Drawing the valley
Cave Junction is the main town of the Illinois Valley, in Josephine County in southwest Oregon. It sits on US-199, the Redwood Highway, 29 miles southwest of Grants Pass, at the corner where OR-46 turns east and climbs 20 miles to Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve.
About 18,000 people live across the valley, in Cave Junction and in Kerby, Selma, O'Brien, Takilma, and Holland. Visitors come for the marble cave, for swimming holes on the Illinois River and its forks, for Lake Selmac and the high country of the Siskiyous and the Kalmiopsis, and for the vineyards and farm stands on the valley floor.
The map above is the US Geological Survey's topographic sheet laid over the real shape of the land. Tap a pin to read about a place, take the tour, or talk to the guide, which answers questions out loud from what this site says.
In Josephine County in southwest Oregon, on US-199 between Grants Pass and the California coast. It's the main town of the Illinois Valley and stands about 1,340 feet above sea level. From Interstate 5, leave at Exit 58 in Grants Pass, pick up US-199, and Cave Junction is 29 miles southwest. More on Getting here.
20 miles east on OR-46, the Caves Highway. The National Park Service says to allow about 50 minutes from town to the visitor center, including a 900-foot walk from the parking lot. The last 8 miles are narrow, steep, and winding, and the park discourages large RVs and trailers. More on Oregon Caves.
The park closed for the winter as of November 2026, according to the National Park Service. In 2026 the Discovery Cave Tour ran from March 21 to November 1. Check the NPS hours page for next season's opening date.
In 2026 the Discovery Cave Tour cost $20 for adults and $15 for ages 15 and under, card only. It lasts about 90 minutes and climbs more than 520 steps. Children must be at least 42 inches tall, nobody can be carried, and everyone has to crouch to 45 inches before the tour. The cave stays at 44°F, so bring a warm layer and closed shoes.
Some tours can be reserved on Recreation.gov. Same-day tickets are usually first come, first served, and the park suggests buying them at the Illinois Valley Visitor Center, 201 Caves Highway in Cave Junction, before you drive up. Tours sell out during spring break and summer.
No. The Chateau has been closed for repairs since 2018, and in 2026 the National Park Service said it, its café, and its dining room remain closed until further notice. There's no lodging or restaurant at the caves, so pack food and water.
Most beds in the valley are treehouses, cabins, and campsites: Out 'n' About Treesort in Takilma, camping at Lake Selmac, RV parks along US-199, and Forest Service campgrounds. We couldn't confirm any motel in the valley open in 2025 or 2026, so for a standard hotel room, Grants Pass is about 30 miles northeast. More on Where to stay.
Illinois River Forks State Park, just south of town where the East and West Forks meet, is a day-use park with a long, calm summer swimming stretch. It had no day-use fee when we checked in November 2026. State Parks warns of swift currents and hidden obstructions and asks swimmers to wear a life jacket. More spots are on Rivers.
Friday afternoons from 4 to 7 p.m., mid-April to the end of October. It's called the Cave Junction Farmers Market, but it sets up in Kerby, at 24100 Highway 199, across from the Kerbyville Museum. The 2026 season ran April 17 to October 30. More on Wine and farms.
Winters are wet and summers are hot and dry. The valley gets about 61 inches of precipitation a year, about 33 of them from December through February, and July and August average highs around 94°F, by NOAA's 1991 to 2020 averages. The caves sit at 4,000 feet and get snowy winters. More on Getting here.
There's no airline service in the valley. The nearest scheduled flights are at Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport (MFR) and at Del Norte County Regional Airport (CEC) in Crescent City, California, both a drive away on US-199.
No. visitcavejunction.com is an independent visitor guide made by Anabasis Intelligence. The city's official site is cavejunctionoregon.us. Corrections are welcome; see About this guide.
Yes. Tap Talk to the guide on the map and ask, or type instead. The guide moves the map to each place it talks about, and it knows only what this site says, so for hours and prices it points you to the place's own website.
Kerby was officially renamed Napoleon in 1856, and Napoleon crossed the Alps in 1800 on a sure-footed mule, not the rearing horse of the famous painting. Mule trains worked this valley in the gold-rush years too. The whole story is on Kerby.