Overview

Hype:

Crystal Cave is a marble karst cave within Sequoia National Park, in the western Sierra Nevada of California. It is one of at least 240 known caves in Sequoia National Park. Crystal Cave is in the Giant Forest area, between the Ash Mountain entrance of the park and the Giant Forest museum. The cave is a constant 48 °F. It is accessible by Park Service guided tours only. Tickets are not sold on-site, but must be bought at the Foothills or Lodgepole Visitor Center.

Cave Type: Horizontal

Time: 2-4 hours including 45 minute guided tour

Length: 2.42 miles

Fees: Park Entrance, Cave Tour

Recommended Ages:

	0-3
	4-11
	12-19
	20-49
	50-69
	70+

Recommended Months to Visit:

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Permits: Open Buy tickets online.

Links: https://www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/crystal-cave.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_Cave_(Sequoia_National_Park)

Getting There

Navigate to 36.585365, -118.826873.

From the parking area, hike north for 0.4 miles to Crystal Cave.

Route

Because of fragile formations, the only way to visit the cave is on a guided tour. Tours are suitable for all ages. Plan on spending about half a day traveling to the cave, walking to the entrance, and taking the 45-minute tour.

Maps

Closest City or Region: Sequoia National Park, California

Coordinates: 36.589435, -118.825816

Interactive Guide Map

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Printable Maps

July 25, 2019 Trip Report

By Tara Dye

Trip Members

Tara Dye, Savannah Dye, Madilyn Dye, Marci Parker, Wade Parker, Aria Parker,

Story

We got permits at the Lodgepole Visitor Center earlier in the morning. We weren't able to get tickets for everyone because of age restrictions, so Shawn stayed back with Callie and the younger kids while the rest of us did the cave tour. We were surprised how long the drive was to get to the parking area. The road was very narrow and windy, and it was scary because we were driving fast because we were late. We waited in line at the parking lot then got our shoes sanitized with bleach before we started the hike. The whole group hiked down to the cave together. At the bottom, we had to wait for the group ahead of us to finish the tour before we could go in. They had a waiting area at the bottom next to a waterfall. It was really pretty. When it was our turn, we went in. The formations were really cool. The girls got a little scared when they turned off all the lights to demonstrate pure darkness. We hiked back up to the parking area and met up with Shawn at the Congress Trail.

Pictures