I've been on a LOT of tours in a LOT of places around the world, and Willy is in my top 10! The caverns are pretty cool, but Willy's knowledge, humor, pacing, and care made this a five-star experience. Our group ranged in age from tween to 60s and everyone was engaged for two hours. I'm a California Naturalist with high standards and Willy knows his stuff! As a native Californian I especially loved knowing he's local, young, and a former CCC "graduate". His contributions and energy are why these government programs are so important. Must see if you're visiting the area, but be warned -- you need reservations and these fill up weeks ahead of time. The paved road, nature center, views, and well-organized everything made this a real treat! read more

Tours are offered on Friday-Sunday and Holiday Mondays at 11am and 2pm from October to May. In June and September, tours are on the same days but only at 10am. Reservations are highly recommended, as tour size is limited to approximately 12 people; and reservations are only taken via phone on Mondays between 8am-5pm. Cost is $10 per adult 17+ and parking is $10, payable at the visitors center upon arrival for the tour. The tour itself takes approximately 2 hours, and is about 1.5 mile round trip. It may feel strenuous for some people walking back up to the parking area from the caverns. Our guide was very knowledgeable and informative. I recommend bringing food and drinks to eat before or after the tour, as none is available. Also, leave your bags/belongings in the car. You will be asked to put these items at the entrance of the caverns, including water bottles. read more

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This cavern is located in the Mojave National Preserve. It is close to hole in the wall attraction. It is recommended to visit both sites in the same time. I would suggest to get the reservation. But most of the time the phone to get the reservations is not past through here. So plan visit first to cavern get the reservation then visit the hole in the wall. Then come back to visit the cavern at your reservation time. The cavern need 1.5 hours. Like most of the cave, they require you to disinfect shoe bottom before you enter and get out due to disease control for the bat. The cavern is very nice. A lot of formation due to million of year of formation. The shape stalactites and stalagmites fuse together become a big column. Some formation shape like bacon. Colorful formations are beautiful. This is not a good place for handicap. Prepare some walk up and down with narrow walkways. read more

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This is definitely a must see. The caverns themselves feature amazing limestone formations. They are very unique and there's nothing else like it anywhere nearby. The park employees that run the tours are very knowledgeable and provided tons of information and answered all our questions. If you're driving to/from Las Vegas from the LA area I would plan to make a stop here. It is accessible from the south via paved road and the north via dirt road. The dirt road is very well graded and an easy drive even in a stock crossover or small SUV. read more

Mitchell Caverns Natural Preserve - Parks Near Me - Essex, California

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Lemme start off this review with a huge shout out to WILLIAM! Best tour guide on the planet. Super informative, funny, and ultra knowledgeable. Thanks! So the caverns are absolutely worth the drive. Took us 3 hours from Santa Clarita, and the drive was easy. The last half of it is awesome desert scenery, some light rain and lightning as well. The road leading up to the visitors center gets a little bumpy, so drive slow as you get closer. The tour itself was great. Nice easy stroll to the cavern entrance, and once inside you're floored by the formations - coming at you from every direction!!William took us step by step through every chamber, making sure to point out special and interesting spots along the way. The lighting was perfect, the path easy to navigate, and the temp in there was nice and cool. Can't stress enough how incredible each chamber is, this place is a random must see. Bonus: the views from the hiking trail and visitors center are stunning! BONUS: You can now make reservations online!!! Get on it! read more

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Wow, I never knew such a place like this existed within a day's drive from LA. While planning a road trip into Arizona, I stumbled upon finding out about this place and made reservations about a month in advance. The one downside is that they only take phone calls on Mondays in order to make reservations, so make sure to mark your calendars. While it sounded like they accepted walk-ins, it may not be easy to get on a tour without a reservation as they cap each tour at 10 people max. I was so blown away by what was within the cavern and even more so at all the details our knowledgeable tour guide gave throughout the tour. There are so many cool formations in this cave and the park staff take great care of this place. The cave is pretty family-friendly, as most of the cave route is well paved (with a few stairs) and lit. You'll definitely learn a lot while getting your Instagram pics. Well worth the $10 per person cost, and $10 parking fee. Other logistics to look out for: - No backpacks allowed on this tour. You'll be asked to put those plus water bottles at the entrance. - The drive in is doable for any car, but make sure to go slow about the last mile or so before you reach the parking lot because there are quite a few potholes - For close to middle of nowhere, the restrooms are super clean and have toilet paper, plus sinks. They even have a picnic table outside near the parking lot that overlooks a cool view of the Mojave Preserve, so consider adding a picnic to your trip here! read more

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Book a tour through CA state parks It's a small cave but a cool tour and there is a campground nearby We enjoyed it read more

A little known, hidden gem in the middle of nowhere, this 2 hour tour is very much worth with the visit. Our tour guide, Will, is personable and humorous. The pathway to the cavern was just recently built or renovated within a year or so. This place was privately owned and hand-built by a couple who later passed away in the 1980's then sold off to the State Parks. Lots of cool facts about this place that I'd consider still part of recent history. Pricing: $10 adult, $5 children and $10 parking. Fun facts I learned: this limestone cavern is so solid it withstand earthquakes. A great hideout place in natural disaster. This place deserves more attention and protection. Really worth the drive to pay a visit. A nice walk through living history. read more

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What an amazing opportunity to learn about geology, history and biology! After having been closed for seven years, Mitchell Caverns is open for business again. It's off the 40 (on the way to Laughlin) in the Mojave Desert. ******Make sure you call for reservations for a tour well in advance.****** It's $10 for the tour as well as $10 usage fee for the Providence Mountain State Recreational Area. For me this is money well-spent to maintain our state recreational resources for future generations. I was lucky enough to accompany a group of schoolchildren from Lake Havasu on my tour. Holly, our tour guide, was funny, entertaining and highly knowledgable about the caverns. This is an opportunity not to be missed. The stalactites and stalagmites are well-lit for photo opportunities; I had no problems taking somewhat decent photos on my phone. I would recommend visiting in spring so that you might see more wildflower blooms on the way. Mitchell Caverns is truly a treasure in our state of California not to be missed. read more

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What an amazing place! I've never been in a cavern before and this was a great 1st time experience. The ranger and guide assistant did an amazing job telling us about the caverns and the desert....the tour is about 90 mins. They did renovations on the path so no hiking shoes needed. If you go on a hot day, definitely use sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat and a small bottle of water. Important things you need to know: 1. You need to call and make a reservation. They will turn you away if you don't (unless someone cancels and you can take their place, which I hear is rare). 2. $10 per person plus $10 parking fee (credit cards accepted)....you must go with a guide, no exceptions. 3 They do 2 tours a day...11-1 and 2-4...park closes at 5. There's nothing around for miles and miles and milllllllllllllllles so make sure you make the reservation(s) and have funds to pay cos' it would really suck to drive all this way and not see the caverns. read more

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Mitchell Caverns is one of the few limestone caves in southern California with unique features found in just a few parts of the USA (connected stalactites and stalagmites, lily pads, helectites and a handful of endemic species). It's a long drive from Los Angeles but if you love the desert, nature, roadtrips and an easily accessible cave this is worth it! The cave is pretty much dead (I.e. most features are no longer growing, one small drip of water) but it's a wonderful time capsule for the history of the Mojave. It's smaller than the many famous US cave systems (Carlsbad, Lehman) and limestone doesn't quite have the glow of marble (Crystal Cave) but it has that desert charm. Also as a piece of history during the early 1900s, the cave is not as well preserved (some broken stalactites with a story) but has been made extremely accessible with paved walkways inside. The tour itself runs 2 hours, 2x a day, and Friday through Sunday. Make a reservation by calling the phone number during Monday business hours. Don't be discouraged with a busy tone, just try again in 30 min or so. We got lucky calling a week in advance with a cancellation; however they are generally booked 2 months in advance! If you are solo, I'd recommend arriving 30 minutes before a tour time but otherwise it's a tough walk in. You pay $10 per person + $10 parking once you arrive at the park. We reached the park in a regular compact car easily (just avoid the handful of potholes on the more private road up to the park). Our tour guide Holly was friendly and informative. You spend maybe an hour in the cave and an hour hiking there (although consider you stop multiple times along the hike to hear stories about the Mitchells and learn fun facts about the Mojave). Although the experience is not ADA accessible I wouldn't say it is only moderately difficult with a few sets of short stairs throughout the cave. The hike itself is fairly flat but uneven with large gravel. The cave felt claustrophobic only for a few minutes in a tight hallway but otherwise was a very large cavern with fresh air. The cave is well lit during the tour with plenty of photo ops. Make sure to not wear any clothes that have visited other cave systems in the past 10 years. Here are some other things to do in the relative area that we fit in a day: Route 66, Amboy Crater, and Hole in the Wall (Rings trail). read more

I first visited Mitchell Caverns in April 2004 and liked the tour I took. The caverns were closed by California in January 2011 for a number of reasons. Almost seven years later, in November 2017, the Providence Mountains State Park and the caverns reopened. I drove down on Sunday and was pleased with the changes I saw. The California Conservation Corps is making the 1/2 mile trail to the caverns easier to traverse by putting dirt down and compacting it. In a couple of places, large rock steps have been added. There's a new bridge near the entrance to the caverns that replaces one nearly washed away in a flash flood in 2015. Finally, there are concrete steps and flat walking area as you approach the entrance to the caverns. A huge improvement is the addition of an LED lighting system in the caverns. The tour of the caverns lasts about an hour and a half and you go through two separate cave areas. The two sections are similar in many ways but different especially in one other way. The stalactites and stalagmites are very impressive in places although these caverns can't compare with some of the famous caverns around the US. The ranger will take time to explain formations and you'll go up and down metal stairs as you wind your way through the caverns. The second cave area is south facing and is warmed and more humid than where you enter. Because of this, there is an airlock door between the two sections. At some point on the tour, the ranger will turn off all the lights and then use blacklight to point out things one can only see with blacklight--such as pack rat droppings. After exiting the second part of the caverns, you walk the 1/2 mile back to the visitor center. There are two rules to follow when you visit the caverns: Rule #1: Don't touch any of the formations. Rule #2: Remember Rule #1. Go for a day trip in the Mojave National Preserve and see this National Natural Landmark. It's worth the drive! read more

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I haven't been to Mitchell Caverns since it closed during the recession. In that time, I read that vandals caused extensive damage to the caverns. Is it true? I look forward to finding out when this small natural treasure reopens to the public. In the meantime, I have added some of my photos here because I think folks seem to have forgotten some of the cool features. If you're expecting Carlsbad Caverns, this ain't it. However, it's a piece of what makes the Mojave Desert such a sublime and quiet place. read more

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Mitchell Cavern is awesome! I was lucky to reserve a spot on short notice. The tour is about 2 hours with a vast amount of information and breathtaking views. You will not be disappointed. The location is quite a drive, but so worth it. I've hiked some caves and mines in southern CA, but never seen anything like Mitchell Cavern. The venue re-open in November 2017, after some renovation and shortage of staff. I'm happy I learned of this hidden gem and was able to explore and learn about it's history.. I have photos, but will not post, because I don't want to ruin it for others that have not had the opportunity to visit. Please remember, we're sharing, so please be respectful of all life forms. P.S. No backpacks and tripods are allowed in the cave during the tour. read more

Definitely worth a visit. It's a long ways away from the major urban centers of Los Angeles and Las Vegas, so it does take some planning. Don't expect to drive up and get on a tour. You must make a reservation, which is only offered by phone on Mondays. Yes, odd, but I suspect the procedure has to do both with limited resources, and the intent to limit the number of people who do visit. Tours are limited to about 15 people each, and are only offered twice daily from Friday through Sunday. All of the effort is worth it. Total tour time from the gift shop and back is around 2 hours. read more

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Really great presentation by our guide, he was personable and knowledgeable and we learned so many cool facts about the caverns and the Mojave. They keep the group small enough that you really get what feels like a personal tour. Otherworldly once you get inside. I didn't know it would be paved and lighted, didnt really feel like spelunking but this was a nice easy hike and tour and I'd recommend it to all ages. read more

Beautiful stalactites and stalagmites to view hosted very nicely by our tour guide. Nice flat parking lot for bikers to park. Nice picnicking area so bring a sandwich to enjoy while you walk around. They did take credit cards, sign said credit cards preferred. The hike along the trail to the cavern is 1/2 mile, 1/2 mile tour, and another 1/2 mile back. It takes under 2 hours, at least for our group. Caves were about 65-70 degrees. Some wore long sleeves and some in shorts. Make sure you don't wear shoes or clothes from any other cave or cavern visited in the last 10 years due to a fungus that kills the bats. read more

My friend wanted to go to a cave, and found this cavern within the Mojave National Preserve, which is nearest to where I live. So I drove for 3-1/2 hours to this middle-of-nowhere cavern. By the time we got there, I was astounded by the lack of civilization and frequent change of weather. I got encountered by a sudden downpour, and had to dry myself inside my car. My friend on the other hand really enjoyed the scenery and the air. After waiting for 1-1/2 hours, we finally got the tour started. The cave inside was pretty small. Sure, the natural phenomenon in the cavern was beautiful, but did not strike me with any lasting impression. I was rather feeling uncomfortable with that tight space and the sense that some little critters were watching us leave. My friend told me that a cavern would be sensuous. I really did not get that, but glad to see that she was happy visiting this place. I was somewhat indifferent, wanting to go back to the civilization, and preparing myself to drive back for 3-1/2 hours again. Since there was no eatery or even a cafe there, I was getting hungry too. Me rating 2-star and my friend probably rating 5-star leads to this review's overall rating. read more

Stopped in here at about 1 pm last Wednesday and surprisingly, there were quite a few people already waiting for the 1:30 pm tour. I figured that I would be the only person up here for the tour but about 15 people were already there. Steve Wilcox provided us an informative and amusing stroll trough these sacred taverns. The formations were amazing. It takes 50 years to create one inch of these formations, so you get an idea of how old these caverns really are when you look around. Another cool fact is the use of the final cavern in the movie "The Doors". Oliver Stone used this cave for Jim's acid trip, as well as some other spots in the Park. Apparently Stone painted the walls against the wishes of tribes, environmentalists, and the government, and then paid a pretty penny (in the $ millions) to clean it up. This place is in the absolute middle of nowhere. It's $6 for adults, $3 for kids. It's definitely a great venue for nature lovers, but there is not much alse around besides Mojave National Preserve. If for whatever reason you may be in the middle of the Mojave, Check it out! read more

This cave is about 1.5 mike trek. It is paved and super easy to walk through. We have a 3 and 5 year old. If you have an antsy kid make sure you put them in a backpack or ergo! These caves are so precious you cannot touch anything! It is 12 million years old and just epic. Our guide was the best interp. guide ever! The rangers really care about their jobs and keeping the cave open and preserved. We had a blast read more

This is a great cave .We did the tour the first weekend it was reopened .If you have the time it's worth going on the tour . Plenty of camp grounds in the area . read more

Located within the Providence Mountains State Recreation Area. The guided tour (abour 1.5 miles long) of the caverns was nice and cool, relative to the heat of the Mojave. Bring cash to pay for the tour fee. read more

Very cool and interesting place to explore. A unique area that you probably did not even know existed.

Super cool in the high desert like around 4000' elevation. Amazing views of desert vista as you walk to the caver opening across the side of a mountain. You have to be escorted by a park ranger who will educate you about the desert and these caverns. I have been there while it was raining huge drops of Spring shower rains.. while also striking the desert floor every 100 yards with lightening creating small individual creosote bush fires! This is a nature rich high desert area and must be respected while you visit there. read more

You have to do the tour. Hopefully you'll get a good/funny tour guide. This a fantastic place.

Bad news, folks: Thanks to our idiot leaders in Sacramento who, apparently, couldn't fix the state budget if the fate of the world depended on it, Providence Mountains State Recreation Area (in which Mitchell Caverns is the main attraction) is now closed due to budget cuts. Boo! Will it ever re-open? Who knows! Thanks a bunch, Sacramento! In any event, call or go online to check the status of this park before driving all the way out there. read more

The Mitchell Carverns just re-opened in November 2017 and we visited them in February 2018. I was so glad they reopened after budget cuts closed them 7 years ago and then they were vandalized while being closed. They are re-opened and you have to sign up for a tour to see them. The spaces are limited and signing up early is advised. The tour takes a little less than 2 hours and our Ranger/Guide was full of information about the caverns and desert. It was extremely interesting. The tour is a small hike. The tour is a bit long and you cannot rush ahead as you have to stay in a group. Plan to relax and take it slow--that will make it more enjoyable. It is a wonder of nature and truly beautiful to see. read more