use Area Cave Creek Campgound Day Use Area Milller's Chapel Miller's Chapel at Oregon Caves Miller's Chapel at Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve Mountain Meadows at Bigelow Lakes Mountain Meadows at Bigelow Lakes Mountain Meadows at Bigelow Lakes at Oregon Caves National Preserve Banana Grove formations Cave speliothems Speliothems in the Banana Grove room, Oregon Caves. Speleothems Flowstone and drapery in a dome pit Paradise Lost California Groundcone Curious about the California groundcone in Oregon and California? Explore its natural history in this edition of our monthly “Featured Creature,” brought to you by the Klamath Inventory and Monitoring Network. Purple groundcone standing next to similar looking Douglas-fir cone. Carpenter Ant Curious about carpenter ants? Explore their natural history in this edition of our monthly “Featured Creature,” brought to you by the Klamath Inventory and Monitoring Network. close up photo of carpenter ant Pileated Woodpecker Curious about the pileated woodpecker in Oregon and California? Explore its natural history in this edition of our monthly “Featured Creature,” brought to you by the Klamath Inventory and Monitoring Network. Face and front of a woodpecker, with black body, red crest, and small blue berry in its beak. Wildland Fire in Douglas Fir: Western United States Douglas fir is widely distributed throughout the western United States, as well as southern British Columbia and northern Mexico. Douglas fir is able to survive without fire, its abundantly-produced seeds are lightweight and winged, allowing the wind to carry them to new locations where seedlings can be established. Close-up of Douglas fir bark and needles. NPS Geodiversity Atlas—Oregon Caves National Monument & Preserve, Oregon Each park-specific page in the NPS Geodiversity Atlas provides basic information on the significant geologic features and processes occurring in the park. Links to products from Baseline Geologic and Soil Resources Inventories provide access to maps and reports. cave formations Pacific Poison Oak Curious about Pacific poison oak in southern Oregon and northern California? Explore its natural history in this edition of our monthly “Featured Creature,” brought to you by the Klamath Inventory and Monitoring Network. A dense thicket of wavy edged, green leaves with some smaller, shiny, reddish leaves in the center. Checking Oregon Caves' Vital Signs In 2012, the Klamath Inventory and Monitoring Network—a small team of NPS scientists—began monitoring natural resources, called "vital signs," in Oregon Caves and nearby parks. Vital signs indicate park health and serve as red flags if conditions deteriorate. Results from monitoring these vital signs support park managers’ efforts to make science-based management decisions. Learn about the NPS Inventory and Monitoring Division and its work in Oregon Caves. Marble cave walls with brownish white layers. Giant Water Bug Curious about giant water bugs in Oregon and California? Explore their natural history in this edition of our monthly “Featured Creature,” brought to you by the Klamath Inventory and Monitoring Network.” Brown, flattened but with many whitish, columnar eggs attached to its back. Anna's Hummingbird Curious about the Anna's hummingbird in southern Oregon and northern California? Explore its natural history in this edition of our monthly “Featured Creature,” brought to you by the Klamath Inventory and Monitoring Network. Small, green hummingbird with narrow bill and iridescent rose-colored feathers on throat and crown. White Alder Curious about the white alder in Oregon and California? Explore its natural history in this edition of our monthly “Featured Creature,” brought to you by the Klamath Inventory and Monitoring Network. Oval, dark green and ridged leaves of a white alder, with small, round, cone-like female catkins. Actinobacteria Curious about Actinobacteria in southern Oregon and northern California caves? Explore their natural history in this edition of our monthly “Featured Creature,” brought to you by the Klamath Inventory and Monitoring Network. golden-brown interior cave wall with person wearing helmet and cave clothing crouched at its base Pacific Border Province The Pacific Border straddles the boundaries between several of Earth's moving plates on the western margin of North America. This region is one of the most geologically young and tectonically active in North America. The generally rugged, mountainous landscape of this province provides evidence of ongoing mountain-building. Drakes Estero in Point Reyes National Seashore. NPS photo/Sarah Codde Orange Sulphur Curious about the orange sulphur butterfly in southern Oregon and northern California? Explore its natural history in this edition of our monthly "Featured Creature," brought to you by the Klamath Inventory and Monitoring Network. Yellowish-orange butterfly with dark band along the wing edges perches with wings open. Ruffed Grouse Curious about the ruffed grouse in southern Oregon and northern California? Explore its natural history in this edition of our monthly “Featured Creature,” brought to you by the Klamath Inventory and Monitoring Network. Grouse with reddish brown and white mottling and streaking, a head crest and a dark tail band. UV-C Light Could Control White-Nose Syndrome, but First Let’s Ask the Cave Biota White-nose syndrome causes bats to wake up more frequently during hibernation, wasting precious fat reserves, which often leads to starvation. With the fungus that causes it having spread to the West Coast, Klamath Inventory & Monitoring Network scientists and park staff are checking the health of local bat populations and collaborating with researchers to find a treatment before it potentially turns up at the network’s two cave parks: Oregon Caves NM and Lava Beds NM. Brazilian freetailed bat under UV light. Evaluating Wild and Scenic River Eligibility Using Stream Monitoring Data What does it take to become part of the Wild and Scenic Rivers system? Among other things, a stretch of river must contain exceptional recreation, scenery, fisheries, wildlife, or other “Outstandingly Remarkable Values.” Klamath Network monitoring data may help to determine this for streams in the recently expanded Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve. People examine a narrow, rocky creek surrounded by lush greenery. Series: National Park Service Geodiversity Atlas The servicewide Geodiversity Atlas provides information on <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/geology/geoheritage-conservation.htm">geoheritage</a> and <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/geology/geodiversity.htm">geodiversity</a> resources and values all across the National Park System to support science-based management and education. The <a href="https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1088/index.htm">NPS Geologic Resources Division</a> and many parks work with National and International <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/geology/park-geology.htm">geoconservation</a> communities to ensure that NPS abiotic resources are managed using the highest standards and best practices available. park scene mountains Series: Physiographic Provinces Descriptions of the physiographic provinces of the United States, including maps, educational material, and listings of Parks for each. George B. Dorr, founder of Acadia National Park Whiteleaf Manzanita Curious about whiteleaf manzanita (Arctostaphylos viscida) in southern Oregon and central to northern California? Explore its natural history in this edition of our monthly “Featured Creature,” brought to you by the Klamath Inventory and Monitoring Network. cluster of oval, gray-green leaves on branches, with reddish, berries that look like little apples Electrified Cat's Tail Moss Curious about electrified cat's tail moss in southern Oregon and northern California? Explore its natural history in this edition of our monthly “Featured Creature,” brought to you by the Klamath Inventory and Monitoring Network. Electrified cat’s tail moss in its dominant, gametophyte form. Douglas's Squirrel Curious about the Douglas's squirrel in southern Oregon and northern California? Explore its natural history in this edition of our monthly “Featured Creature,” brought to you by the Klamath Inventory and Monitoring Network. Medium-sized squirrel with tawny belly, gray back, whitish eye ring, and tufts on ears, in a tree. Scientist Profile: Alice Chung-MacCoubrey, Biologist and I&M Program Manager Meet Alice Chung-MacCoubrey, ecologist and program manager for the Klamath Inventory & Monitoring Network! Discover how Alice followed her passion for wildlife and the outdoors to the National Park Service Inventory & Monitoring Program, and learn about her work studying bats. Biologist holds bat with gloved hands. Dragon Cladonia Curious about dragon cladonia lichen in southern Oregon and northern California? Explore its natural history in this edition of our monthly “Featured Creature,” brought to you by the Klamath Inventory and Monitoring Network. Pale green cluster of secondary vegetative growth with brown round discs on top of moss. Blanket Cave National Youth Park—Activity Enjoy a fun activity and learn about caves even when you can't get out to a park. In this activity you will build your own cave and learn how to make it like a "real" natural cave. Find out about cave formations and wildlife, and how to be safe and care for caves. New "Blanket Cave National Youth Parks" are springing up all across America! Join the fun! cartoon drawing of a childs and a park ranger exploring a cave Bigleaf Maple Curious about the bigleaf maple in southern Oregon and northern California? Explore its natural history in this edition of our monthly “Featured Creature,” brought to you by the Klamath Inventory and Monitoring Network. Lush ferns and mosses grow on the trunk of a large maple tree. Vaux's Swift Curious about the Vaux's swift in southern Oregon and northern California? Explore its natural history in this edition of our monthly “Featured Creature,” brought to you by the Klamath Inventory and Monitoring Network. A small, pale brown, cigar-shaped bird with narrow, pointed wings, in flight. Coast Douglas-fir Curious about Douglas-fir in southern Oregon and northern California? Explore its natural history in this edition of our monthly "Featured Creature," brought to you by the Klamath Inventory and Monitoring Network. Six people in front of a very large Douglas-fir at Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve. Pacific Madrone Curious about Pacific madrone in southern Oregon and northern California? Explore its natural history in this edition of our monthly "Featured Creature," brought to you by the Klamath Inventory and Monitoring Network. Close up Pacific madrone bark Oregon Grape Curious about Oregon grape in southern Oregon? Explore its natural history in this edition of our monthly "Featured Creature," brought to you by the Klamath Inventory and Monitoring Network. Bright green, shiny leaves of a tall Oregon grape with a cluster of round blue-black berries. Tree Lungwort Curious about tree lungwort in northern California and southern Oregon? Explore its natural history in this edition of our monthly "Featured Creature," brought to you by the Klamath Inventory and Monitoring Network. Close of of tree lungwort's upper and lower surfaces American Black Bear Curious about the American black bear in southern Oregon and northern California? Explore its natural history in this edition of our monthly “Featured Creature,” brought to you by the Klamath Inventory and Monitoring Network. Black-colored black bear with a dandelion in its mouth. Agnes Baker-Pilgrim Before her death on November 27, 2019 at the age of 95, Agnes Baker-Pilgrim was the oldest living member of the Takelma Tribe.1 Better known as Grandma Aggie, Baker-Pilgrim was deeply committed to her role as a tribal elder. Woman with gray hair speaking into a microphone in front of black background The Klamath Kaleidoscope: Fall-Winter 2021 In this issue of the Klamath Kaleidoscope, we share news of the newly published geologic type section inventory of Klamath Network parks, the latest results from white-nose syndrome monitoring in bats, our new data workflow system, updates from 2021 vital signs monitoring, and recent publications. We also highlight news about Klamath Network people, including Addis Gonzalez, Sean Mohren, Sonya Daw, Jennifer Chenoweth, and Elizabeth Raynal. Kaleidoscope image of a flower and other natural scenes. Sugar Pine Curious about the sugar pine tree in southern Oregon and northern California? Explore its natural history in this edition of our monthly “Featured Creature,” brought to you by the Klamath Inventory and Monitoring Network. Long brown pine cone. Changing Patterns of Water Availability May Change Vegetation Composition in US National Parks Across the US, changes in water availability are altering which plants grow where. These changes are evident at a broad scale. But not all areas experience the same climate in the same way, even within the boundaries of a single national park. A new dataset gives park managers a valuable tool for understanding why vegetation has changed and how it might change in the future under different climate-change scenarios. Green, orange, and dead grey junipers in red soil, mountains in background Common Snowberry Curious about the common snowberry in southern Oregon and northern California? Explore its natural history in this edition of our monthly “Featured Creature,” brought to you by the Klamath Inventory and Monitoring Network. Round pinkish-white berries grow along a slender stem. Clouded Salamander Curious about the clouded salamander in southern Oregon and northern California? Explore its natural history in this edition of our monthly “Featured Creature,” brought to you by the Klamath Inventory and Monitoring Network. Small brownish gray salamander with a gold stripe on the top of its tail. Trogloraptor Curious about Trogloraptor in southern Oregon and northern California? Explore its natural history in this edition of our monthly “Featured Creature,” brought to you by the Klamath Inventory and Monitoring Network spider against white background Jumping Spider Curious about the jumping spider in southern Oregon and northern California? Explore its natural history in this edition of our monthly “Featured Creature,” brought to you by the Klamath Inventory and Monitoring Network. front view of jumping spider Common Green Darner Curious about common green darner in southern Oregon and northern California? Explore its natural history in this edition of our monthly “Featured Creature,” brought to you by the Klamath Inventory and Monitoring Network. Two large dragonflies, connected head to tail. Greenish brown one has tail in water. Harvestman Curious about Taracus silvestrii in southern Oregon and northern California? Explore its natural history in this edition of our monthly “Featured Creature,” brought to you by the Klamath Inventory and Monitoring Network. Taracus silvestrii in tray Calypso Orchid Curious about Calypso orchid in southern Oregon and northern California? Explore its natural history in this edition of our monthly “Featured Creature,” brought to you by the Klamath Inventory and Monitoring Network. Two purple orchid flowers growing next to each other. Tailed Frog Curious about tailed frogs in southern Oregon and northern California? Explore its natural history in this edition of our monthly “Featured Creature,” brought to you by the Klamath Inventory and Monitoring Network. Two tailed frogs sitting side by side Series: Women's History in the Pacific West - Columbia-Pacific Northwest Collection Biographies of women from parks in Washington, Oregon Idaho and far western Montana Map of Washington, Oregon and Idaho The Klamath Kaleidoscope: Fall-Winter 2022 In this issue of the Klamath Kaleidoscope, we share an article about the rocky intertidal community, as well as news about post-Dixie Fire monitoring, the upcoming Klamath Conversations gathering, vital sign monitoring this past year, and recent publications. We also highlight news about Klamath Network people, including Sean Smith’s departure, Sonya Daw’s award, intern Sarah Gwynn’s experience, and where our 2011 intern, Shadassa Ourshalimian, has landed in his career. Kaleidoscope of nature images. Travel Blog: Oregon Caves National Monument & Preserve Writing Prompt: Travel Blog written by Sarah Desmarais for "A Day in the Life of a Fellow" Article Series. Sarah is a NPS Workforce Management Fellow, in partnership with Northwest Youth Corps ORCA - Cave/Karst Systems