Crystal Cave in Sequoia National Park reopens after four years of repairs

Crystal Cave has reopened after four years of repairs.

In 2021, lightning ignited the KNP Complex fires that ended up burning 88,000 acres, and killing thousands of sequoias. The marble cavern sustained indirect damage when solar panels that help light and power the cave were destroyed.

Then, as the National Park Service was conducting repairs, 2023 brought record flooding “that washed out the road in several different places,” said Daniel Huecker,  field Institute Director for Sequoia Parks Conservancy.

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To rebuild, groups spearheaded by the National Park Service had to rewire the electrical, remove hazard trees and repair the roads.

Crystal Cave, now accessible to the public, took four years of repairs on the road and infrastructure surrounding it.

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Sequoia Parks Conservancy

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“ It's such an accomplishment for everybody who helped get the area rehabilitated,” said Holly Streit,  public affairs specialist at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.

Parts of the road are still under repair, but the marble cave, formed almost a million years ago, is accessible again.

An out of this world experience 

The experience starts with a large entrance, which is almost like the entrance to a subway tunnel, Huecker described. Immediately, the marble texture is visible.

“ You can see the smoothness from the water that runs through it,” Streit said.

Crystal Cave is unusually big, its cavernous marble interior emerged from the water’s slight acidity over the course of 1 million years. Inside the cave are numerous “fantastical melted rock looking structures,” Huecker said.

There are stalactites (icicle-shaped deposits of minerals that hang from the roof of the cave) and stalagmites (icicle-shaped deposits of minerals that grow from the floor of the cave). But there’s also a formation called “cave bacon” that  looks like bacon hanging from the side of the wall.

“Of course, it's Crystal Cave because it's a little sparkly sometimes,” added Streit. She also highlighted the little pools that exist in the cave, which they call “fairy pools.”

The cave isn’t just a display of rare sights, it’s a natural record of history.

“ What people see as they go in further is really they're going back in time,” Huecker said.

Some of the outerwordly architecture in the cave, constructed over millions of years.

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Sequoia Parks Conservancy

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The cave contains several large rooms — the oldest being Marble Hall.

“ It is several stories high and over a hundred feet long and has all kinds of different formations there,” Huecker said.

At the end of the tour, the lighting inside is purposefully turned off. Tucked deep into the cave, under the lands of sky-high Sequoia trees, “ you get to experience true darkness, which a lot of us don't really get,” Streit said.

Visiting details

Crystal Cave will remain open until Sept. 7, and you must purchase a ticket through Sequoia Parks Conservancy. Huecker also warned that it is a bit of a hike to get out of the cave, which is a steep hike down, and then a steep hike up. Preparation tips here.

But he still underscored the magic of visiting Crystal Cave (which is one of many!) in a park named for its gigantic trees.

"What people see as they go in further is really they're going back in time,” said Huecker.

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Sequoia Parks Conservancy

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These caves are “this third part that is hidden and underground,” Huecker said. “I hope everybody has a chance to see a cave within Sequoia National Park because it's just as beautiful and just as special.”