Sequoia Re-opens Crystal Cave

Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park Re-Opens Crystal Cave for Tours

07.30.2025

Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park are world-famous for their towering groves of giant Sequoia trees, but they’re also home to another big thing: an underground system of more than 200 caves.

Step inside that hidden world by visiting the newly re-opened Crystal Cave—the only cave in the parks open to the public. The cave was closed for four years due to the 2021 KNP Complex fire and historic flooding in 2023. Now this rare marble karst cavern is welcoming visitors once again, but only through the summer season!

Getting to the cave involves a steep half-mile (round-trip) hike. You’ll pass cascading waterfalls en route to the cave's entrance, where your guide will meet you at a giant spider-web-shaped metal gate.The 50-minute tour winds through dimly lit subterranean tunnels and passageways decorated with fantastical formations a million years in the making. It is chilly inside (temperatures can drop to 50 degrees!) so bring a jacket. 

Created by acidic water that naturally sculpted the cave’s crystalline marble walls, icicle-shaped stalactites are suspended from the ceiling, deposits of delicate rock descend the walls like curtains, and there’s a dome resembling a giant dollop of whipped cream. Shimmering fairy pools and an ancient stream are also part of the underground scenery.

By the time you’re through, it’ll be crystal clear why this cave rocks!

From Visalia, take CA 198-East and Sierra Drive for about 34 miles to reach the Ash Mountain entrance of Sequoia National Park. Drive Generals Highway for 14.5 miles and turn left at the sign for Crystal Cave (near the Giant Forest). Drive 6.5 miles to reach the parking area. 

Allow plenty of time to reach the cave. At the park entrance, expect to wait 30 minutes on weekdays and 1 hour on holidays and weekends to get into the park. The drive from the Ash Mountain entrance to the cave takes about 1 hour.

Timed guided tours are available daily during the summer season through September 7, 2025. In addition to the park entrance fee, tickets cost $20 for adults and $10 for children. Tickets must be purchased in advance on the Sequoia Parks Conservatory website and are not sold at the cave. Get your tickets.

Story and photos by Yvonne Pasquini, @yvonne_pasquini

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories

  1. Afternoon on the Island

    What is it about tiny islands in the middle of lakes? There’s something that just draws you in. It’s even more fun when getting there is half the adventure because you have to reach it by canoe, kayak, paddleboat, or a ranger-guided boat tour!

    View

  2. Golden Gate's Blue Heron

    Golden Gate Park’s Blue Heron Lake is home to birds of many feathers, turtles lounging on rocks, visitors from afar, and locals who love this urban oasis in San Francisco. Try the "Boats and Breakfast" rowboat or pedal boat deal.

    View

  3. 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

  4. 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

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Walking the Los Angeles River Trail Through Frogtown

    Frogtown Strutter’s Stroll

    Don’t go dismissing the Los Angeles River as merely a 51-mile concrete channel. It’s a genuine urban artery that links real neighborhoods, and its riverside bike/ped paths endear i

    View

  2. Coming Up Roses

    Looking to spice up your hiking life? Give your partner a rose—Mount Rose! The 10-mile out-and-back peak hike goes up to one of the grandest views in all of Lake Tahoe. Get ready f

    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. 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