The Top 20 Caves in California
Looking to visit a cave in California on your next adventure? To help you better plan your next outdoor experience, we’ve collected California’s 20
best caves for you. Based on the experiences of other users, each is a recommendation you know you can trust — so you can better plan your next adventure.
best caves for you. Based on the experiences of other users, each is a recommendation you know you can trust — so you can better plan your next adventure.
Last updated: October 29, 2025
Bear Gulch Cave
Highlight • Cave
The Bear Gulch Cave has two sections, with the lower section usually open for about 10 months of the year, and the upper section closed most of the time to …
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The mystic Cave - Shelter
Highlight • Cave
Small cave carved into granite. Might been used by shaman to protect climbers. Today it’s useful as shelter or pee area (smell based analysis).
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Balconies Caves
Highlight • Cave
Nice hike, especially when it's hot, this part is a little more shadowed. Flashlight strongly recommended. May be seasonally closed, see Park's website in advance.
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Spooner's Cove
Highlight • Beach
It is a pebbly beach with interesting rock formations where you can spend a nice day in the tide pools or exploring the caves.
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High Peaks Trail
Highlight (Segment) • Trail
A hike of about 45 minutes with great rocks and caves. In some places a lamp is recommended.
Translated by Google •
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Smugglers Cave Overlook
Highlight • Viewpoint
A cave isn't visible from the overlook, but even without climbing down the sketchy rope, the coastal views from above are spectacular.
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Sandstone caves in Castle Rock formations
Highlight • Cave
Water, wind, and calcite erosion in per-volcanic sandstone formation.
Slightly acidic rainwater seeps into the sandstone during winter rains and dissolves some of the calcite. Warm and dry days cause …
Slightly acidic rainwater seeps into the sandstone during winter rains and dissolves some of the calcite. Warm and dry days cause …
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Stevens Trail and Cave
Highlight (Segment) • Trail
Stevens Trail is a historic route listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and it originally served as a toll road for miners traveling between Iowa Hill and Colfax. …
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Bronson Caves
Highlight • Cave
No hike to the Hollywood Sign is complete without a slight detour over to the Bronson Caves. This tunnel, from an old rock quarry in the first half of the …
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Subway Cave spur trail
Highlight • Trail
A short loop will get you from and to the Subway Cave. Although this is also a convenient water source, there are more water sources ahead like Lost Creek (8 miles from here) and Cache 22 (16 miles from here).
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