Trip signup will be available only to those that have registered for the event.
All trips will require WNS decontaminated gear for the first trip of the weekend. A decon station will likely be present for cleaning gear between trips. Trip leaders will reach out to attendees they don't know to confirm their ability for the trip. Some caves require long hikes, some vertical proficiency, and some require both! Ultimately participation in a guided trip is at the leader's sole discretion.
Complete this form to sign up for a trip!
Current guided trips planned:
(Lost) Soldier's Cave
Sequoia National Park, Sequoia NP South Fork CG, Permitted trips led by Trustees
From Regional: 15 mi; 40 min drive + hike: ~1 mi trail +0.5 mi on road (added due to road damage)
Notes: Natl Park entry fee, dirt road, park ~0.4 mi from campground
Vertical: 2-4 short drops, 6+ hours, Max trip size: 6 (including trustee)
The cave is essentially a 2.3 km long, three-dimensional maze of pits, canyons, and rooms extending to a depth of about 114 meters, all contained within a block of marble about 125 meters long, 80 meters wide, and at over 120 meters deep. The cave trends roughly E-NE from its entrance in a shallow gully in a tributary to the East Fork of the Kaweah River. Highlights include the Aragon Room (with walls coated in inches-thick calcite dogtooth spar), the Helictite Room, the Starlight Room (named for sparkling facets in flowstone), and a series of sporting narrow crawlways (Ruby's Route) which reaches a lake with persistent calcite rafts.
Church Cave
Sequoia National Forest, Hume Lake Ranger District, Kings Canyon (Boyden Cavern), Permitted trips led by Trustees
From Regional: 68 mi; 2h 10min drive + hike: ~0.75 mi off trail (steep gulley)
Notes: Natl Park entry fee
Vertical: Not for Circuit Route, but a harness and two cowstails required for one traverse, 6-8 hours (plus a strenuous ~45 min hike to the cave), Max trip size: 15 (including 3 trustees)
Church Cave is the deepest Sierra Nevada cave and the Sierra's second longest, with five miles surveyed. Church Cave has six entrances that lie within 50 yards of each other, obscured in a rocky gulch. The passages underlie eight acres of surface cliffs and canyon. And despite the region's ruggedness, much of the cave is easy to explore even without rope, though rappels of over 200 ft are possible into some very large rooms. Numerous routes are used to connect various entrances with various landmarks within the cave.
Passages range from large rooms covered in breakdown (e.g., the Cathedral Room, Main Room, Bridge Room, and Malebolge) to solid bare bedrock (e.g., the Tight S Passage, Pancake Room, and Tremendous Crevice) and those covered in abundant flowstone (e.g., The Canyon, Pearl Palace, and Formation Passage). Some memorable narrow spots are Z-Turn, Jackknife, Venturi Tube, Skid Row, Pancake Rooms, Tight S Passage, and the Torture Chamber. *There are a couple of tight squeezes on the route that can be problematic for people with large rib cages and/or unusually long leg-bones; if you're one of those people, you may want to contact Steven or Jef before signing up to get more details.
Palmer's
Sequoia National Park, Sequoia NP South Fork CG, Permit required, open to anyone
From Regional: 15 mi; 40 min drive + hike: ~4 mi trail +0.5 mi on road (added due to road damage)
Notes: Natl Park entry fee, dirt road, park ~0.4 mi from campground
Vertical: 1 ~60 ft drop, Max trip size: 6, including leader(?)
This cave is composed of two very large rooms with multiple side passages and a vertical entrance with a drop of about 60 feet. The cave is very well decorated with both calcite and gypsum formations including a large shield, a large column and many stalactites and tiny gypsum chandeliers. It is a long, steep hike to reach the cave being several miles in length with an ascent of more than 3000 feet. The cave is hard to find and is found in an area that is mostly granite with lots of dense brush.
Saturday Cave
Sequoia National Forest, Hume Lake Ranger District, Kings Canyon (Boyden Cavern), No restriction
From Regional: drive + hike: ~0.75 mi off trail (steep gulley)
Notes: Natl Park entry fee
Vertical: No, Max trip size: leader's discretion Smaller limestone cave in the vicinity of Church Cave.
White Chief
Sequoia National Park, Mineral King valley, No restriction
From Regional: 30 mi; 1h 35min drive + hike (steep)
Notes: Natl Park entry fee
Vertical: No, Max trip size: leader's discretion Marble cave in Alpine karst setting.
Millerton Caves
Bureau of Land Management, San Joaquin River Gorge (Auberry, CA), permit required for organizations
From Regional: 116 mi; 2h 10min drive + hike: ~ 1 mi to Lower or Middle caves, +0.5 mi to Upper
Notes: Parking fee in Gorge ($5 of Natl Park Pass), paved road
Vertical: optional 40 ft, Max trip size: leader's discretion
Approximately 1 mi total of sculpted granite passage. Optional side trip to a nearby cave, vertical required.
Overhang Cave
(more details to come from trip leader)
Self-Guided Options Include:
Wild Child
Sequoia National Park, Sequoia NP Potwisha CG, No restriction
From Regional: 11 mi; 30 min drive + hike: ~3 mi on trail
Notes: Natl Park entry fee
Vertical: No, Max trip size: leader's discretion
Small but scenic cave with great marble banding and two entrances. The cave is in the Marble Fork of the Kaweah River and so floods and changes often due to flooding and debris.
Marble Falls
Sequoia National Park, Sequoia NP Potwisha CG, No restriction
From Regional: 11 mi; 30 min drive + hike: ~3 mi on trail
Notes: Natl Park entry fee
Vertical: No, Max trip size: leader's discretion (6?)
Small but scenic cave with a stream and nice marble banding.
Paradise
Sequoia National Park, Mineral Kind Rd, Permit required, open to anyone
From Regional: 15 mi; 45 min drive + hike: ~1.5 mi on road + ~1 mi off-trail
Vertical: No, Strenuous hike, Max trip size: 6?
~740 ft of cave atop Paradise Ridge contains several straight passages heavily decorated with a variety of white speleothems including stalactites, columns, cave blisters, and helictites.
Low Water Grotto
Kings Canyon National Park, Boyden Cavern area, No restriction From Regional: 68 mi; 2h 10min drive + hike: short off trail (along river)
Notes: Natl Park entry fee
Vertical: No, Max trip size: leader's discretion (6?)
Other Nearby Activities
PLENTY of gorgeous hiking and sightseeing in the nearby Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, swimming in the Kaweah, perhaps some other seasonal activities for the more above-ground adventurous such as canyoneering, paddling, and rock climbing.