Question: Oregon Caves Shuttle

Anonymous asked, "Is there a shuttle available to visit the Oregon Caves while we are there?"

I've called around, and unless the Cycle Oregon folks are planning to provide one your options may be limited. (Update 9/7/09: There may be shuttles to the Caves... see the Cycle Oregon Forum posts here.)

I love the Oregon Caves. The place is thick with history, and if I had a magic wand the Chateau would be my personal writer's retreat in the mountains... but until I find that magic wand I settle for one of the old fashioned rooms (no tv, no phone) and sharing the place with everyone else staying there that night. It's one of the places I'd encourage my out-of-town friends to see...

Out of the box idea... A Day 6 "Layover" Adventure: What if you and a few friends prearranged a car rental in Grants Pass? Some companies will even come and pick you up. The drive from Grants Pass to Cave Junction takes about 35 minutes (30ish miles), and then the drive from Cave Juntion to the Oregon Caves is about another 30 minutes (20ish miles) (windy mountain road). Take a backpack with a picnic lunch, and after the Cave tour you can hang out in the forest above the cave (where the tour ends) and picnic...There are two paths back to the base from the end of the tour, and I usually take the longer one. You can also see if the Chateau is serving lunch (or dinner). If it's a really hot day, there is a creek fed pond behind the Chateau that is perfect for feet dangling or even more... but the water is very cold. Ask the Chateau staff for a mini-tour of the building, or -- if you have a group going with you -- call ahead and ask if you could arrange a group tour of the caves and the Chateau. In the past the staff has been delightful and amenable to requests.

I always, even in hot summer temps, bring a sweatshirt as a backup IN the cave... can feel very cold... 44 degrees, I think, all year.

Once you leave Cave Junction for the Oregon Caves, there are no gas stations and no stores.

Here are some car rental places in Grants Pass. I haven't used them. If you're a Costco member, try to book through their "TRAVEL" tab on Costco.com. I've found great deals there once in a while...

Enterprise Rent-A-Car - Grants Pass - http://www.enterprise.com/
1325 Ne 7Th St, Grants Pass - (541) 471-7800

Discount Rent-A-Car - 1470 NE 7th St, Grants Pass - (541) 471-6411

Budget Rent-A-Car: Grants Pass - 825 NE ""F"" St - http://www.budgettruck.com/
825 NE ""F"" St, Grants Pass - (541) 471-6311

Oregon Caves Information:
National Park Service -- http://www.nps.gov/orca/index.htm
The Chateau at Oregon Caves -- http://ivcdo.projecta.com/sectionindex.asp?sectionid=2

If you miss it on this trip... think about putting it on your list of things to do when you come back.

Hope this helps. Drive safe. Have fun!