Some of California’s most unique attractions are found in Calaveras County, which is famous for its century-old Frog Jumping Contest and for having the most show caves of any other county in the state.
In addition to California Caverns, which is the state’s longest cave system, Calaveras is also home to Moaning Caverns, the state’s largest single cave chamber.
Would you make the drive from SF? Here’s why we would…
The largest single cave chamber in California
At 165 feet tall, Moaning Caverns is even taller than the Statue of Liberty without its base. If you include its undeveloped passageways, the cave reaches a total depth of 410 feet.
Miners “discovered” the cave in the early 1850s during the Gold Rush, although Indigenous peoples had used the area for thousands of years. The name “Moaning Caverns” came from eerie moaning sounds that emanated from the cave, although the acoustics changed after the entrance was widened.
For decades, visitors to Moaning Caverns were simply lowered into the cave in a bucket with candles as their only light source. Luckily for those who wish to visit today, the cave added a 100-foot spiral staircase in 1922, built from WWI battleship steel.
While the cavern’s size is its main draw, its beauty is captivating. Over hundreds of thousands of years, the cave’s interior has been shaped by enormous stalagmites, stalactites, and even crystal “cauliflower” shapes on the walls.
Visiting Moaning Caverns
Moaning Caverns Adventure Park offers two types of tours to explore the cave: The family-friendly Spiral Tour, which costs under $30, and the Expedition Crawling & Spelunking Tour, which is a blast but is not for the claustrophobic. Complementary experiences on site include axe throwing and panning for gemstones.
You can reach Moaning Caverns in less than 3 hours from San Francisco by car — and consider making time for California Cavern, which is 30 minutes away.
🌐 Learn more: Moaning Caverns Adventure Park