California Cavern, originally known as Mammoth Cave, is California’s first show cave and remains the state’s longest cavern system, offering an unforgettable underground adventure for visitors of all ages. Depending on the season, guided walking tours range from 45 to 80 minutes, leading guests along an enchanting trail filled with shimmering crystalline formations in both historic chambers and newly discovered pristine areas.
Your tour winds through a network of passageways and chambers, where you’ll encounter stunning white, cream, and caramel-colored formations such as stalactites, stalagmites, flowstones, cave popcorn, and rare helictites. Along the way, guides share fascinating stories about the cavern’s discovery, early exploration, and rich Gold Rush history.
Most tours include a brief moment of total darkness, an unforgettable underground experience. If you’re visiting with young children, simply ask your guide for a heads-up before the lights go out.
For the truly adventurous, California Cavern also offers two thrilling, extended expedition tours through its extensive labyrinth of wild, unlit passageways and crawlspaces. These excursions aren’t ideal for the claustrophobic, but for those who love tight squeezes and one-of-a-kind adventures, they provide an exhilarating and completely unique caving experience.
California Cavern: Wild Cave Trips
The 2-hour Mammoth Cave Expedition available for ages 8 and up is a favorite with scout groups, and features off-trail cave exploring with only cave helmet lights to illuminate the way. It’s a fun adventure and the perfect introduction to the sport of caving.
The more challenging 4-hour Middle Earth Expedition available for ages 16 and up is a true immersion in the sport of caving. Experience mud in a way you never have before, while traversing through cavern passageways and chambers decorated with sparkling crystalline cavern formations in the ceiling above. In your small, guided group, far beyond the walking tour trails, you’ll feel like an intrepid explorer in this unique, underworld environment, carved out and decorated by geological forces. It’s an experience you’ll never forget!
Both of these caving expeditions are available by reservation in advance and have recommendations for preparation that you will receive with your reservation paperwork. If you’re already in the area, sometimes you can be added to a group on the day you call, but we recommend making your reservation at least a week in advance to be sure of a spot. For holiday weekend spots, much earlier reservations are recommended.
A beautiful cave, with an incredible history from California’s famous Gold Rush onwards, California Cavern is a state gem and one of the few show caves in the United States that offers wild caving expeditions. John Muir, founder of the Sierra Club visited in the 1800s and obviously enjoyed his exploration of the cave, writing about it in lyrical detail in his book “Mountains of California” published in 1894.
California Cavern – Additional Activities
Above ground, a popular activity for kids and families is gold panning and gemstone mining in their flume system right next to the visitors center and gift shop which features fantastic nature-store-style merchandise, fun, educational and enjoyable for the entire family.
One of our favorite items is a collection of geodes, which you can purchase and crack right there in the gift shop. Be the first person to see the crystals inside one of the ancient rocks! While you’re in the visitors center, say “hi” to the enormous, genuine, ancient cave bear skeleton.
