The Top 13 Caves in the Sierra Nevada
Looking to visit a cave in the Sierra Nevada on your next adventure? To help you better plan your next outdoor experience, we’ve collected Sierra Nevada’s 13
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 27, 2025
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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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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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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Subway Cave - Volcanic lava tube
Highlight • Cave
The Subway Cave is just a short detour from the PCT. Invest half an hour to investigate the unique lava tubes and the cool air within. There are also toilets at the parking lot as well as potable water.
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Coso Mine
Highlight • Structure
Coso Mine is an old Lake Isabella mine, dating back to the gold rush era, and now serves as a human-made habitat for bats. There is a small opening into …
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Shepherds' Mono Tufa Cave
Highlight • Cave
Cool cave carved into the soft volcanic tufa rock near Mono Lake as shelter by shepherds grazing their livestock here in the last century.
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The Quarry
Highlight • Climb
Formerly known as Spreckels Quarry this area is very popular with rock climbers. Even if you're not a climber, it's still a beautiful area and worth a visit to see the sheer cliff faces.
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Lost Burro Mine
Highlight • Historical Site
The remains of the Lost Burro Mine with its scattered wooden cabins and rusty barrels is a picturesque site. You will also find an old mine shaft as well as …
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Greene Mill
Highlight • Cave
The shafts are quickly reached via a short climb over a former road. All shafts are, however, closed to protect the bats from further access.
Translated by Google •
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Gibraltar Rocks
Highlight • Natural Monument
The PCT curves below the Impressive steep cliff wall crescent, with some natural caves to explore, albeit a technical scramble to reach them. The Northern exposure of the tall rock …
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