Spooky Spelunking

Crystal Cave in Sequoia National Park

Not all of nature's stunning views come from bagging a peak. Sometimes it's what lies beneath that's more intriguing. Venture below Sequoia National Park's soil and discover an extensive underground system of nearly 300 caves, including Sequoia's hidden gem—Crystal Cave. This ornate maze of polished karst marble offers guided tours of varying difficulty and duration through over three miles of narrow and winding passageways. The standard 45-minute tour begins with a steep 0.5-mile downhill hike. Pass views of yucca-covered ridges and waterfalls en route to the cave's entrance, where you'll meet your guide right before a giant metal gate in the shape of a spider web. Once through, shuffle in single-file past dimly lit subterranean streams, actively forming fairy pools, and icicle-like stalactites draped like curtains across the walls. Bring a jacket; cave temperature is a constant 48 degrees! The Marble Room, the largest room in the cave, extending more than 100 feet wide and 30 feet high, is your last stop. Sit silently as your guide turns out the lights for an incredible experience in total darkness.

HALLOWEEN BONUS: For even spookier spelunking, get set for Halloween at Crystal Cave (October 30 and 31, various times), a special 1.5-hour tour starring the "ghosts" of Crystal Cave's past. Tickets ($25, ages 8 and up) are limited!

Crystal Cave is located off the Generals Highway in Sequoia National Park, northwest of the Giant Forest. Tours are offered daily through November 29 and tickets must be purchased ahead of time at the Giant Forest Museum or Foothills Visitor Center (you cannot purchase at the cave entrance). Allow one hour to drive from the visitor center or 30 minutes from the museum to the cave parking lot—the road is narrow, winding, and steep. No dogs. 

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Serene Las Gallinas

    A serene stroll alongside marshland, passing ponds and grasses frilled in seasonal wildflowers, with Mount Tam a beacon in the background … how nice. As part of the esteemed Bay Trail, San Rafael’s Las Gallinas Valley Birding Loop and Wildlife Ponds comprises about 3.5 miles of wide-open trail.

    View
  2. Paint Brushy

    This time of year you’ll have good reason to head for the hills—the electric-green rolling hills of Brushy Peak Regional Preserve in Livermore. This 4.5-mile loop hike is like stepping into a plein air painting.

    View
  3. Sponsored

    2025 POST Wildflower Walks

    Get flower empowered! POST’s complimentary 2025 Wildflower Walks guide blooms with the best places to see a variety of florals across the Peninsula and South Bay this spring.

    View
  4. All right, Almaden!

    Take a trip through time on this 5-mile loop in Almaden Quicksilver County Park. Explore the ruins of an old cinnabar mine and enjoy the first hints of wildflower season.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Sponsored

    Weekend in Reno Tahoe

    Weekend plans? Reno Tahoe! Just a few hours by car or a short flight away, Reno Tahoe springs to the moment with great ways to combine adventure and relaxation in its beautiful mountains-meets-desert setting.

    View
  2. Hiker walking along the North Bluff Trail on Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands National Park

    Purely Wild

    Channel Islands National Park lives up to its nickname as “North America’s Galapagos.” This less-traveled national park is an undeveloped and isolated series of five dramatic and distinct islands reached by boat. Hike the largest of the islands, Santa Cruz.

    View
  3. Woman hiking the South Kaibab Trail in the Grand Canyon

    Truly Grand Day Hike

    One of the best spring day hikes in the Grand Canyon? See layer upon layer of the park’s grandeur—including the river—on this 3-mile (one-way) journey to Skeleton Point via the South Kaibab Trail.

    View
  4. A woman stands amid an array of yellow and purple flowers at Descanso Gardens in Los Angeles

    Petal Paradise

    Tulips, lilacs, and daffodils—flower power is in full bloom at Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge. Sprawling across 150 acres surrounded by mountains, the gardens are putting on their best show right now.

    View