Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park

Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park protects one of the largest known limestone cave systems in the Northwest, in the hills above the Jefferson River about 50 miles west of Bozeman. The caves formed in tilted Madison Limestone and are full of stalactites, stalagmites and other formations. The park covers 3,015 acres; the entry area sits at 4,300 feet and the cave entrance at 5,300 feet.

Despite the name, Lewis and Clark never saw the cave. Their expedition camped within sight of the hills in 1805. Ranchers noticed steam rising from the opening in 1892. The site became a national monument in 1908, but the National Park Service gave it up in 1937, and in 1938 it became Montana's first state park. The Civilian Conservation Corps did much of the work that opened the cave to visitors.

The cave can only be visited on a guided tour, from May through September. The Classic Cave tour takes about two hours over 2 miles, with more than 100 stairs up and 500 down; it costs $15 for adults and seniors and $10 for ages 5 to 14, and children under 5 are not allowed. The easy tour is about 90 minutes on a mostly flat mile with about a dozen stairs, and is mostly wheelchair-accessible; it costs $15 for adults and $10 for youths and seniors. From Memorial Day to Labor Day you must reserve ahead, through the Montana State Parks booking site or at 1-855-922-6768. Arrive 30 minutes early. The cave is wet and slippery.

It is now off-season. Cave tours ended on September 30, the road to the upper visitor area is closed to vehicles from October 1 to April 30 (you can walk or bike it, but it is not maintained), and the visitor center is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily in October and November, then closed Mondays and Tuesdays from December through April. Candlelight tours ($25) run on dates still to be announced around December, and tickets go on sale online the Monday after Thanksgiving.

White-nose syndrome, deadly to bats, reached Montana in 2021. If you have been in another cave or mine in the past five years, do not wear the same clothes or shoes on the tour. Montana residents pay no entry fee; nonresidents pay $8 per vehicle.