The limestone cave within the Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park is full of so many stories that even the tour guides can’t remember them all.
But these aren’t ordinary stories.
Ever since the cave opened for tours in the early 1900s, employees have shared tales as intricate and detailed as the limestone structures themselves. Lewis & Clark park manager Rhea Armstrong has a particular story she’s quite fond of, currently taking place in what they call the cave’s Cathedral Room.
“The Lovers’ Leap is a rock that looks like a young couple standing on the edge of a cliff, contemplating the edge, when you see it for the first time. But when you walk down below, looking up at the formation, now it looks like a little old lady in a wheelchair and a guy pushing her. It’s really cute to see the same rock at two different angles and make up a story about it,” she said.
While the limestone formation has kept this shape - and story - for the past 30 years, the tale may change as the rock continues to transform many years from now. As water trickles through the cracks, the limestone structures will grow. But seeing as Lovers’ Leap is two to three million years old, it’s not in any rush. The fastest-growing area of the cave is the Paradise Room, since it’s a bit more moist. The limestone there grows at a rapid one cubic inch per ten years.
“It won’t look different in my lifetime. But once it does, there will be a new story,” said Armstrong. For now, it’s just one of many stories the tour guides keep track of.
You’ll Come Out of the Tour with Your Own Stories
While there’s about 3,000 acres within Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park, the majority of their 80,000 annual visitors come for the cave itself. It’s the only cave open to the public in Montana, and one of the few in the area of America.
“I think that state parks are wonderful outdoor places. Wonderful historic places. But that’s what you expect to see in Montana. You expect mountains and the night sky. If you suddenly drive by and see there’s a cave… It’s unexpected. I think that’s what makes it special. It’s that unique experience. Something most people haven’t done,” Armstrong explained.
Walking through the cave with lanterns [Photo Credit: Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park]
The guided daily tours cover eight to 10 rooms, taking visitors on a two-mile round trip hike 300 feet underground. Along the way, tour guides will divulge in the cave’s history, the science behind the formations, and - of course - the stories of the structures. There are also easier tours available with only 12 stairs to descend, or unguided tours with headlamps.
However, special for the holiday season is a Winter Holiday Candlelight Tour. Beginning December 20th, ones can tour 2-miles of the largest known limestone cavern in the Northwest using only candlelight. The glow of the candlelight is magnificent and inspiring on the colorful limestone formations. The tour lasts 2 hours.
The history lesson begins outside of the cave at Discovery Hole. That’s where two hunters in November of 1892 felt a 50-degree gust of wind coming from the opening. Since it was a cold winter day, the air came out of the cave looking like smoke. After investigating the opening, an area miner named Dan Morrison decided to lead tours in the cave from the early 1900s to when he died in 1932, developing steps and larger passageways. The Civilian Conservation Corp took over soon after, making it an accessible state park. Currently, lights are going into the handrails.
This makes it easier to not only see your feet as you walk down the stairs, but check out one of the other things that makes the Lewis & Clark Caverns so much different than most caves in the entire country. The helictites.
“Instead of dripping down with water, our cave has some areas where water is forced into a tiny hole. To relieve pressure, they grow up and turn, looking like upside down soda straws,” said Armstrong. “They’re not common in caves. There are not a lot of them in the West. That’s something a lot of people haven’t seen.”
In fact, her favorite room is the Princess’ Palace Room, since it’s so full of helictites.
Armstrong’s Favorite Stories That Aren’t About Rocks. Sort of.
As Armstrong led a group of high school students down 118 steps into the cave, one girl said to her, “Ew. What’s that smell?”
Armstrong immediately launched into the natural elements of the cave. She explained how pack rats are still in the cave, since they don’t eliminate-
Another high school boy on the tour said: “It’s the smell of adventure. Suck it up.”
Armstrong responded, “Okay, that’s a better answer.”
Since 1986, Armstrong has worked at the Lewis & Clark Cavern State Park. She was a tour guide when she was a college student, working in the summer months. Since then, she’s been in management for a little over 10 years.
Her grandmother was a ticket seller “back in the days when women didn’t work.” She would bring Armstrong to the cave, which became a favorite part of her childhood. It felt like a special connection the two of them had. And once she started guiding her own tours, she would often reach out to her grandmother when returning guests would ask her about certain tales.
“Sometimes I had to call my grandmother because people would ask, ‘Where’s the Root Beer Float?’ And I wouldn’t know so I’d have to ask her!”
While her grandmother has since passed away, she leaves behind these stories for generations of visitors. Stories people not only hold onto, but come back to see again.
That’s one of Armstrong’s favorite things about the park. She loves sharing the cave and all its stories with people, because the visitors don’t bother masking their excitement.
“It’s fun to interact with people who didn’t even know it was here. It’s mind-blowing to a lot of people,” she said.
Another story that stands out to Armstrong is when a father came for a tour with his two high school-aged children. They came back the next day with their mother.
She recalled: “They had liked it so well they brought her back and they all went through again. It was really fun because they had cameras this time. They were like, ‘Mom, you have to see this!’ It was their favorite part of coming to Montana and they just wanted their mom to see it.”
That’s the kind of stories the caves create. Along with the rock stories of course.
Preparing for the Caves
There’s one big rule when it comes to exploring the caves: You can’t wear what you’ve worn to other caves or mines. A disease called “White Nose Syndrome” could be spread to the bats that reside in Lewis & Clark.
Another piece of advice from Armstrong is to come in the morning or at night. There can be up to 300 people visiting the caves in the afternoon. It’s a little more quiet “and pleasant” at night.
Like most of Montana’s state parks, camping is offered on site, along with RV hook ups. Visit Montana State Parks to explore nearby camping options, including at Lewis & Clark State Park itself.