Montana State Parks :: Lewis & Clark Caverns

Lewis & Clark Caverns

STATE PARK

Camp, hike and experience amazing geologic wonders at Montana's first and best-known state park showcase of one of the most highly decorated limestone caverns in the Northwest.

SEASON AND HOURS
Park
Open all year, except closed Thanksgiving, Dec. 25 and Jan. 1

Visitor Center
Summer hours:
8:30 am - 5:00 pm daily
Open until 7pm in mid-summer
Fall and Winter hours:
8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Caverns Tours
Summer:
5/1 - 6/14: 9am - 4:30pm
6/15 - 8/19: 9am - 6:30pm
8/20 - 9/30: 9am - 4:30pm
Winter Candlelight Tours
Dec 15, 16, 21, 22, 29, 30
Winter tours last 2 hours and begin every 45 min from 9:30 am to 2:45 pm

Tours Cost
Summer: $10 for adults (12 yrs. and up), $5 for children (6 yrs. - 11 yrs.), 5 yrs. and under are free.
Winter Candlelight Tours: $15 for adults (12 yrs. and up), $8 for children (6 yrs. - 11 yrs.). Candlelight tours not recommended for 5 yrs. and under.

LOCATION
25 Lewis and Clark Caverns Rd.
Whitehall, MT 59759
Latitude/Longitude: (45.82289 / -111.85082)

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MT State Parks Guide

MEET THE PARK MANAGER
Photo of Lynette Kemp, Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park Manager

Lynette Kemp has a wealth of experience at Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park—she has worked there almost 20 years. Lynette began her career as a federal grain inspector in Texas, then served as a soil conservationist in New Mexico, an irrigation research assistant in Idaho and finally made it to Montana, where she worked five years with the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. Lynette is originally from Illinois and has a degree in Agronomy from the University of Arkansas.

CONTACT

CONTACT INFO
Mailing Address:
Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park
PO Box 489
Whitehall, MT 59759

Phone: 406-287-3541
Email: lkemp@mt.gov

Lewis & Clark Caverns

STATE PARK

Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park features one of the largest known limestone caverns in the Northwest. These spectacular caverns lined with stalactites, stalagmites, columns, and helictites are naturally air-conditioned and lighted for a safe and enjoyable visit with a seasoned tour guide. Kids have fun on the tour's famous Beaver Slide and an occasional bat sighting!

Summer tours of the caverns are available from May 1 - Sept. 30. Plan to spend about two hours to hike about two miles on the caverns' guided tour. Summer Cave Tours are $10 for adults (12 and up), $5 for children between the ages of 6 and 11, five and under are free.

The park also features camping and trails to hike or bike, a brand new visitor center, interpretive displays, a gift shop, food and beverage concessions, amphitheater, and ranger/interpretive programs presented during the summer months. The park has a large campground with 40 campsites, a tipi and three cabins.

The site encompasses 3,015 acres and the entry area is at an elevation of 4,300 feet and the caverns area is at an elevation of 5,300 feet.

Did explorers Lewis & Clark discover the caverns? They did not discover the caverns. The Corps of Discovery travelled within today's park boundaries but explorers Lewis & Clark and members of the expedition never set foot in the actual caverns. President Theodore Roosevelt used the name Lewis & Clark when he made the caverns a National Monument on the same day the Grand Canyon received this honor. Roosevelt named the site Lewis & Clark Cavern National Monument--recognizing the fact that it had been over 100 years since the famed Lewis & Clark Corps of Discovery expedition and nothing in the federal system had yet been named for them. The Grand Canyon went on to become a National Park while Lewis & Clark Caverns became Montana's first state park.

Activities Available