WHITEHALL – Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park will once again host candlelight tours of the entire developed cave route.
This special event allows visitors to see and enjoy the caverns by the warm, festive glow of candle lanterns—the same way the first explorers viewed them. Participants must make a reservation and purchase tickets prior to their tour.
Tours will be offered from Dec. 20-22 and Dec. 27-29. The starting times of these tours will vary, depending on park staffing for the day.
Park staff will provide tour guides, candles, lanterns and hot drinks. The cost for this unique event is $25 for visitors ages 15 and older, and $15 for visitors ages 5 to 14. All participants must be at least 5 years of age. Nonresident visitors must pay an $8-per-vehicle entrance fee as they enter the park.
Tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis and must be purchased online or by phone starting Dec. 2 at 8 a.m. Mountain Standard Time. To purchase tickets, click here or call 1-855-922-6768. No tickets will be sold at the park visitor center.
What to expect
Candlelight tours follow the entire developed cave route, with a ¾-mile uphill walk on a potentially icy and snowy path to reach the cave entrance. Visitors must complete this within 30 minutes to be eligible for the tour. Participants are encouraged to be prepared for winter conditions on roads and trails at the park.
Walking the ¾-mile underground trail involves turning, bending, duck waddling and a slide. The first half will use the cave lights, and the second half will use the glow of candle lanterns. The tour provides an intimate look at cave formations, known as speleothems. Visitors will visit Decision Rock, the Cathedral Room, the Pit, Garden of the Gods, the Brown Waterfall Room and the Paradise Room. The tour concludes with a flat, half-mile walk back to the visitor center on a potentially icy or snowy path. The total walking distance is 2 miles.
During the tour, visitors will pass near hibernating bats. White-nose syndrome, a fungus that affects bats but not people, has reached Montana. Bat mortalities from the disease have exceeded 80 percent in some areas. Managers are requiring precautions from visitors to reduce additional stressors to this fragile cave resource. Visitors cannot bring any clothing or other items that have been to another cave or mine in the past five years.
All tours are by a trained guide. No self-guided tours are available. The cave has an average temperature of 50 degrees Fahrenheit and over 90 percent humidity year-round, regardless of outside weather. Most areas are dimly lit, and some are narrow and enclosed. Visitors should consider bringing a warm jacket, good walking shoes and bottled water. Pets, strollers, backpacks and purses are not allowed.
Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park is about 15 miles southeast of Whitehall, along Montana Highway 2. For more information about the park, click here or call 406-287-3541.
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