Lewis and Clark Cavern National Monument
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Lewis and Clark Cavern National Monument is the name of a former U.S. National Monument that was discovered in 1895 by D. A. Morrison. It was established on May 11, 1908 but was not fully surveyed and declared until May 16, 1911 by President Taft as 160 acres. The limestone cave is named after the explorers Meriwether Lewis & William Clark since the cavern overlooks overn 50 miles of the trail from the Lewis and Clark Expedition along the Jefferson River. It is located approximately 45 miles northeast of Butte, Montana and 60 miles northwest from the northwest corner of Yellowstone National Park.
The caverns are also notable in that much of the work done to make the cave system accessible to tourists was performed by the New Deal-era Civilian Conservation Corps.
It was disbanded as a national monument on August 24, 1937 and transferred to Montana state stewardship.
Tours at the cavern are offered approximately every 20 minutes. While the tour is suitable for all ages, some discretion is advised for the young, the elderly, or those with medical conditions, as a 3/4 mile uphill walk is required to access the cavern entrance and some of the tour involves stooping and navigating perilous (and sometimes wet) stairways.
