Lewis and Clark Caverns

Lewis and Clark travelled the Jefferson River valley below in 1805 and the cave is named for them, though neither had any idea it existed - the naming was a later decision. It was found by local hunters in 1892 and became a national monument in 1908, then passed to Montana in 1937 and was declared the state's first state park in 1938. Civilian Conservation Corps crews built the trails, stairs and the tunnel used as an exit. The standard tour is about three kilometres and two hours, including the walk up to the entrance, and includes a section where visitors slide down a smoothed rock chute on their backsides. The cave holds bats and closes in winter for hibernation.

Highlights

• A cave named for men who never saw it - the naming came later.
• CCC-built stairs and tunnel - from the 1930s.
• A three-kilometre tour - about two hours, with many steps.
• A rock slide section - descended sitting down.

When to go

May to September; closed in winter for hibernating bats. Three hours.

What to expect

The walk up to the entrance is a steep climb before the cave even starts. Six hundred steps and tight sections rule it out for some. Tours are timed and sell out in summer. It closes for months each winter.

Nearby

Three Forks and the Missouri headwaters are east; Butte is west.

Key facts