Crystal Cave is Sequoia National Park surprise
By:
Sequoia National Park is known for its tall trees but visitors will be surprised to find one of the best caves they will ever want to explore.
Oh the giant Sequoia trees are impressive all right. Who would not marvel at trees that weigh 2.7 million pounds that are more than 2000 years old and have branches seven feet in diameter
More about those later but along the way to see the trees we stopped in at the Foothills Visitor Center just after we entered Sequoia National Park. There was a line at the counter so we figured something was worth waiting for so we nudged a little closer to see just what all the fuss was about. The visitors in line were signing up for the Crystal Cave a guided tour that cost $10 for each adult less for kids and that was still another several miles drive into the park. OK we told the ticketseller were game.
Next came a long windy drive first up into the park and then down several miles into a canyon to a parking area. From there we still had a halfmile walk down a steep trail until it seemed we were almost down to the rushing river below. And then there it was: the entrance to Crystal Cave mother of all Sequoia caves or at least the one the public is most invited to explore.
Now this is not just any cave. The entrance is maybe just a little smaller than a railroad tunnel and no one is allowed in without a park escort. The guide will take groups of 70 persons or fewer into the cave and through the maze of many adjacent caves and chambers until quite honestly we probably never could have found our own way out. I guess this is why when a little boy had to go to the bathroom he was escorted back to the entrance by a second tour guide.
Aside from the spookiness that naturally comes from burrowing so far into the earth and its dark inner chambers the real payoff on this tour is the natural beauty. All along the way from room to room we saw gorgeous stalactites and curtains as well as ornate marble and all kinds of crystal formations that made this look like some sort of Hollywood movie set. Fortunately there are paved lighted pathways that we followed our guide never far away and the rooms had just enough illumination to showcase the formations and their brilliance.
On this hot summer day the 48degree temperature of the caves was refreshing. Our 45minute tour was fascinating every step of the way and climaxed when our tour guide turned off the lights to show us what total darkness was all about: nothing but black and not a thing visible even an inch in front of your face. Our guide told us there have been times when the power generator has failed so at this point we were just about ready to return to the entrance. While many of the rooms are huge this tour definitely is not for the claustrophobic.
If you have some older folks in your party keep in mind the trip back up to the parking lot is a fairly steep hike. But what an experience well worth the price of admission and clearly the highlight of our visit to the park.
Sequoia is the second oldest park in the national park system only Yellowstone predates it. Most people come to see the Sequoia trees which appear in several groves scattered throughout the park. The trees grow to a height in excess of 300 feet second in height only to the Redwood trees of Northern California but considerably larger in girth.
With a little research you learn that the Sequoia tree gets so large because it grows throughout its life and its virtually impervious to disease. They only topple because of natural disasters which explains how its possible to have a tree like the General Sherman tree a park highlight and said to be the oldest living thing in the world. The General Sherman tree is 36 feet in diameter at its base and you could put a 15story building under its first branch.
The Sequoias are only at certain elevations in the park generally between 5000 and 7000 feet. There are 75 groves in the park with most of the pictures taken in the Giant Forest at about 6500 feet. The worlds oldest trees are found here and believe it or not there are almost 11000 trees in five square miles.
We noticed on our swing through the park that there are numerous walks and hikes through the trees a really spectacular opportunity to get up close and personal with these giant treasures. In addition to the Sequoias there are Ponderosa pine sugar pine red fir and foxtail pine all growing to greater than normal size because of the areas climate. If you like the Great Outdoors there is no better place to marvel at Natures beauty.
There are also numerous places to stop and enjoy the views from the park. The roads through Sequoia take you high into the Sierra Nevada range and on a clear day the views of nearby mountains or even down into the San Joaquin Valley are spectacular. The view from Moro Rock is said to be one of the best.
If you want to make a weekend of it there are several places in the park and at the edge of the park where you can spend the evening. There are eight lodging facilities in Sequoia and Kings Canyon parks as well as several more in the nearby areas of Three Rivers and Lemon Cove.
Several campgrounds in the park offer spaces for RV camping although some are more primitive and allow only tents. If youre bringing an RV travel on the park roadways can be a little harrowing at times because roads are steep and narrow in some spots. Leaving Sequoia Park there is a long downgrade and youll want to be sure to downshift rather than ride your brakes the locals told us that vehicles of all sizes come down out of the park with brakes smoking due to overuse.
But whether its trees or caves youre after the long windy road to Sequoia National Park is worth it. After all some of these trees have been waiting for you since before the time of Christ.
AT A GLANCE
WHERE: Sequoia National Park is located in the central Sierra Nevada mountain range. One of the best ways to reach the park is by way of Highway 198 which heads east from Visalia. Highway 198 turns into the Generals Highway the primary road through the park. The north entrance can be reached from Fresno by taking Highway 180 east.
WHAT: Sequoia National Park is famous for some of the largest trees in the world and some of the highest mountains in the U.S. The park also contains more than 100 marble solution caves including the Crystal Cave which is shown to visitors in tour groups of 70 people or fewer.
WHEN: Summer is the best time to avoid hazardous driving as there can be snow in the park up until June. The Crystal Cave tours are offered from May 8 through November 14 weather permitting. You cant take your trailer or huge motorhome on the Crystal Cave road and you should figure about 90 minutes to get to