I am so glad we got to experience this magical cave. It had been closed for a few years and I am so happy it's open to the public. Remember make a reservation. Our guide was amazing made everything so interesting. The cave is cool so it definitely got us out of that heat. The hike to the cave could be a little tough you are not a hiker as it contains many steps. You will get to see a waterfall on the way there. read more

Crystal Cave - inside - Parks Near Me - Three Rivers, California

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So happy this is open again. It was closed for 4 years due to fires and road erosion. It's safe to drive now. Book in advance, they fill up early. Pack a picnic munch and store in the bear box. It's a fun to walk down, much with no railing. Then you get to the beautiful series of waterfalls. The cave tour lasts 50 min. It's really amazing. it's lit up so flashlights not needed. Some of the caves are big with so many sparkling features. Watch out for water on the ground. Wear appropriate shoes. Flip flops not recommended for the climb or the caves. read more

Spectacular cave in the Sequoia National Park. You need to make a reservation on the national parks site before you go. There is a beautiful waterfall on the hike to get to the cave. It is about 50 degrees in the cave but the hike is beautiful and shaded on the way. Inside of the cave is amazing. This is a must do if you are visiting the parks. Happy Yelping! read more

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After 4 years, Crystal Cave is re-open! My family and I were lucky enough to snag a 2:00 tour on a Saturday. About 30-35 ppl are on each tour. You start at the parking lot and walk down about a half mile to the cave. The cave is a cool 50 degrees which felt amazing on a summer day. Our tour guide was informative and humorous and the cave was amazing. The actual cave tour was about 45 mins. But the entire experience lasts about 2 hours depending on how fast you walk the half mile back from the cave. It's a half mile but walking back uphill the whole way back (total 310 ft gain in a half mile) can be challenging. I was definitely feeling it, especially in the heat. However it was a great experience and I would definitely do it again. read more

Stunning! I was waiting for years for the cave to reopen and finally able to take a tour. Our tour guide, Lindy, was immensely knowledgeable and was firing off answers left and right for our group. Two beautiful waterfalls right before the cave entrance. Short hike down, up is a different story! It was hot when we went so we made sure to splash some water on ourselves right before we walked back up the trail. read more

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We just went on August 9th and it was spectacular! The hike to the cave is easy. The hike coming back is uphill. However, it wasn't too bad. My family and I enjoyed Isaac as our tour guide at the cave. His jokes were funny! Such an incredible experience. Be sure to book your tickets in advance. We bought ours about a month and a half ago. read more

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This place is still amazing 30 year later as I went as a kid. You can see the fire destruction but they did a good job restoring the road. read more

Crystal Cave - Main entrance of Crystal Cave. - Parks Near Me - Three Rivers, California

Growing up in cali my grandfather took me here as a boy 50+ years ago. I am so thankful they maintained and preserved this beautiful national gem. Its now a tradition where I take my grandkids read more

I've been to a couple caves in California and this is one of the coolest (also very cool inside). It's a popular attraction, especially on weekends and quite the drive and hike for those who aren't accustomed to either, but the cave itself is a splendid natural wonder that only those who are somehow unimpressed by the marvels of nature should avoid. We came up with some locals who had been coming for years and only found out via signage halfway down the road to the caves that tickets are required to be purchased ahead of time. Upon arrival, we learned that because of COVID those tickets are usually purchased weeks in advance. Thinking we were out of luck, we hopped on the waiting list for the next tour and were fortunate there were just enough no-shows to get us in. I would not recommend this method to other as you will probably be disappointed and, again, the road to just to drive to the caves is very long and very curvy. The hike down to the caves is also longer than your average trek to a tourist attraction. But here's where it gets real fun. Our tour guide, Hunter, was extremely entertaining and knowledgeable and most importantly patient with my young son's many questions. The caves were fascinating, from the many rock formations that were tens of thousands of years old to the total darkness we experienced when we were at our deepest. They made it very clear that you cannot touch anything as it will disrupt the natural processes that form this wonder and they have clearly marked pathways - some with railings - to help guide you through. I'd recommend a sweatshirt for those who get really cold but I found it super refreshing considering it was in the 80s outside. The hike back was the most strenuous part. All in all, we thought the whole place was well worth it and fascinating. Don't expect some comic book version of a cave chock full of crystals, but do expect a firsthand look at a natural wonder! read more

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An extremely popular attraction at Sequoia National Park, visits are only available by tours to preserve the cave. Book your reservation on their website and make sure you book a couple months in advance, the popular tours got filled up pretty fast. Each time slot has a capacity of 50 people, we did the Family Tour and it was $18 per person. There is a parking lot once you reach the site of the Crystal Caves. Upon arrival, confirm with the booth about your reservation and they will notify you where to go. The tour guide was friendly and knowledgeable, he explained to us the history of the cave and showed the many rock formations that have developed over time. He was enthusiastic, friendly, and informative. He had a great time answer questions from everyone, even the kids! Our group was really good and everyone was polite and respectful of the cave, which made for a great tour experience. The cave itself is beautiful and has so much history. We learned a lot about how it was discovered, excavation errors, and how they've learned along the way to improve tours without disrupting the natural formations. Great tour and definitely a #1 attraction to visit in Sequoia. read more

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We booked the Family Cave tour since we had 4 adults and 2 kiddos in our group. The tour itself is about an hour (not including the hike down and back up). This was the kids' favorite part of our Sequoia NP weekend, and I have to say it was one of mine too. Photos allowed, but no flash. Also, you can't bring bags, backpacks, etc. with you since some of the passageways are narrow and they don't want you bumping into the cave. Make sure you bring a sweater too because it gets chilly in there. There's also a nice waterfall on the way to the entrance of the cave. It's a good hike down and up and not meant for the faint of heart. A must-do if you visit Sequoia! read more

Super cool!!! So glad my family and I got to experience this awesome tour. Our tour person was great and explain everything very well. Our family had a great time. read more

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I really wanted to give this 5 stars...it deserves 5 stars...it really was a beautiful experience a few exceptions. 1). Reservations are quick and easy on the website. You take your confirmation to the shop and they give you your physical tickets. We arrived early and put our name on the list for an earlier tour. They do tours every 30 minutes so you don't really wait that long. We were able to get a tour an hour and a half early. One of the rangers accidentally bypassed us but luckily I was sitting close and when I noticed they let a family that was after me on the list go ahead I told him we had been waiting and he said preference comes to those who didn't prebuy their tickets. Which makes no sense anyway we were allowed to go. 2) The tour is a really an amazing experience. The caves are gorgeous and just really breathtaking. Our tour guide was really lovely and knowledgeable. The scenery walking down to caves is just breath taking the greenery and waterfalls. You feel the instant temperature drop which hit was appreciated on the hot day. You start at the top and have to walk about a half mile down to get to the caves. Really easy, coming up was another story. Lol. 3) The thing that killed it for me were some of the families. It blows my mind how you can completely ignore rules while on a tour. They specifically ask you to head straight down to the cave and take pictures afterwards since the tours are on a tight timeframe. We were waiting for people to make it down because they were busy taking pics. Then we had a family that had two crying small children, I'd say neither was older then 5. I get wanting to experience things with your kids but if your child is screaming then maybe this isn't the thing for them. They were able to calm them down for a bit but throughout the tour would scream and cry. We are told straight out before the tour DO NOT TOUCH THE WALLS OF THE CAVES as our oils mess up the environment. These children were all over the place touching everything. Screening when their parents tried to stop them and at one point one kid smacked his dad in the balls and he hurtled over. I'm serious. Like I couldn't believe it happened. The tour guide was such a trooper trying to talk louder so the rest of us could hear. So why is this impacting their rating you ask. Well because they have very limited 13 and over tours and all of them are after 12pm. We were trying to see as much as possible and since this was the only timed event on our list we wanted to do it right away. It would be so nice if they could add some adult tours early. Still worth it and a definite must. Wear good shoes and bring a sweater. It was a super hot day but it gets cold in the caves. read more

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The walk down to this cave was about 15min and pretty fast since you are going down, they do give you a safety talk before you go down to it which is important to hear since they advise regarding rattle snakes and poison oak you night see on your way down. You also pass a water fall which is next to the cave entrance. The tours guy explains all about the cave and you get about 1.5hr of tour. Now the way up is the hard one, since its going up stairs and its like going up hills. Really hard unless you are used to hiking then it will be easy for you. But worth it I think. read more

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I booked this tour a month in advance given that we were going 4th of July weekend. Unfortunately, the traffic from our hotel in Fowler took us almost 3 hours to get to the cave. There was traffic due to the holiday weekend and there was a RV that broke down. Of course we missed our tour which was booked for 2:00pm, we got there at about 2:30, explained our situation and they were so nice enough to let us join the 3:00 tour (thanks to Keith). The tour was 50 mins long. When it began, we had to hike 20 mins from the entrance down to the cave, which was no biggie at all other than trying to avoid all of the poison ivy. When we got to the cave, we could feel the cold air, it was unbelievable how beautiful it was. It was bigger than we thought and unreal. We loved the tour so much! Downside, the hike back up! It was worth it but it was definitely tough with 2 kids. Tips: make sure you eat before you head over, the road from the Crystal Cave sign to the actual site is very bumpy and windy (takes about 30 mins). Make sure you bring water, a light sweater, a good camera that can take pictures without a flash, allow yourselves extra time to arrive early and mosquito repellant. read more

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Easily one of the better "quick trip" cave tours Ive been on. Quick trip meaning you dont have to drive very long or descend into the cave. Like everyone else says, booking your tickets ahead of time makes life stress free. I was fortunate to be able to buy tickets the day of, since it was after Labor Day. I can only imagine this place gets booked fairly quickly in peak season. Keep in mind, you cant book tickets before 48 hours of the desired tour. It takes about 30 minutes to drive to the parking lot of the cave. It takes another 20-30 minutes to walk down and up the trail to the entrance of the cave. The walk itself was gorgeous, as there is even a small waterfall you'll see. There's also a sense of danger, as falling rocks, rattlesnakes, poison oak, and bears are all possibilities. The entrance to the cave itself has a marvelous spider web shaped gate. The tour itself is well paced, with the lost traveler story and moment in darkness filling in a good amount of the tour. The cave path itself is enough space for anyone to walk through, yet has this "snug" feel. If you have a half day worth of time, and like caves, then go for this. read more

My husband and I arrived at Foothill Visitor Center at 8am (right when the visitor center opened) and got in line to buy Crystal Cave Tour tickets. We bought the 10:30 am tour, since that was the only tour which was "Adults Only". I was afraid they were going to run out of tickets on Saturday, especially since it was mid-July and during the busy summer months....but fortunately, there were plenty of spots available. :) They have tours every 30 minutes starting at 1030am and each tour can handle max of 50 people. After buying our tickets for $15 per person, we were told that it'd take 1 hour to drive to the cave parking lot. It actually took us about 45 min instead...but 1 hour is on the safe side. Once you get to the parking lot, there is an attendant that tells you to start gathering around gift shop kiosk. You'll be asked to get your shoes sanitized before heading down a 30-min trail downhill to the cave entrance. Once you get to the entrance, there is a tour guide there -- who will basically take you into the cave and give you an informative 45 minute tour of this remarkable marble cave. We saw many stalactites and stalagmites! :) There was running water inside the cave and great lighting all around to show the intricate structures. It's just a shame that there was damage previously done to this cave when it had first opened up to the public... Our female tour guide was very calm, professional and informative - we enjoyed listening to her talk about all the formations and the stories behind the cave's history and past, present and future. :) The temps inside were about 50-55 degrees, so definitely glad we wore that jacket/sweatshirt. Be sure to bring a bottle of water for the trek back up the hill AND a flashlight if you want. They don't provide you with flashlights on this tour, so you have to bring your own if you want to see more of the cave's structures. The "adults only" tour was rather small in size, about 16 of us total...so they took us to an "extra room" inside the cave where we could hang out for a longer period of time than the other tours which have 40-50 people. :) Lucky us! read more

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Best cave experience! Beware that the cave tour is a total of 45 minutes but the round trip takes about 2 hours including time walking down to the cave and the hike back up! It is fun for both kids and adults! Buy your tickets online to avoided the hassle of buying them in person. I went to the cave on 7/17/18 and it was quite hot outside (around 90) and the cave inside was about 50F. It was like being in the refrigerator section of Costco for 45 minutes. The waterfall is beautiful! Great spot for photos. Tips: + if you are physically out of shape, this hike may be a challenge for you. It is .5 mile hike one way. + there are couple of bear boxes in front by the entrance of the trail to place your food. + if you have visit any other caves in the last ten years, they request you to not wear anything from those caves into this one. Including eyewear. + you may need to bring a jacket if you get cold easy, the cave does get cold. + you cannot bring anything in the cave! (No bags, no water, etc) I was not allowed to bring my baby carrier, so my 8 month old had to be held the whole time. However, you can bring the items, and leave them at the entrance of the cave. (They have another person checking visitors before you enter, to ensure you do not bring items with you) + bring water!! You will get thirsty! + there are no bathrooms down where the caves are. Highly advised to use the bathrooms located in the parking lot. read more

Crystal Cave - Parks Near Me - Three Rivers, California

Ok, first of all, if you walk into this thinking you're going to a sparkling subterranean jewel repository you're wrong. That doesn't mean this place isn't a diamond in the rough. First tip, if you're hitting the cave in the summer you need to find a visitors center or go online before you head directly there. Tickets are for specific time slots and only sell there. You want to leave yourself enough time between the purchase and the slot because there's about 45 minute drive from the closest ticketing office. Also, If you are taking kids I recommend a one to one ratio (one grown up to one kid). There are some pretty wicked slopes on the side of the trail for short stretches. Maybe you'll be holding their hand so they don't fall and maybe it'll be the other way around...who can really say (I'm not afraid of heights, why would you say that). The hike is only about a mile from the parking lot once you're there and going down isn't too bad, but for some elderly or health challenged people it's pretty steep coming back up especially at 8,000 ft above seal level so keep that in mind. There is a pretty fantastic waterfall that you cross going down so that's a bonus. The cave tour itself is awesome. You might want to bring jackets if you get chilly at 50 degrees, but they have a crazy assortment of geological features and, yes, they turn the lights off at the end. All in all it's a cool little adventure for someone who is not a hardcore spelunker. read more

The cave is worth checking out at least once. Make reservations ahead of time because tickets can be sold out. It is a bit of a drive to get to the cave from the entrance (make sure you check with the park ranger on timing beforehand). When you arrive, you'll park and will need to take any and all scented items (lotions, sunscreen, deodorant, etc) including packaged food items and store them in the bear boxes close to the entry. You'll also need to leave backpacks and purses in your car. They won't let you take any bags of sort inside with you. I tried to bring in a very small coin purse and they would not let me in with it. Bummer! Use your clothing pockets to store keys, IDs, cash and wallets. Make sure you check in at the booth before getting in line to disinfect your shoes. You may want to bring a flashlight, even though, they say you don't need it (helps take pictures of inside the cave and get cool looks in all directions). Just be mindful and don't blind others with it. Also bring a light sweater/jacket, it can get cold inside the cave. You'll end up hiking down to the cave entrance where there is a very pretty waterfall to take pictures and such where you wait for everyone else in your tour to catch up. Then you get to go inside with a guide. At one point, they turn off the lights to let you see/feel what it was like years ago. Then at the end of your tour, you will hike it back up the way you came down to get to your car. Some parts are narrow, steep and rocky, so do watch your step and be courteous to people walking in the opposite direction. Allow plenty of time to get to the cave. Be healthy enough/physically in good shape to hike to the cave and back. Enjoy! read more

If you have never been in a cave like this and you are in the area, you MUST go to this. Beautiful cave with tons of stalagmites and stalagtites. Pretty easy for anyone with average mobility. Be sure to book your tickets in advance. This is a great cave and fun for families or individuals. the tours are really interesting and something you dont experience every day read more

We did the tour in late July and would definitely recommend it unless you're infirm and/or really out of shape (see why below). 1. Cave: it's beautiful. The formations are great, it's easy to make it through and they placed the lighting well. It was cool to see the river that did most of the work rushing through at the bottom, as well as the activity of the secondary formations (stalagmites, etc.). Also, the temp is great - low 50s (year round, apparently), which was appreciated on such a hot day. 2. Guide: likely an important factor given some of the other reviews. Ours, Ben, was great: enthusiastic, story teller, dropped interesting tidbits, etc. I noticed one reviewer complain about them being young, but if they have the info and are otherwise good, age shouldn't matter. 3. To/From the Cave: it's a trek. Down was easy and it's beautiful, but we were still sweating (the Park gets hot in summer). Up was a chore and we were pretty winded and wet, but whatever - just means we need to do more cardio. 4. Other: confirm tickets ahead of time and that you either have them in hand or understand will call, some folks appeared confused. read more

Cool Temp, scenic, low intensity guided tour with views, moderate to short length trail read more

Crystal Cave - Tour Scenery - Parks Near Me - Three Rivers, California

Tickets must be purchased at the Foothills Visitor Center or the Lodgepole Visitor Center. Don't bother going to the cave entrance first, there is no way they can sell you tickets from down there and then now you've wasted about half an hour (round trip) going there and then back. Once you've purchased your ticket, allow enough time to drive there, find parking, use the restroom and hike down from the parking lot to the cave entrance where the tour will begin. That's a minimum of 45 minutes just ot be safe. More if you are slow or the type to stop and take photos. But then you'll have to take photos on your way up anyway so save that for later! There are bear lockers in the parking lot. They highly recommend that you avail yourself of this because you don't want the bears to damage your car trying to get to your food/lotion/perfume/etc. But keep in mind that these don't protect you from thieves. Pick your poison. Rangers regularly see bears break cars, but the second time I was here, there was a family who lost all their toiletries because some inconsiderate jerk thought it would be great to grab some tourists' things. A serious problem is affecting and killing bats in caves and to help prevent the spread of white nose disease amongst bats, everyone must wipe their shoes on a mat before entering the trail (leaving the parking lot) that will lead to the cave entrance downhill. It's such an easy solution! We have no excuse not to do it! If you think about it, it's a very cool interactive activity that forces everyone to listen to the educational talk about saving the bats without it sounding like a classroom presentation! A small and cute and properly stocked gift shop is right inside the entrance of the trail that is awesomely stocked. Great photographs, postcards (not the cheap looking ones), small toys for the kids and great coffee table books. A short but very steep hike follows after. There is no bathroom or trash cans along the way so make sure you avail yourself of the bathroom facilities at the parking lot. This was my first cave. I've had the opportunity to visit this place again and it is still impressive. The amount of information you get depends on your tour guide. On my first visit, I learned a lot about how the cave itself was formed. On my second visit, I learned a lot about the conservation efforts from beginning to the present. Both times, it was impressive when we all turned out the lights in the "cathedral"-like room they had inside. On your return hike up to the parking lot, make sure you take the branching trail off to the side because there is a small waterfall nearby. read more

This review is based on the cave, the tour and my personal experience. The cave: it was a fantastic eye opening experience especially when the guide turned off all the light in the cave. It is definitely one of the spots you MUST GO in sequoia park. The tour: plan and purchase the tour ticket ahead are MUST. Tickets are not guaranteed, so sooner is better. They offer three types of tour: $16family, $16adult only and $36discovery. I picked adult, not that I don't like kids, but I wanted the tour to be more educational and the discovery tour was much more. After arriving at the parking near the cave, the guides gave us a little instruction and directed us to the trail before the cave. It wasn't bad on the way to the cave, but some may find difficult on the way back. And yes, there are rattlesnakes, poison oak(they labeled it) and maybe bear. My group had some elders. They made it and some even faster than the youths. My experience: the tour guide did his best and obviously he really loves his job. It was about 30-40 in each group. We had a group of about 10 teenagers/young adults. They were simply rude and ignored everything the guide said. Sometimes i found it very difficult to hear what he says with them chatting. The guide mentioned at least 5 times that no flash is allowed, and they don't care. It was annoying. With all the chatting and flashing, they sort of ruined my experience. As I was leaving the cave, the other tour, the discovery tour I believed, began entering the cave with hard hats and flashlights on top. I immediately regretted that I didn't take that tour instead. So overall, 4 out of 5. It was neither the cave nor the tour. My personal experience just simply wasn't the best. read more

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This was my first cave tour and I thought it was pretty awesome! There are a ton of rules to go in the cave and you must buy the tickets at the foothill visitor center or lodgepole. The drive takes about an hour from Lodgepole and it is very windy and narrow. You will probably have to wait a few hours for your tour time too. Which means plan on it being a day trip or half day trip. If you bring food it must be put in a bear box. We didn't tho.. We figured there were too many people and had no problems with a bear. You must arrive 30 minutes before your tour as they give you a lecture and tell you to watch for rattlesnakes, bears, and poison ivy (do know the trail is covered in poison ivy.. dont touch anything and make sure your kids know not to touch anything) make you sanitize your shoes so you don't spread a virus to the bats, tell you youre on your own, and they send you down a half mile trail. its fairly easy to get down... When you arrive at the cave, there is someone waiting for you. you can relax by the waterfall while waiting for the rest of the group to make it down the mountain. Then you walk to the cave and start your tour. The tour IMO is awesome. Our guide was very informative and she gave a great tour. There are some narrow parts and alot of water on the pathways, so some areas are a bit slippery.. I enjoyed every minute of the tour. It is a good idea to bring a sweater. even though you are sweating from walking down. Its about 50 degrees inside the cave. It felt great and i am glad I had my sweater. After the tour, you must walk back up the mountain. BE WARNED! It is a very strenous, painful hike back up to the parking lot... so if you are really out of shape, or have medical problems this may not be the best activity for you. It probably took me twice as long to get back up the mountain. Take your time, bring water, and enjoy the views! People complain about the killing hike back up.. but you are warned beforehand! There are a few flights of steps and very steep trails. The tour cost $15 a person and IMO it was worth every penny. Its worth the killer hike back up the hill too. Make sure to bring sunscreen as well, some areas are not shaded on the trail and you will be hit with direct sunlight and you might get burned. Bug spray is a good idea. I didnt use any and didnt have any problem with mosquitos. Everyone visiting Sequoia should take this tour! read more

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Everything you need to know about this tour: (5 stars cause it's really pretty!) 1) purchase your tickets online, planning ahead will always be your best friend. 2) Give yourself enough time to get up the mountain from three rivers, it says 17 miles but it's an hour and a half drive cause you can only go 10miles the whole way up. Also you WILL hit traffic if it's a holiday weekend , on top of that they have been doing road construction so part of the road is one way and you have to wait for a flagger to get up the mountain. (We had to wait 15 minutes for him as he took his break and ate his sandwich-no joke) 3) it is a good 20 minute drive to the caves once you see the signs. Don't wait 20 minutes before your tour to drive down to the caves,... I would suggest 45 minutes, because they will not wait for you if your tour is at 2 and you're late. 4) I'm not your mom, but when I say go to the bathroom even if you can't,... seriously- you will thank me! 5) this isn't talked about enough but between the high altitudes (6,000 ft) and the hike down to the cave and back up is strenuous if you aren't physically fit. 6) BRING WATER!!!!! This was my big mistake! I left my water in the car and was so dehydrated by the time I got back I had a migraine and was pretty sick the rest of the day. 7) the staff are very serious about their job.... when they say they want to preserve the cave, they mean it. So if they get mad at you for touching something or leaning on a wall,... don't say you weren't warned. 8) are there snakes? Is there poison oak? YES! I saw both on the walk down 9) another thing I didn't know- it's a 1/2 mile hike downtown the hill and half mile back up (obviously) which is a good 15-20 minutes each way, and yes walking up is harder and longer. And then the tour is about an hour. So in total 2 hours 10) both me and another person I went with are claustrophobic, and there was a tight spot that I was pretty worried about, and then in the large part of the cave they turn the lights off. If you have severe anxiety/claustrophobia I honestly wouldn't suggest this tour. Honestly if you have any other questions about this tour just ask me! I can try to answer for you ! read more

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A friend of mine had suggested checking this cave out on my visit to sequoia. I did my research and decided to book the Discovery Tour. It was a beautiful cave to walk through. Our tour guide was a super guide. She explained so much, shared the caves history, and really helped create an awesome experience. My advice is to wear shoes with good grip. I was wearing my hiking boots and felt like I was going to slip but never did. So I guess there job was done lol. I would definitely recommend coming and checking the cave out! Its just another awesome thing to experience while visiting sequoia. I would do it again. read more

Worth the time and money. Truly humbling to see the beauty hidden below Sequoia. Our guide Maddie was knowledgeable and enthusiastic. The half mile hike down is breathtaking between the waterfall and the wildflowers. Absolutely enchanting! read more

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Purchase tickets at Foothills Visitor Center or Lodgepole Visitor Center. I think ticket sales were open from 8am to 4pm.. (something like that). Coincidentally, we came to Sequoia National Park when the Dark Sky Festival was going on. We were able to go to the Astro Biological tour of the Crystal Cave. It wasn't extra in price ($16) and they only offer it once a year, during the Dark Sky Festival. The Astro Biological aspect just added on to how caves are studied and related to possible life on other planets. There's a shuttle to take you everywhere else in the park.. I don't know why Crystal Cave isn't one of them. You drive to Crystal Cave. The parking lot is equipped with bear lockers. At your tour time, the staff will gather everybody and announce how the tour will proceed. Everybody has to walk on a mat, then a disinfectant mat, and then another mat before they start on the trail down to the cave. This is to prevent White Nose Syndrome from making it's way into Crystal Cave as it's shown up in caves on the East Coast and is making it's way west, killing millions of bats. ..then the trail down to the cave is a steep one plus you're going down along with the rest of the tour group. At the bottom, you meet your tour guide and going through the cave was neat. Our tour guide was enthusiastic. There was another person that stayed in the back to signal to the tour guide that the group was all there so she didn't start talking and people that straggled behind missed anything she was saying. You can wear headlamps in the cave but no flash photography. It's cold in the cave and you may feel drops of water here and there.. it's a living cave. At the end of the tour, you have to make your way back up the steep trail back to your vehicle but you can take your time.. take pictures of the waterfalls or what have you. Beware of falling rock areas. read more

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There are two caves in the Sequoia/Kings Canyon area...the first that I visited was Boyden Cavern in Kings Canyon (privately owned). Crystal Cave was the second. It takes some planning in visiting this cave, as you must buy your tickets before you arrive at the cave parking lot, and you have a bit of a walk downhill (a bit steep at times, all downhill on the way there--which means all uphill on the way back) past lovely views of the forest, foothills, and also of a beautiful cascading waterfall that the path crosses a few times on your way down. We planned ahead and had a picnic lunch at the parking lot before it was our ticket time to head down to the cave's entrance. Beware--the parking lot is a bit isolated..bears have been known to break into vehicles while the owners toured the caves. Signs warning visitors to put all food and food-like items in the bear lockers should be heeded. A ranger told me about how a lady's car was broken into on a hot day in 2011 because she left cherry chap-stick in the glove box. Okay..on to the cave. This one is at least twice as large as Boyden Cavern, but has many of the same features. The rangers are knowledgeable about the cavern system in the area, geology, and caves in general. We took the walking tour--which was great, but they also offer down and dirty spelunking tours--where you have a headlight and crawl/climb into parts of the cave inaccessible to most visitors. I'm too claustrophobic for that. The cave has a consistently cool temperature year round, so I agree-sweater is a must. After the tour, please take some time to check out the water fall near the cave's entrance before heading back up...it is a long walk, and worth stopping to soak in the views (or if you're me--catch your breath). read more

Definitely worth the visit. During my last visit to Sequoia National Park I was disappointed to learn that the cave tours were closed for the season. This year I made of point of returning just to visit the cave. I recommend purchasing your tickets in advance. Keep in mind after 9:00am the line to enter the park is insane so come early. It's also an hour long drive to the cave from the park entrance so plan accordingly. One of the biggest surprises for me was how beautiful the hike to the cave was. It's a half-mile downhill trek along a well-paved path that takes you to the base of a large waterfall. There is an abundance of lush green foliage. I would have enjoyed the hike alone even if there wasn't a cave at the end. This was my first experience exploring a deep cave so I really didn't know what to expect. It's funny because my only real life reference was amusement park rides. The tour guide was very informative. Learning that it took a century for a stalactite to grow an inch put it all into perspective. It's amazing to think how these fragile delicate growths have lasted so long. Throughout the cave there are well-placed LED lights and the guide also has a flashlight so you really don't need to bring your own light source. Besides, the darkness adds to the experience. If everyone had a flashlight it would have been annoying. It was a little chilly inside but not too bad. I would avoid bringing a heavy jacket or sweater; they will just be a pain to carry on the way back up the hill. There are bathrooms where you park your car at the trailhead and a small concession stand that sells snacks and other souvenirs. It was interesting to learn that the reason why they don't allow you to leave your pet in your car is because they will attract bears. For that same reason you also should not have food of any kind inside your car. You may want to also bring insect repellant. There were a number of annoying mosquitoes. read more

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It's a good hike down to the cave with beautiful waterfalls along the way. The cave itself is chilly (but great during summertime) and the inside is truly amazing. The tour guide gives you some good history of the insides of the cave. Too bad we didn't get to see any bats. The hike back up is tiring, but make sure you stop to take pictures of the waterfalls. A must visit on the way to Sequoia. Advice #1: Bring a small flashlight to view other areas that might be a bit dark. Advice #2: Book in advance if it is summer time - it gets sold out, especially weekends!! read more

This place is stunning. It's about a twenty-minute hike down and a 20-minute hike up after but worth it. The tour is brilliant stunning and awesome highly recommend for anyone. Tickets aren't bad it only cost us about $16 per person but worth every second.. Try not to bring your screaming kids into the cave it doesn't work real well thanks read more

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Stalagmites and stelagtites. After standing nearly an hour in a moist cave that is only 50 Degrees everything sounds like National Geographic. The tour is $13 per person, last 45 minutes and must be purchased in advance at a visitor center. There is currently and hour delay due to construction on the road so factor that into your drive time because there are no refunds. The tour can bring you into done tight spots so there are no backpacks allowed. You'll have to leave it in front of the cave unattended or at the bear box in the parking lot. read more

Crystal Cave - Parks Near Me - Three Rivers, California

Went on the "family tour". It was a bit short in duration. There is a longer tour and i would recommend that for 2 dollars more. Our guide sierra was awesome!! The hike out of this cave back to the parking lot is not something to take lightly. Stairs and steep climb. Uneven pavement and drop offs. Add to that poison oak all over off the path and flies and mosquitos well.... U get the picture. There are beautiful waterfalls along the path. Enjoy them and take pics on ur way down because u will not feel like it on the climb back out!! No backpacks or bags of any kinds allowed in cave so leave everything but a water bottle in your car. I believe the cave needs to stress that young children, the elderly and those unable to walk 1 mile at one time or that have any heart or lung problems should not go to the cave. On our tour one elderly lady couldnt make it back and EMT's were called. read more

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This is a nice trip, but parents please leave your little kids at home, screaming, talking, your little shits don't care at all about a cave, they just want to sleep or poop. We had this kid that was just non-stop the whole time, parents did nothing to shush him, couldn't hear the travel guide that well. You see two groups of people, also saw the next group on the way up. One are the people there to enjoy it, and other are the parents with kids to destroy it. You can see the sadness on the people that tolerate that. To those parents, I hope you get an airhorn blasted in your ear until you pass out. Anyway, great time, walking down to a really interesting cave, got to see some fascinating rocks and things, enjoyed the trip. Going back up was certainly an exercise. The tickets you'd best order them in advance. Also keep in mind, give yourself an hour to get up to that part of Sequoia and about 20-30 minutes for the long drive there. read more

DO NOT GO WITHOUT BUYING TICKETS FIRST. I highly recommend the Discovery Tour, we went through it twice and got a more thorough explanation of the geology and chemistry. I've heard some of the bigger and more general tours are light on education. I bought my tickets two months in advance, and there's a sign at the beginning of the 20 minute car drive from Generals highway to Crystal Cave that tickets aren't sold up there but several groups of people drove all that way and asked to buy tickets. I felt bad for one group as they seemed to be running low on gas as well. If you're going to check the times for the tours, make sure you get tickets too. Weather inside is always 50°f. The hike back is pretty tough. read more

The road down to the caves from General Highway is LONG WINDY AND BUMPY. we successfully made it in cars, and it is paved, but just know its a narrow winding road so leave early enough to take it real slow. We purchased 30 tickets ahead of time, only needed to bring ID to pick them up, very easy. Safety talk before hand. Bear boxes on site if you want to bring lunch with you. There is a steep mile long trail down to the cave, which only takes about 15 minutes to get down, but be prepared to hike back up it. We took plenty of stops on the way back - gorgeous views, and a waterfall. Our tour guide for the family tour was Addison and he was AMAZING. he let us sit in complete silence and darkness in one of the larger caves. There is poison oak along the trail, however it is marked with signs and easily avoidable. It is really cold in there, so bring a jacket! read more

I was there on 06/17/2018. Awesome place to visit. Park staff was very helpful and shared a lot of knowledge with us (especially our tour guide, she answered a lot of questions my curious son was asking). Drive to crystal cave was very nice. must visit the place. There is a downhill trail from parking to the cave, which is about a mile and 350 feet down. There are two waterfall on the way to cave. read more

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