Gardner Cave

Jordain Brulotte

What a hidden gem. The tour guide we had was very humorous. He taught us so much about the caves and we left with a smile on our face. Thank you Corey!

Brian Fisher

State Park requires paid pass but Cave tour is free. Reservations are strongly suggested as the groups entering the Cave are limited (10-15ish). We went on a weekday without reservations and talked to the Ranger to get on standby but the next standby group did not make it. No tours Monday and Tuesday. Lots of stairs but the tour is a leisurely pace.

Mike Coleman

Despite this being his first month on the job, the tour guide did a fantastic job giving the tour. He mixed just the right amount of science, history and comedy to make it a truly entertaining and educational experience. I am continually amazed with the quality of Washington's parks and that outside of the cheap cost of a discovery pass all of this is FREE! The cave itself was pretty cool. I have never been in a cave before so I have nothing to base this on or compare it with. It goes down about 160 below the earth and the metal catwalk and lights extend into the cave about 350 feet. You walk far enough down into the cave that when the guide turns off the lights inside the cave it turns pitch black. Like no light at all, it's a darkness I have felt only a couple times in my life. When the guide turns on his UV flashlight and points it at the calcium deposits the cave lights up like something from the movie Avatar.

Neese

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 park is a gem!