Oregon Caves expansion expected to draw huge tourism traffic

Possibilities are that you won’t see a different cave or a new chateau at the Oregon Caves National Monument. But some people feel the expansion of the landmark, with legislation attached to a defense spending bill recently signed by President Barack Obama, a monumental change.

The monument will be nearly 10 times its original 488-acre size, with 4,000 acres added. It will include the entire watershed above the marble cave, where scenic Bigelow Lakes lie below Mount Elijah — named after Elijah Davidson, who discovered the cave in 1874.

Roger Brandt, historian and Illinois Valley tourism promoter, said the larger square on the map will bring more tourists.

“A lot of people completely miss this monument,” Brandt said. “You look at pink spots on the Oregon map that show where parks are, and you don’t see it. There are bigger reasons for doing this than just getting a bigger spot on the map, but I think that’s going to be what gets more attention.”

“Bigelow Lakes is one of the best loop trails in the valley,” Brandt added.

“With a monument like this, you get this inferred guarantee for a high-­quality experience. If you go around the world, just about every country has national parks now, and that’s what people travel to see.”

“I think we’ll see an increased number of visitors,” said Vicki Snitzler, superintendent at Oregon Caves since 2008. “There are a lot of folks interested whenever parks get new designations or expansions.” He said that as the National Park Service had taken over the management from the U.S. Forest Service of the land added to the monument, it has 14 to 16 more miles of trails and 25 more miles of roads to maintain.

Snitzler went on to say that inclusion of the creek that flows through the cave — known as the River Styx — was the first underground wild and scenic river which is another honour bestowed upon the monument, along with the 80-year-old Chateau being named by the prestigious Historic Hotels of America programme in 2014.

Brandt said the expansion was another tourist victory, joining the ever-growing visitor highlights in the valley. ,The highlights also included the Illinois Valley Smokejumper Base and Museum and the Forks State Park that is undergoing renovations.