The expedition spelunking tour was so much fun! Tyler was an excellent guide and his professional and calming attitude was very reassuring throughout the tours challenging route. Definitely coming back and will recommend to others. However, do not underestimate the demanding physicality of the expedition, it is not for the faint hearted. It gets tight and you will get a major work out! read more

Moaning Caverns Adventure Park - Expedition - Amusement Parks Near Me - Vallecito, California

If you have anxiety don't do it! I think it was an adventure for sure. My son's really enjoyed the whole experience, I on the other hand probably won't attempt it again. read more

Not far from Angels Camp. Very neat family fun spot! Your guides are very knowledgeable and the history of the cavern dates way back.

We had a fun visit to Moaning Caverns. Well the drive gets a little scary but only for less then a minute. The road turns into a narrow road. We didn't get the chance to go into the caverns or zip line or rock climb but we were really happy to pan for gems. We looked all over for panning places this place was 10 mins away from our campsite. You can also throw Axe's here! There are quite a few things to do and the cutest little shop for all your souvenir needs. read more

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Such a helpful and friendly staff. Very easy to sign up to get tickets online and pay using a credit card.

My kids aged 15,13 and 10 loved it. From a parent's perspective, it was cool but I was sort of hoping for more. The tour itself took about 1 hour and that was really about all you could do at the place. There were no other activities to speak of. No zip lining, axe throwing or anything else. For the cost it would have been nice to have something else to do for a little while longer. I would recommend going to the natural bridges if you're looking to do something else with your afternoon. read more

This place was amazing! After about 235 steps down a steep stairwell and spiral staircase you see nature's beauty. But let me tell you that the 235 steps back up was not my friend! All the staff was very friendly and informative. We will definitely be back for the extended tour! read more

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Came here with our Boy Scout Troop in the Fall. Great weather. I did all the high adventures with the Scout a. Zip Lining - this is a long run, but it still happens so fast. Real easy, no effort, they even put on the breaks for me. b. Rappelling - this is a first for me, I am afraid of heights so I did not look down. Need to maneuver my feet against the wall of the cave so I do not scrap up my body by banging the hard, rough walls. They did not talk about that in the safety video. c. Walking Tour - I walked up the long spiral staircase. Nice job making such a long staircase. It was a good workout for me. d. Rock Wall Climbing - this was the most difficult activity for me. I had to make my body go up the wall. Gravity works against me. Tip - they do not have potable water so need to bring your own drinking water. read more

Moaning Caverns Adventure Park - Going down the hole. - Amusement Parks Near Me - Vallecito, California

The Monday after Father's Day, Dad and I drove down to Calaveras with the general idea of "let's check out some caverns," especially since we had a brochure for Mercer Caverns from our trip earlier that weekend to Mariposa/Yosemite. Note that the day before this Moaning Caverns trip I had just run a half marathon in SF (the second half of the SF Marathon) sooo was a wee bit sore. Driving along we saw signs for California Caverns and Mercer but decided to turn off at Moaning Caverns. I wasn't game enough for the ziplining (it was HOT) but Dad and I did the walking tour part. After the briefing, our tour group had lots of families with kids, we decided to go first after the tour guide down the tight staircases (so as not to get stuck behind). Man, were those steep steps! I'm pretty petite and still had to watch my head and hold tight (my purse actually might have thrown off my balance, come to think of it). The first set of stairs was alright, when you enter the cavern and sort of the "top" of the Chocolate Falls formation and get some history. This is the only portion where you can touch the walls. As you go down that spiral staircase, sure feels like forever (hundreds of feet descent!) but you are in a "cage" so it really does take one step at a time to make it down to the bottom. At the bottom you get more history and rock formations that resemble well-known things are highlighted (reminds me of staring at clouds in the sky and "seeing" various shapes). What's cool is that our tour group got to see some rappellers on their way down. We had to wait for them before the part of the tour where they kill the lights, and another tour was about to come down the stairs so that was eh trying to get back up/out. Alas, I didn't avail of maximal "adventure" that this place has to offer. Maybe will return in the future. read more

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Amazing cavern! My first visit here was many moons ago when I went to 6th grade came at Foothill Horizons. I had been a couple times since, but it had been a number of years and my birthday was approaching. I saw a billboard saying that birthdays are FREE at the cavern, so I went to their website for more info. On your birthday, you can either take the tour, go on the zip lines, or rappel into the cavern for FREE! The 2-3 hour Adventure Trip is NOT a part of the free birthday deal. So, I grabbed a couple friends on my birthday and drove to Murphys. The rappel was an A-MAZING experience. I'm not a huge risk taker, but decided to do something fun and adventurous. Paul outfitted my group with gear, had us watch a video, and gave us pointers on what to do (and not) when rappelling. He was extremely helpful and an overall nice guy. The rappel was both exhilarating and sweat-producing at the same time. I would definitely recommend the rappel if you're not deathly afraid of heights....it's 165 ft. or 16 stories, some of which is a free rappel. I'd definitely recommend it at least once. Everything else was open and operational when I was there, so I enjoyed watching people race on the zip lines as well. Perhaps I'll do that next year. Fun fact: Moaning Cavern has the largest chamber on the West Coast. read more

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Interesting and fun. Nice place to go with friends, your SO or to take the older kids.

Great fun to kick up the adventure in all of us. Zip Lining was great, but the descent into the cavern was the highlight of the trip. Doesn't matter if you are rappelling down into the cavern or taking the walking tour to the bottom, both are great fun. The rappelling is something new for almost everyone. Rappel once and you are wanting to expand your knowledge of the sport and seek out other nearby rock areas that offer rappelling adventures. If you are hooked on the Zip Line you can make a second run for about half price. Visiting the lower elevation Sierra's and gold country is a treat just to explore the nearby towns and attractions near Moaning Caverns. There is some great hiking not too far away that can make for a beautiful day in the mountains. You can easily make a very long day of your adventure and never get bored. It's a very easy drive to Vallecito. It's likely you will spend 3 hours plus at this adventure park. Only snacks and drinks are available in the park, but drive in any direction once you leave Vallecito and you will find great dining choices in historical settings. Murphy's, Angel's Camp, Columbia, and Mokelumne Hill are great places for a nearby break with plenty of food available. Treat yourself to a day visiting California much like it was when visitors of 100 years ago first saw California. read more

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What a great experience. To be 180' below ground and learn about the cavern and the scope of it all was great. And to challenge yourself by going down and then back up the equivalent of approx. 18 stories! Guide was very knowledgeable! read more

This was a wonderful tour! Breathtaking rock formations hidden 165 feet below the earth's surface. Abagail made the adventure fun!! She was very knowledgeable and extremely humorous... making for the perfect experience!!! read more

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did the three hour cave crawl tour and what an adventure! totally worth every bit of it. Our guide was amazing. knowledgeable, friendly, and extremely helpful in getting us through the tough spots. 5/5 would recommend read more

Had a great experience visiting Moaning cave spiral tour, our tour guide was great, she was knowledgeable about the cave info and gave us time to look around and even took pictures of us ...I am scared of heights and was able to overcome it and I am super glad I did it was worth it.. read more

We did the spiral cave tour and it was excellent. It was short but packed full of information and cool things to look at. Our tour guide was really entertaining, especially considering she does that same speech multiple times a day. read more

Moaning Caverns Adventure Park - A drape in the cavern - Amusement Parks Near Me - Vallecito, California

This was so fun! My group did the ax throwing with Tyler as our guide. He was absolutely amazing. We also did the spiral tour which was fantastic. I unfortunately cannot remember the young ladies name who was our guide but she was absolutely awesome. She tried out her new tour rap on my group of 3 and we all loved it. She also recommended another place to visit called Natural Bridges and I'm so glad she did!! Thank you guys for a wonderful adventure! read more

Moaning Caverns Adventure Park - The Cavern - Amusement Parks Near Me - Vallecito, California

This is just based off of the moaning cavern tour. I'm giving it 3 stars because for some reason, I expected us to go down to the caves and come out in a different area. I thought we would see a lot more than the things we saw. But basically, you go down a ton of stairs and then go back up the same way. Oh by the way, if you are afraid of heights like me, this wasn't too fun for me to go up and down the spiral staircase of 400+ stairs!!!! If you are claustrophobic like some of the people in our group were, this may not be the best tour for you. The way down could be very congested depending on the size of your tour group. Other than that, the tour guide was very informative and explained a lot about the history of the caves and everything you need to know about them. She even pointed out some fun shapes and marks on the walls. For almost $20, I wish it had a little bit more to see. read more

My wife and I decided to celebrate our anniversary by exploring the earth beneath us. Turning the moaning caverns is one of the best ideas especially with their well equipped and well knowledged tour guides as well with the breathtaking aesthetics of underground life which was shown to us. I can honestly and truthfully say that we will be coming back for another tour once the weather clears up because it was amazing our tour guide was amazing everyone there was extremely helpful and gave us clear and concise instructions on how to only remain safe yet enjoy the entire tour for what it was thank you so much for everyone who works here who supports this facility I highly recommend if this is your first time visiting the caves or any cave in the local area. read more

Moaning Caverns Adventure Park - The spiral staircase which is the main attraction while entering the moaning cavern. - Amusement Parks Near Me - Vallecito, California

If you like to drive to distance places, enjoy picturesque views, and are curious about caves then this is the place for you! Moaning Caverns is located in Vallecito, CA and does tours on the hour, every hour. It's a 45 minute tour where you will be lead by a your guide walking down approx. 200 steps down to get to a "landing spot," be told fun facts about the cave, and take as many pictures as your little heart desires. You will have to walk back the same 200 steps up to get out of the cave. I would like to be clear that this isn't really a "walking" tour. You will not be able to walk through the cave and pop out of an exit. You will walk down the metal steps, be given fun facts, take pictures, and walk back up. If you're planning on coming to this cave do more than the walking tour, otherwise you'll be slightly disappointed. They offer one expensive zip line experience for approx. $45 and offer the adventure tour which you will be lead by a guide through the cracks of the cave for a higher price. THEY DO NOT OFFER RAPPELING. I was told by an employee that they are temporarily closed the rappeling option because California deems this to be considered an amusement park with more guidelines to follow. It was my first time going inside the cave and I was so stoked to see and touch some stalactites and stalagmites. The 2.5 hour drive was worth it. Thanks cavern tours! read more

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Moaning caverns is a great stop if you are ever driving by it- do it! Adventure park includes: axe throwing, mining for gold and treasures, zip lining and rock climbing weather permitted. We elected to take the cavern tour. The 45 minute guided tour, with Rona as our tour guide takes you in the deep darkness and down 185 feet of the moaning caverns. On the trip you learn how it gets its name and get to experience the amazingness that the earth has to offer. *They also offer a 3 hour tour which takes you further into the cavers, not for the claustrophobics read more

We paid $110 each for the ADVENTURE TOUR and boy was it worth it! We spent hours crawling in the pitch @ss black with a tour guide exploring every nook and cranny we could fit into. It was absolutely insane. Each of us had to confront our fears of confined spaces at some point in the tour. My moment happened about half way through the tour climbing up a rock chute when the walls seemed to close in and my breathing became deep. I saw another person really struggle to slide up into an opening about the size of a softball - or at least it seemed that small. By working together and listening to the tour guide we were able to keep our cool and move forward. By the way - Sheridan is an excellent guide. Please don't forget to tip. I can't imagine any of these people are rich so an extra $20 might be a nice thing to offer after it's all over. And one last word of advice - the adventure tour is not for the full figured or overly large person. read more

Came here for a good friends birthday. We were going to go BIGSUR. But something came up, and we ended up detouring here because he said his costumers has always talked about it. We drive 2-3 hours for this cave. To me, it was just ok. But he really enjoyed it. So I have to give it a 5 star. All I have to say now is "those stairs" lol they got me good. read more

We really enjoyed the whole tour, and our guide Tyler kept us at ease in those tight tunnels. A fantastic fun adventure! read more

Moaning Caverns Adventure Park - Tyler helping us through the tunnel - Amusement Parks Near Me - Vallecito, California

Despite the place is worth the money or not, they need better employee training for sure. When there is a conflicts between customers, they should be neutral and assist to reduce tension between 2 parties. Unfortunately, they are doing opposite, they decided to quickly pick one side and only listen to the lady who started all rude conversations. And unbelievable part is here, when we were in parking lot and about to leave, they sent 2 guys who were not even at the first place to witness what happened and yell at us to leave right now!! Because we are INSULTING THEIR CUSTOMERS！ ok so we now not your customers? When my wife tried to explain not us start it, they said we have multiple witness! It's very funny, when that happened only 2 families there. My family 5 ppl and that lady's family 3 ppl plus the tour guy. If you are saying multiple witness, are you counting my family!!? These 2 guys, one name Ron, the other guy not dare to say his name after we said will report their name. The tour lady name can't remember but that tour was 8/26 1 pm. Very poor employee behavior here. I will not recommend this place as this cave is underground, with this type of employees, can't image how do they handle the emergency situation, like stair or cave collapse. Since you don't treat us as your customers, I look forward to your refund!!!! read more

10/10 will be coming back for sure. i Won't disrespect this place by trying to use human words to describe how amazing this it is! The staff and guides are awesome as well. Will be going back for some cave crawls. If you visit this place, please show it the respect it deserves. read more

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I absolutely love seeing what incredible natural wonders there are in California and this was for sure worth a visit! The tour guides and all the staff are so friendly and nice, the tour was so much fun informative interesting and very well put together. I would only say the gift shop is dangerous because of all the amazing goodies they have as well! I would say unless you are claustrophobic this is worth seeing. read more

Moaning Caverns Adventure Park - Moaning Cavern from below - Amusement Parks Near Me - Vallecito, California

A must visit! Nice to watch it through the eyes of a child... Zip lining here is grossly over priced for a very short ride... Otherwise a must attend at least once! read more

A shout out to the absolutely awesome staff here! When we found out the tour involves descending a bunch of steps, my elderly parents opted not to join us. The staff not only went out of their way to find a pencil for my dad to play sudoku puzzles during the wait, but told him to return to the counter if the pencil needed sharpening. This kind crew made his day...he later noted that the pencil is his souvenir of the cave visit. ;-) read more

Maybe I didn't read enough reviews or look at all the pics but holy crap, going down into the cavern was super tight and claustrophobic. The winding iron staircase is welded together, no bolts or anything- that's pretty dope. This tour may be scary for kids. During one point of the tour all of the lights in the cavern are turned off which can be kinda freakish. It's pitch black. A kid that looked about 3 years-old was over the tour once the lights were out. Careful when going back up, you may hit your shins on the steps. Otherwise, the info given and the details pointed out during the tour were interesting. I needed to fill our morning with something to do and this was perfect. The caverns used to have other activities like a zip line and rock climbing wall, however, they were closed due to some weird California regulations. All in all it was a good once in a lifetime experience. You're not allowed to bring in a bag or anything bulky, but I def recommend bringing some kind of hand wipe. You will most likely be holding on to the handrails with a death grip and rust from the rails will be on your hands... along with everyone else's cooties. read more

We went with our kids and we all had so much fun. It's a unique and interesting experience, especially if you love history. Knowing that it's been around for along time is very cool! The spiral steps can be a bit scary if you are afraid of heights but it's wasn't bad for us. We took our youngest 2 yr old toddler and she behaved and was able to go up and down. This is a must see if you visit the area. read more

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I've been here twice during COVID and both times I truly enjoyed myself. The first time I went I was part of a large group and the most recent time I toured with just myself, my boyfriend and a family of three. I loved it! The tour guides both times were AMAZING super informative and fun. Truly is a fun experience and a quick 1 hour activity. It was like 44$ for 2 adult tickets but the price is well worth the experience. Although I must mention if anyone has a big fear of tight spaces or heights the tour may be pushing those fears. I was a bit nervous going down all the stairs because I have a fear of heights but going up I was just OUT OF BREATH! I would definitely go back again! read more

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If you are in Sonora ca this place is a must. The staff here were great and very knowledgeable with information about the cavern. Even the climb down the spiral stairs was exciting. read more

A great time, great tour guides. Be prepared for some sore legs...potentially. its a unique experience that my wife and I are glad we had. Alot of fun, especially when they turn out all of the lights... read more

It was interesting and fun learning experience. Highly recommend, it's easy to book reservations online. read more

First off, the adventure was a blast! That being said, all did. C not go smoothly. My daughter had a little panic attack . I'm not saying it's the caverns fault. If you're free to close places, it is a little bit tight in a couple spots but not that bad so you shouldn't have to worry. But Angel, our tour guide stayed with my daughter the whole time and I think she's such an angel and everybody working. There was so sweet and so smart and so kind, I would definitely recommend this to anyone my 12-year-old granddaughter just loved it my daughter not so much but like I said that's a different story so if you're thinking about it definitely go. read more

Thought about giving this place a one star cuz they didn't let me bring my dog or my drone inside... But after some thought I decided this place really is awesome to check out! If you've never seen anything like it before, or even if you have, it's definitely worth a visit. The people who work there are friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. Had a blast with Shane on the tour, can't wait for the 3 hour expedition. And trust me your dog doesn't want to go down there anyway! read more

Amazing adventure! Truly spelunking with v tight creative squeezes but also many options and ways to get out. The guide was great, really passionate and patient and really let us explore. read more

This is my first time going here and checking it out. I've never been inside a cave before and it was good experience. Next time, imma try go the 3 hours Adventure and other activity rock climbing or zip line. read more

Moaning Caverns Adventure Park - In the caves and underground - Amusement Parks Near Me - Vallecito, California