Crystal Caving

Explore Crystal Cave in Sequoia

Not all stunning vantage points are above the tree line. Sometimes it’s what lies beneath that’s really interesting! Venture below Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park’s soil and discover an extensive underground system of nearly 300 caves, including the park's hidden gem—Crystal Cave. This ornate maze of polished karst marble offers guided tours of varying difficulty and duration through over three miles of narrow and winding passageways. The standard 45-minute tour begins with a steep 0.5-mile downhill hike. Pass views of yucca-covered ridges and waterfalls en route to the cave's entrance, where you'll meet your guide right before a giant metal gate in the shape of a spider web. Once through, shuffle in single-file past dimly lit subterranean streams, actively forming fairy pools, and icicle-like stalactites draped like curtains across the walls. Bring a jacket; cave temperature is a constant 48 degrees! The Marble Room, the largest room in the cave, extending more than 100 feet wide and 30 feet high, is your last stop. Sit silently as your guide turns out the lights for an incredible experience in total darkness.

BONUS: For even spookier spelunking, stop by on select dates at the end of October for Halloween at Crystal Cave, a special 1.5-hour star-studded tour featuring the "ghosts" of Crystal Cave's past. Tickets ($25, ages 8 and up) are limited.

Crystal Cave is located off the Generals Highway, northwest of the Giant Forest. Tours are offered daily through November 29 and tickets must be purchased ahead of time at the Giant Forest Museum or Foothills Visitor Center (you cannot purchase at the cave entrance). Allow one hour to drive from the visitor center or 30 minutes from the museum to the cave parking lot—the road is narrow, winding, and steep. No tripods, hiking sticks, or bags allowed inside the cave. No dogs. 

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Camp at Goose Lake in the Lakes Basin

    Duck, Duck, Goose!

    Try to get a first-come, first-served campsite at one of the Lakes Basin’s lakeside campgrounds. We love Goose Lake Campground, where there are just 13 sites and no motorized boats.

    View
  2. This Is Paradise

    Granite mountain-scape, superb sunset views, crystal lakes, and shoreline campsites … the trip to Paradise Lake in Tahoe National Forest lives up to its idyllic name.

    View
  3. Aloha from California

    Say Aloha without leaving California with a 7-mile out-and-back hiking adventure to Lake Aloha in El Dorado National Forest. You can also camp here, a premier place for stargazing.

    View
  4. Sequoia Re-opens Crystal Cave

    Step inside Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park's hidden world by visiting the newly re-opened Crystal Cave—the only cave in the parks open to the public. Closed for four years, this rare marble karst cavern is welcoming visitors once again, but only through the summer season!

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Sponsored

    Let's Go to Paso!

    Paso Robles is a good idea in all seasons, but one season brings a special bounty: harvest season! Road-trip ready and teeming with fall colors and fun events, Paso Robles is the ultimate destination for unique autumn experiences.

    View
  2. Can't Top This

    San Francisco’s Presidio was already a fantastic place to hang out for the afternoon, a beautiful site within the largest urban national park in the United States (the Golden Gate National Recreation Area). And Presidio Tunnel Tops is like a cherry on top. Make that two cherries on top, with the newly opened (July 2025) Outpost Meadow, a 1.5-acre green space located at Old Mason Street across from the Crissy Field Marsh in the Presidio.

    View
  3. Underground Garden

    Looking to escape the summer heat? Head to Fresno and discover its cool secret: the Forestiere Underground Gardens–an enchanting garden and architecture oasis like no other.

    View
  4. Oh Ryan

    Sure, it’s those whimsical trees that give Joshua Tree National Park its marquee billing; but this beautiful landscape also has surrounding mountains and its night sky—one of the darkest in Southern California and designated an International Dark Sky Park. Joshua Tree has four allowable stargazing parking lots, and a newly opened haven for spending the night nearby...

    View