You’ll Travel Deep Inside A Mountain To Explore The Marble Halls Of Oregon

One of the best things about the Beaver State is that we have so many diverse places to explore. From thick, lush forests, to sandy beaches and rocky coastlines, to vast stretches of desert landscape, Oregon pretty much has it all. When was the last time you took a peek inside one of the caves in the state? At Oregon Caves National Monument, you can explore the famous Marble Halls. It's one of the most spectacular cave tours in Oregon. Take a look:

The Oregon Caves National Monument & Preserve covers 4,554 acres in the Siskiyou Mountains of southeastern Oregon. The park offers hiking, camping, dining, and wildlife viewing, but one of its most popular features is the marble cave.

The cave was first discovered in 1874, and in 1909 it was designated as the Oregon Caves National Monument by President Taft.

You can take a tour to see it up close! Tours are led by friendly, knowledgeable park rangers.

Before you take a tour, make sure you're up for the challenge. Exploring the cave requires you to bend and stoop as you navigate narrow, winding passages. You'll also traverse more than 500 steps along the way.

The park offers four different tours.

Take the 90-minute Discovery Tour, the kid-centered Kids and Family Cave tour, the three-hour Off-Trail Cave Tour, or the 60-minute Candlelight Discovery Tour, shown here.

During your tour, you'll see some of the incredible features of the cave, including these speleothem, which are often called "drapery."

The various stalactites and stalagmites here were formed from acidic water dripping onto the marble walls of the cave over many years.

The cave has an intricate system of passageways, which total 15,000 feet. During your tour, you'll explore many of them, and will even walk through the Belly of the Whale!

Cave tours are offered late March through early November. The schedule varies slightly throughout the season, so check the website to plan your trip.

Learn more about this unique place in Oregon on the Oregon Caves National Monument website, and check out its Facebook page. And be sure to take a look at 20 Oregon hidden gems that you also won't want to miss.

Have you visited? Tell our readers about your tour in the comments!