Walk Straight Through A Mountain On This Oregon Cavern Tour
By Sarah McCosham|Published September 03, 2021
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Sarah McCosham
Author
I write like it's my job - because it is! I have a Master's in English and love words: crossword puzzles, Scrabble games, Wordle, and, of course, good, old-fashioned books.
I'm a writer and editor at OnlyInYourState, and a contributing writer at Cincinnati Magazine. I love the Great Outdoors and am endlessly awestruck by this beautiful country of ours. Coffee keeps me going, yoga keeps me sane, my kids keep me grounded, and my writing keeps me inspired.
Deep within Oregon’s mysterious Siskiyou Mountains are dark, twisting passages just waiting to be explored. Oregon Caves National Monument is the culmination of eons of acidic water seeping into marble rock, which ultimately created one of the state’s greatest natural wonders. Known as the “Marble Halls of Oregon,” the Oregon Caves are a stunning spectacle that need to be on your Beaver State bucket list. And guess what? You can take a tour and explore both mountain *and* cavern — from the inside out!
Tucked within the wondrous Siskiyou Mountains of southwest Oregon, there is an expansive underworld just waiting to be discovered.
In 1874, Elijah Davidson was out hunting in the Siskiyou Mountains when his dog Bruno caught the scent of a black bear and chased it into a large hole in the mountainside.
Match after match brought Elijah deeper into the cave, until his last light burned out. But he kept going, eventually rescuing Bruno and making his way out of what's now known as the Oregon Caves.
The tour passes through the cavern's grand "ghost room" -- the largest known room of the cave system. It's a chilly 44 degrees in the cave, so definitely layer up!
Tours journey through several notable formations and features within the cave system, including speleothem, which are often called "drapery," as well as numerous stalactites and stalagmites.
