California Cavern is an extensive limestone cavern system in the Sierra Nevada foothills, famous for its Gold Rush history and magnificent network of underground passages. The cave is comprised of multiple interconnected chambers and passageways, making it the longest cavern system in California.
Visitors can once again visit California Cavern starting this spring, and now’s the time to take advantage of a January promo on their popular spelunking expeditions.
Keep reading for everything to know.
California’s longest cavern system
California Cavern is located near San Andreas and Angels Camp in Calaveras County, right off historic Highway 49. The cave was discovered during the Gold Rush around 1849-50, opening to the public shortly after as “Mammoth Cave.” It was one of the earliest officially recorded caves in the Mother Lode.
Some of the cave’s most famous early visitors included writer Mark Twain, naturalist John Muir, and author Bret Harte.
These days, California Cavern operates as a show cave with guided walking tours and spelunking expeditions.
Spelunking expeditions and January promo
Gold Country Adventures offers popular spelunking expedition tours of California Cavern, where adventure-seeking guests can don a helmet and try their hand at cave exploration. The tours offer an opportunity to navigate tight passages, crawl under low ceilings, and see parts of the cave otherwise hidden from the public.
If you reserve a spot on a spelunking expedition before January 31, 2026, you can enjoy special pricing with the promo code exploremc26.
If you’re not one for tight spaces, California Cavern also offers more approachable walking tours every hour.
📍 Location: 9565 Cave City Road, Mountain Ranch, CA 95246
🗓️ Opening dates: Reopening in spring 2026
🌐 Website: CaveTouring.com