Crystal Cave (Sequoia National Park) — Attraction in Exeter

The cave tour? Absolutely rockin’! Our guide was like a walking geology encyclopedia with jokes—very informative, very human, no robot vibes. The cave trail was paved, which I deeply appreciated because slipping on wet rocks isn’t on my vacation bingo card. It was a little narrow and bumpy in spots, kind of like nature's version of an obstacle course for people who don’t want to sweat. Still, super easy to navigate. I only stubbed my toe once, and honestly, that was my fault for admiring a rock instead of watching where I was going.

It’s about half a mile long, which is perfect—just enough to feel accomplished without needing a snack and a nap afterward. Inside the cave, it’s a cool and consistent 50 American degrees. Celsius fans, you’re on your own—I failed that part of science class. There are four stops inside big ‘rooms’ that make you feel like you're in nature’s version of a cathedral—if cathedrals were damp and full of echoes.

Now, the hike to the cave entrance: downhill on the way there (yay!), uphill on the way back (boo!). But you get panoramic views and several lovely waterfalls to distract you from your wheezing. There are plenty of benches or boulders disguised as benches if you need to stop and reconsider your cardio routine. Honestly, the hike itself deserves its own Yelp page.

Getting there is its own mini-adventure. The road off Generals Highway/198 starts off smooth like it wants to lull you into a false sense of security, then BAM—gravel and potholes. But any car can handle it. The roughest spots are helpfully marked with traffic cones, which is the universe's way of saying, "Slow down or lose your teeth."

Reservations? Yes, get them online unless you're into chaos and disappointment. Bring that confirmation number like it’s your passport to cave glory. Check in with the ranger at the trailhead—no secret password required, just your name and a good attitude.

Food? Drinks? LOCK. THEM. UP. IN. A. BEAR. BOX. Yes, even if you think bears are like shy forest puppies. They’re not. They are fuzzy burglars who love your granola bars and have no chill. I once learned that bears think film smells like food (true story from a different Sierra adventure), so if you're rolling old-school with a vintage camera, hide your film like it’s your diary. You’ve been warned.

There might be poison oak. I didn’t see any, but then again, I was too busy admiring the scenery and not paying attention to plants plotting against me. Rattlesnakes? They might show up too, but if you don’t mess with them, they probably won’t ruin your day. No mosquitoes that I noticed, which felt like winning the insect lottery.

Oh, and falling rocks are apparently a thing? The ranger mentioned it, but we had zero encounters. Maybe my tin foil hat deflected them. Who knows....

Made reservations to take my children. Drove up to the park through 3 rivers which I have not gone that way before. I highly recommend buying your park entrance online prior to going as you can pretty much bypass the wait at the entrance and it speed up the process greatly. When you purchase the tour ahead of time online it does state that the trail from the parking lot to the cave is half a mile and steep which is true and recommends for you to get there in time for your tour and it sounded like I needed to get there early enough to be able to park and get to the front of the cave by the time of your reservation but that was not actually true. I got there prior to my reservation time and began to take the trail to the cave and was made aware that I actually needed to meet the guide and group in the parking lot area at the time of my reservation which I am very thankful i was made aware of this before I went too far down the trail towards the cave because I would have been very upset if I went all the way to the cave and found out I had to walk back up to the parking lot area before the tour and again after the tour. They were not joking when they emailed saying the trail is quite strenuous and difficult because it was extremely difficult to just walk back to the parking lot area after the tour I told my children who are older to go to the parking lot and I would make it eventually which I did and took a lot of pictures with several breaks during the hike back up to the parking lot that felt like every step was at an elevation or going up stairs. I had to take multiple breaks due to the feeling of exercising when going up hill for half a mile at a elevation I believe is at least 5000 feet which makes it harder to breathe because the air is thinner or whatever happens at elevations. I found the tour very informative and interesting. I would do it again if someone is knew hadnt been before because it was an enjoyable experience. I ended up driving through the park and driving home using the highway 180 route which took less time than I was expecting but was a lot of driving for the day since I drove us there and home in...

Didn't see a crystal once. Was born in Fresno (40+yrs ago) and only found out about this place, when it was closed a couple of years ago. Made plans to go eventually, and those came together. Love the cool, almost cold temperature, by far the best thing about it. Biggest surprise was the 20 minute, rough, unmarked 'drive way' to the parking lot. It's clearly marked off the main highway, but after 15 minutes of driving, with no signage, you start to question whether you're going the right way, finally the on coming traffic was a little reassuring. Other reviews cover pretty much everything else, I will re-iterate the 'hike' back up the 'hill' is steep, a few stairs, and not short. I've walked farther in Vegas for sure, but the 30ish stories you eventually climb don't go unnoticed. We went at the end of July, Fresno was 98, temp at Sherman tree was 65, it was not a cool day, and I'm not a fan of the heat, I was concerned it was going to be too hot to enjoy, but it actually felt like a reprieve from the valley heat. The walk/hike back to the car would work up a sweat on a cold day, however even on a 'hot' day it's acceptable (coming from a sweat-er).

Specific things about our tour: Chora was our guide (she'll make a great English teacher soon), she did great. The cave is bigger and deeper than I imagined, yet there's lights wired the whole way, like, how?? where's the power coming from? how'd they get lights in some of those nooks and crannies? why is there so much of a breeze at the mouth of the cave, there must be air coming into the cave from somewhere, where?..... I left with a thousand more questions than how the cave came into existence... yeah yeah, acid in the water eats the marble, cool, where's the air flow...