Good thing Elijah Davidson did. He found the first few rooms of the Oregon Caves in 1874.

Now in 2016 we found the Caves when we were looking for more Junior Ranger badges on our Oregon road trip. There are only a handful of National Park Service sites in Oregon that we haven't been to so it was logical that we'd include the Oregon Caves. We got lucky and got a last-minute reservation at the Chateau at the Oregon Caves.

The drive from Cave Junction is a long and twisty 37 miles. The last few miles are in dense woods. It was hard to imagine what we'd find at the end of the road. It was certainly a surprise when we got there.

The Chateau is a rustic mansion set into the steep hill. The creek that flows out of the caves runs through the dining room. There's a large open lobby full of board games and windows looking down the valley and a huge fireplace. The rooms upstairs reminded me of my grandparents' house with little squeaks and super comfy beds.

Although the Chateau was great, the real reason we were there was for the Caves. We had reservations for first thing in the morning, which was no problem since we only had to walk across the courtyard to the ranger station. (The ranger station is built in the same style as the Chateau.)

Our adventure started with a quick briefing on white nose syndrome and then an acknowledgement that even the short tour was a bit strenuous. No worries for us. We haven't been in a cave in ages and strenuous is our thing. We stepped into the darkness.

Oh yes. It was dark. Super dark. Really dark. Especially when our guide turned off all the lights so we could get a feel for how dark dark really is. (It's really dark.)

With the lights back on we were led through the caves. Just like on the boat in Crater Lake National Park our ranger guide was personable and knowledgeable. He managed our group in the tight spaces perfectly and even managed to reverse the line so the folks up front didn't monopolize him the whole time.

I was torn between the geology and the history of the caves. The mountain is marble and the caves formed as acidic water leeched through. That's almost as cool as the fact that it was found by old Elijah mentioned above while chasing after his dog who was in turn chasing a bear. Still, in the end it was the geology that won the battle for my heart.

Our tour descended through tight tunnels and steps with stops along the way for explanations and stories. We saw the 110 exit that's the last opportunity to bail and where Elijah might have turned around and started following Cave Creek in the dark. (In the cave it's called the River Styx and it's a formally designated National Wild and Scenic River, the only subterranean river in the system!)

We could see where tourists from less conservationist times had written on the rock and where the cave had made it permanent by covering the scribbles with a thin layer of rock. I commented that a stalagmite near the trail looked like it was polished and found out that indeed those early visitors had thought it good luck to rub it.

While there's a good lesson to be learned from yesterday there's still plenty to be marveled at that is untrammeled by man. Some of the formations were as you would expect; stalactites reaching down and stalagmites reaching up. A column here or there where the two had met. Most strange were the alien pods (flowstone) lining the walls high above. I mean... I'm not saying they were aliens... but they're aliens.

Our tour was an hour and a half, but sped by. I'd gladly have spent more time underground, but the next step up is a three hour "off-trail" tour with a minimum age of 15. That was too much for us. (The "Discovery Tour" we took only required all participants be 42 inches in height.)

Upon exiting the cave we were dazzled by sunlight and butterflies. Amy and the kids headed back to the Chateau while I followed the Cliff Nature Trail for a little fresh air. There's plenty of other hiking to be done, too. Most interesting to me are the trails around Bigelow Lakes with a summit of Mount Elijah thrown in for good measure. However, our adventures were only to be underground on this trip. Perhaps next time we'll come back for the longer, off-trail tour and reserve some time for a summit, too.

And the Junior Ranger badges? We got 'em. And not just the Oregon Caves badges. We also got the special Junior Cave Scientist badges, too!

It's a ways off the beaten path, but Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve is well worth the drive. Stay in the Chateau, take the Discovery Tour, and have a great adventure in the dark!