Fern Cave Tours

Most caves in the Monument can be explored anytime without a reservation. Fern Cave, however, is closed for resource protection reasons and is open to visitors by ranger-guided tour only. The entrance area is not open to the public at any time other than during a ranger-guided tour. The exceptional rock art and sensitive biotic environment in Fern Cave are among the reasons that only guided tours are allowed here.

The tour is offered on Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. from July through September, weather and road conditions permitting. Please note that the tour dates listed below are tentative and are subject to change.

Tour Reservation Procedures & Requirements:

• Only one tour per Saturday

• Reservations are required and in high demand

• The tour is limited to 6 visitors per tour and lasts approximately 1 hour.

• Reservations can be made up to 3 weeks in advance through the Recreation.gov webpage. Please remember that there is a $1.00 processing fee per spot reserved.

• Participants are required to confirm their reservation the day before the tour by 11:00am by telephone or coming to the Visitor Center in person.

• All unconfirmed participant slots can be given away to the next inquiring party during open Visitor Center hours the day of the tour.

• Due to the sensitivity of this cave, children must be at least 12 years of age and accompanied by an adult.

• The tour requires climbing down a slanted ladder and negotiating sections of steep, slippery floor. Each member of the party must be able to do so safely.

• Closed-toed shoes with good traction and long pants are highly recommended.

• Participants should bring their own light sources for the tour. Headlamps, or a flashlight that can be placed in a pocket while climbing the ladder, are the best choices for lighting.

 

Date of Tour	1st Day you can make a reservation
June 1, 2019	May 18, 2019
June 8, 2019	May 18, 2019
June 15, 2019	May 25, 2019
June 22, 2019	June 1, 2019
June 29, 2019	June 8, 2019
July 6, 2019	June 15, 2019
July 13, 2019	June 22, 2019
July 27, 2019	July 6, 2019
August 10, 2019	July 20, 2019
August 17, 2019	July 27, 2019
August 24, 2019	August 3, 2019
August 31, 2019	August 10, 2019
September 14, 2019	August 24, 2019
September 21, 2019	August 31, 2019