Discover one of the most highly decorated limestone caverns in North America. Camp, hike and experience amazing geologic wonders at Montana's first and best-known state park.
Stage II Fire Restrictions for Jefferson County County in the Helena Fire Restriction Area.
The following acts are prohibited until further notice:
Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire or campfire.
Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials.
The following acts are prohibited from 1:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.:
Operating any internal combustion engine.
Welding, or operating acetylene or other torch with open flame.
Using an explosive. (A patrol is required for two hours following cessation of all activities as identified in #3 above.)
Operating motorized vehicles off designated roads and trails.
Exemptions to the fire restrictions:
Persons with a written permit that specifically authorizes the otherwise prohibited act.
Persons using a device fueled solely by liquid petroleum or LPG fuels that can be turned on and off.
Operating motorized vehicles on designated roads and trails.Emergency repair of public utilities and railroads as per attached conditions.
Persons conducting activities in those designated areas where the activity is specifically authorized by written posted notice.
Any Federal, State, or local officer, or member of an organized rescue or firefighting force in the performance of an official duty.
All land within a city boundary is exempted.
Cave Gulch Trail is closed.
Help us conserve the bat population at Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park. White nose syndrome is a fungal disease, well established in the eastern portion of North America and recently found in the west. It does not affect humans, but has proven lethal to bats. If you have been to a cave or mine in the past two years, do not wear the same clothing, shoes or accessories as you wore there on our caverns tour. If it cannot be avoided (for example, eye glasses or shoes) please contact park staff the day of your visit in order to obtain a disinfecting wipe.
Seasons & Hours
Hours listed below are normal operating hours and may not apply when there is a special restriction or closure. Check Alerts and Closures in the tab below.
Park
Park and trails are open.
Cave Tours available May 28-Sept 30 (click here for more information)
Vistor Center
Open 10am-4pm, Wednesay-Sunday
Water
Available May 2 - Sept 30.
Showers & Comfort Station
May - September
About the Park
Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park features one of the largest known limestone caverns in the Northwest. Cave Tours are by guided tour only and will be offered May 28 – September 30th. Tickets will be available daily only on site from 9 am through 4:30 pm or until tickets are sold out; no reservations except for educational groups. Two tour types, the Classic Tour and the Paradise Tour will be offered.
Extra precautions are being taken for the park’s bat populations. While White Nose Syndrome (a fungal disease that affects bats but not humans) has reached Montana, Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park staff strive to decrease additional stressors that might affect bats such as exposure to Covid-19. Any visitor choosing to take the Classic Tour of the Cave will need to bring and wear a face mask just in the areas where the bat colony resides. Those needing to go mask-free can still see the cave by taking the Paradise Tour that visits portions of the cave where bats do not live.
Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park also features camping and trails to hike or bike, a state-of-the-art visitor center, interpretive displays, a gift shop, food and beverage concessions, amphitheater, and interpretive events presented during the summer months.
The park has a large campground with 40 campsites, a tipi, and three cabins, which you can reserve online, and a group camping area, which you must contact the park to reserve. There is a $5 charge to use the dump station.
The site encompasses 3,015 acres. The entry area is at an elevation of 4,300 feet and the caverns area is at an elevation of 5,300 feet.
Activities
Bicycling
Bird Watching
Camping
Canoeing
Deer Hunting
Fishing
Group Camping
Guided Cave Tours
Hiking
History
Hunting
Lewis And Clark
Nature
Photography
Picnicking
River Fishing
RV Camping
Tent Camping
Visitor Center
Wildlife Viewing
Amenities
Some amenities are seasonal. Check with the park for availability.
ADA Accessible
Camp Host*
Electricity
Established Fire Pits
Firewood for Sale
Gift Shop
Holiday Event
Interpretive Display
Maps
Parking
Pets Allowed (outdoors on a leash, not allowed in the caverns)
Picnic Shelter
Playground
Public Restroom
RV Dump Station*
RV Hookups
Shower*
Toilets (Flush)*
Toilets (Vault)
Tours*
Trash Removal
Water*
*Only available May-September
Events and Programs
2021 Recurring Events
Fridays May 28th-August 27th - Friday Summer Speakers Series
* Montana residents who pay the $9 state parks fee with their annual vehicle registration have no daily entrance fees to state parks. For residents who don't include this in their vehicle registration, non-resident day use fees apply.
Contact Information
Mailing Address:
Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park
PO Box 489
Whitehall, MT 59759
To keep our state parks safe and accessible to all, make sure you know before you go, practice physical distancing, plan ahead, play it safe, explore locally, leave no trace, respect wildlife, and do your part to build an inclusive outdoors.
Rhea Armstrong began working for Montana State Parks as a seasonal tour guide at Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park in 1986 while attending Western Montana College in Dillon majoring in Elementary Education. She continued working summers at the park throughout her teaching career, and in 2005, became the assistant manager. Rhea was promoted to Park Manager of Lost Creek, Anaconda Smoke Stack, and Granite Ghost Town State Parks in 2013.
CONTACT INFO Mailing Address:
Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park
PO Box 489
Whitehall, MT 59759
