Lewis and Clark Caverns - Montana
Lewis and Clark Caverns location map
Lewis and Clark Caverns location map

On August 1, 1997 I visited the Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park in Montana. I arrived at the caverns about 1 p.m. and took the two mile two hour tour. More information here.

Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park features one of the largest known limestone caverns in the Northwest.

Native Americans have known about the caverns for hundreds of years, and they are mentioned in Indian stories. Although the caverns are now named for Lewis and Clark, they never visited them, nor is it likely that they knew of them.

Lewis and Clark came into the area in 1805, during their famous mapping expedition. They camped along Antelope Creek on July 31st 1805. Antelope Creek is a tributary of the Jefferson River and it is a few miles from Lewis and Clark Caverns.

Charles Brooke and Mexican John, both from Whitehall, discovered the cave entrance in 1882. They had heard of the great caves from local Indian legend and set out to look for them. They did not tell many people about their discovery.

In 1892, two hunters discovered the cave entrance when they noticed a plume of steam coming out of the cave. These men were Tom Williams and Burt Pannell. Tom Williams wanted to explore the caverns and six years later, he finally did. Using ropes to rappel and candles for lighting, they lowered themselves down into "Discovery Hole," a deep cavity.

Many years later, Tom Williams talked to Dan Morrison, a local investor, about developing the cavern for tours. They were successful in developing and promoting their tourist business, but in 1900, the Northern Pacific Railroad laid claim to the land.

Morrison took them to court, but the railroad won. In 1908, the railroad turned the land over to the federal government and President Theodore Roosevelt made it the "Lewis and Clark Cavern National Monument" on May 11, 1908, but it was not fully surveyed and declared until May 16, 1911, by President Taft as 160 acres.

The monument was managed by the Superintendent at Yellowstone who put locked gates on the entrance and visited only once a year.

The rancher knew this so he cut off the government locks and installed his own and continued to guide tours for some 30 years.

It was officially closed to the public for the next thirty years because congress did not set aside any money to maintain it. The people of Montana wanted the caverns to be opened to the public, and they asked the governor to help.

Lewis & Clark Caverns, Montana
Lewis & Clark Caverns, Montana
Lewis & Clark Caverns, Montana
Lewis & Clark Caverns, Montana

In 1935, Montana Governor Frank Cooney asked the federal government to make the caverns a state park. In 1937, Congress finally signed the papers that made Lewis and Clark Caverns a state park. This was Montana's first state park.

There was still a problem though; because that was the era of The Great Depression, the state did not have enough money to develop or maintain the park. The Depression was tough for the whole country; no one had much money.

To help create jobs, President Franklin D. Roosevelt came up with a set of programs called the New Deal. One of the things the New Deal did was to create the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The CCC worked on projects to improve roads, parks and other important projects.

About 200 men from the CCC worked to improve Lewis and Clark Caverns between 1935 and 1941. One can still see steps the men carved in the stone floor of the caves.

In 1940, electric lighting was installed in the caverns. The park opened to the public in 1941. The 3,015 acre park includes two visitor centers, ten miles of hiking trails, a campground and its namesake limestone cavern as shown in this park brochure (PDV). The cavern entry area is at an elevation of 4,300 feet and the caverns area is at an elevation of 5,300 feet.

In 2018, the park was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Lewis and Clark Caverns map
Lewis and Clark Caverns map
Lewis & Clark Caverns, Montana
Lewis & Clark Caverns, Montana
Lewis & Clark Caverns, Montana
Lewis & Clark Caverns, Montana

Lewis & Clark Caverns, Montana
Lewis & Clark Caverns, Montana
Lewis & Clark Caverns, Montana
Lewis & Clark Caverns, Montana

Lewis & Clark Caverns, Montana
Lewis & Clark Caverns, Montana
Lewis & Clark Caverns, Montana
Lewis & Clark Caverns, Montana

Lewis & Clark Caverns, Montana
Lewis & Clark Caverns, Montana
Lewis & Clark Caverns, Montana
Lewis & Clark Caverns, Montana

Lewis & Clark Caverns, Montana
Lewis & Clark Caverns, Montana
Lewis & Clark Caverns, Montana
Lewis & Clark Caverns, Montana

Lewis & Clark Caverns, Montana
Lewis & Clark Caverns, Montana