Gardner Cave — Attraction in Area A (Pend Oreille/Bear Creek)

This is definitely something worth experiencing at least once in your lifetime!

The caves stay at a constant 39°F year-round, so bring pants and a jacket—especially for the kids. Wear decent close-toed shoes and I would not recommend crocs (someone in our group was wearing them). The tour is about 45 minutes long, and it’s guided, with lots of fascinating info about the cave’s history, formations like stalactites, and even the pack rats that nest inside. They point out some really cool details, but I won’t spoil the surprises.

Practical stuff: There’s potable water at the parking lot and at the cave entrance, plus bathrooms and picnic tables at the lot. The hike to the cave entrance is short but a bit steep; inside, most of the walk is manageable, and the steeper areas have stairs with railings.

Tours run May 15–Sept 15, Thursday–Monday, with three tours per day. Weekends book up quickly, so reserve well in advance.

As for wildlife, bats and pack rats do live there, but sightings are rare (our guide said only once or twice a year). For kids, it’s a fun experience they might enjoy a few times as they grow up. For teens and adults, 2–3 visits is probably enough, unless you’re especially into geology or caves.

Make a Scenic Day-Trip Loop:

If you’re coming all the way out here, you can easily turn it into a full-day adventure with a loop that takes you past waterfalls, viewpoints, lakes, and even a bit of movie history:

Sweet Creek Rest Area – Just off Hwy 31, this stop has a mostly paved path leading to a small but pretty waterfall. The final stretch is a little rough, but it’s short and worth it.

Box Canyon Overlook – Continue north and stop here for sweeping views into the canyon. The railroad trestle you can see was featured in the opening of Benny & Joon.

Gardner Cave Tour – The highlight of the trip, tucked inside Crawford State Park.

Boundary Dam Vista House – After the cave, head back down to the highway and head north to the Vista House. A short trail leads to a platform with a dramatic view of the dam and gorge.

Pee Wee Falls Overlook – On your way back, watch for the turnoff. The falls are most powerful in spring, but the colors in autumn make it a worthwhile stop too.

Riverside Overlook – Another quick viewpoint along Hwy 31 with peaceful views of the river.

Sullivan Lake – Take the Sullivan Lake Road loop for extra scenery. There are campsites, picnic areas, and the historic Mill Pond interpretive trail. It’s a great place to stretch your legs and explore.

Metaline & Metaline Falls – For food or a pit stop, these small towns are your best bet. The Postman was filmed in Metaline Falls and at Boundary Dam, and you can spot a few of the filming locations if you know where to look. The Metaline City Park makes for a great picnic area.

You could also see some of the other notable sites in the area such as Granite Falls & The Roosevelt Ancient Cedar Grove. You can drive to the peaks of Salmo and Sullivan Mountain but the road to Sullivan is in very poor shape currently (4WD pickups or jeeps). The road to Salmo Peak is rough in spots but I made it there in a 2014 Ford Escape AWD (crossover size). The online pictures of the views from these peaks fail in comparison to the absolute splendor of seeing it in person. You can also take tours at Box Canyon Dam during the summer. Boundary Dam tours are currently closed, I am not sure if they will resume. The Huff Lake Peatland is a cool site too but is a bit out of the way.

There are also lots of places you can camp and fish up there both dispersed sites and sites maintained by the US Forest Service or WA Fish & Wildlife Department. Some you need to book online, some are first-come first service, and a few are free.

Travel Tip

The gas station in Metaline is the last one until you reach Canada. Prices run about 50¢ higher per gallon than Spokane. There is also a gas station in Ione just off the highway. Also, they recently put a Dollar General in just...

An amazing experience although it is a LONG way from anywhere much! The state park there is pretty much just for the cave. There is a small parking area with bathrooms, water, and some picnic tables scattered around the trees. A steep paved trail with several switchbacks leads up the caves which are fenced off and locked with a gate during non-tour hours.

Tours are changing to reservation-only, although the rangers said that is new this year (2022) and since a lot of people don't know about it they sometimes open up an extra tour or will allow more than 10 people to go in a group. We were fortunate enough to get in without a reservation but know before you go or you could end up disappointed.

The caves are chilly, they recommend a light jacket and they were right, but we were otherwise fine in shorts.

The caves are AMAZING! Such a natural wonder to see. You get to go down about 1/3 of the caves total depth and 1/4 of the total length, and they're so awesome. Props to the rangers who run these tours they were informative, kind, and generous with their time!

Past the cave entrance there is also a short trail that takes you right to the...

Helpful tips for this cool adventure. This is not a self-guided tour. If you’re driving up it’s a pretty long drive so make sure to make reservations in advance. Tour times are 10, 12, 2, 4. We almost had to learn the hard way. Luckily they let us in. Your guide aaron was very entertaining and informative. He made it a memorable experience.you can tell how much he lives his job. Make sure after the tour to take the .5 (1 mile) Hike down to the Canada border. They have a dirt path.down hill to the border and up hill back, but not terrible with breaks along the way. There well defined line between the US and Canada we thought it was really cool. (all pictures uploaded doesn't do it justice) Could’ve given it five stars but one of the tour guides got really irritated that people (us and another pair)showed up without reservations and was pretty snappy. We had no idea one must take the guided tour as this is not clearly defined on the state website and did not understand you cannot meander through on your own. Despite the mishap fun was had by all. Enjoy. This cave and...