Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park cave tour tickets can now be reserved in advance for the 2022 season. Starting June 1, visitors can reserve tickets for June 4 through Sept. 30 by visiting fwp.mt.gov/stateparks or by calling 1-855-922-6768.
Visitors are encouraged to visit fwp.mt.gov/stateparks frequently as tour options, times and availability may change throughout the season.
Beginning May 28, the upper visitor area will be open, and cave tours will be offered six days per week, Wednesday through Monday. Days of operation may expand later in the summer. The ticket office opens at 9 a.m., and the last tour departs at 4:30 p.m.
Both the Paradise and the Classic tours will be offered but in limited numbers, so purchasing tickets in advance is strongly recommended. The campground, trails, showers and comfort station are open now, and the dump station will reopen soon.
Paradise Tour
The Paradise Tour includes a view of the largest and most decorative room in the cave - the Paradise Room. This 1-mile tour lasts 90 minutes. It includes 15 stairs between two rooms, but the path is mostly level and partly wheelchair accessible. Because the paradise tour provides better accessibility and easier passage, this tour is recommended for anyone with small children, claustrophobia concerns or mobility challenges.
The Paradise Tour times will vary, depending on available staffing.
Tickets for the paradise tour are $10 for seniors ages 62 and older, $15 for visitors ages 15 to 61, $10 for kids ages 5 to 14, and free for anyone 4 or younger.
Classic tour
The classic tour features a 2-mile journey through the majority of the developed cave tour route, including the second-largest and longest rooms in the cave. This tour lasts for two hours and includes more than 600 stairs, stooping and tight squeezes. It is not recommended for small children, or visitors with mobility limitations or claustrophobia.
Bats occupy some rooms that are part of the Classic Tour. Bats can be susceptible to pathogens carried by people. To reduce risks to sensitive bat populations at the park, visitors will be asked to wear facemasks in rooms that contain bats.
The Classic Tour times will vary, depending on available staffing.
Tickets are $15 for visitors ages 15 and older, $10 for kids ages 5 to 14, and $5 for anyone 4 or younger.
Planning your visit
Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park features one of the most decorative limestone caverns in the Northwest, filled with spectacular stalactites, stalagmites, columns and helictites. The park also offers camping, trails to hike or bike, a state-of-the-art visitor center, interpretive displays, a gift shop, food and beverage concessions, an amphitheater, and interpretive events during the summer months.
An $8 entrance fee is required for visitors who are not residents of Montana. Residents of the state normally pay the fee with vehicle registration.
For more information about the park, please visit fwp.mt.gov/stateparks/lewis-and-clark-caverns or call 406-287-3541.