The experience was so much fun! My friend and I spontaneously decided to go on this cavern tour. And lemme tell you, you will not be disappointed! Andrew, the tour guide, was hilarious and made the experience so much fun! It was our first time going and we will be back for sure with more people and more adventures! read more

Just an amazing place! If you are in area must go and see it! Staff was friendly and guide did great job!

Super friendly! We came right when the last group was going down but they held the group for a few minutes so we could join them! It's great for a family trip and we loved our tour guide! read more

Such a beautiful spot, was so happy to find this- never realized these beautiful caverns were not that far away from me and the cavern is beautiful- took me a few minutes, when I went in the cavern for my anxiety of being under ground to calm down, but it was so worth it! The staff is friendly and the surrounding area is beautiful as well, my boyfriend and I did a little hike around it and enjoyed that as well- definitely a must see! read more

Great little excursion into the cave. Tour guide Derek was awesome and very knowledgeable about the different cave formations. Great explanations with good sense of humor. Worth a visit if you're in the area. read more

Black Chasm Cavern - Butterscotch waterfall - Tours Near Me - Volcano, California

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I must say from beginning to end my boys had the most amazing adventure is very affordable and kid friendly the staff went above and beyond to explain everything to my boys that had a million questions read more

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First time here, we loved it! About 100 feet down and a whole lot cooler than the 100 degree day outside! Andrew was a great guide with lots of knowledge and a refreshing sense of humor. Overall it was a fun time, most importantly it was kid approved! If you have the chance for the tour don't hesitate. Call ahead and reserve a spot, because right now they're only taking about 10 per hour. read more

Went on a rainy day during the week, so there were only a few people visiting and a friend and I were the only ones on the tour. We were very lucky because we had Andrew, an outstanding tour guide. It was clear he took pride in his job by the amount of knowledge he had on the history of the cave and minerals in it. The cave was beautiful and cool inside but a sweater is warm enough. The stairs were relatively steep and wet at times, however they were very sturdy with solid railing. The mineral deposits were well worth the short climb. I'm glad we came at off hours as it allowed to ask as many questions as we wanted and take as many pictures we wanted. Overall , we were very impressed and highly recommend this cavern. If you can, request Andrew. I give him 5 stars alone! read more

The highlight of our mini-vacation, according to my son (10 years old), and I have to agree. We sought it out at the last minute, and it took some time for us to get here, but the tour is fun, informative and worth seeking it out. It is a bit of a climb down and up, but the ramps are so well built, I felt completely safe. Really fun! read more

This was a very interesting place to visit! Lots of stairs to walk down and back up but an underground wonder. So many fascinating underground features and amazing things that nature has made. The tour is about 50 minutes long and the staff has a wealth of knowledge and made it amazing! I thought the price was a bit much but we still enjoyed the tour. The staff was awesome and explained everything to us and answered any and all questions anyone had. Even though the price was a bit high, it was worth going. read more

Great for older kids and adults. Our family had a nice time. It was beautiful and a unique experience!

great tour of the caves, you got to venture into different rooms which was better than just going up and down. some up and down some slippery slopes and some bending around rocks, but all in all it was fascinating to see God's creative humor! read more

Worth the time if in the area for a quick tour. Bonus, tell the kids your taking them to visit a black hole, and enjoy the disappointed looks on their faces when they learn it's just cave. read more

Awesome, fascinating tour and Don was so friendly and full of fun facts! Not to be missed you're in Amador County.

This use to be one of my favorite places. My family and I would come and take the tour once a year... Every year it was the same, and although kind of pricy, we loved visiting the beautiful property, the amazing cave and learning from the friendly staff. Anyways, after the last visit, we decided it would officially be our last visit. And here's why: 1. Tickets are now up to $18.50 per person. Every other time they were $17.50 per person. I mean, for a 45 minute tour, $17.50 is already very pricey, but I understand that it costs money to run a business. However at $18.50, the tour rate is nearly 50 cents a minute per person. The rate has been $17.50 for years, and I wasn't sure why it had risen, when already super pricey. My dad's friend is also mutually acquainted with the owner......or ex owner. Turns out, the owners niece sued her uncle, and ended up being awarded the cave as payment. I heard why as well, but don't feel as if it is appropriate to gossip about it via yelp, but the whole situation is petty, greedy and disgusting. However, court records are available to the public for free, and anyone with a burning desire to learn more, wouldn't have difficulty doing so. So, assuming that this is true, it explains the sudden changes that came about. On top of the increase in price, there seems to be a decrease in merchandise and staffing. Usually my kids get very excited visiting black chasm, not only because of the cave, but also because of "all the cool stuff" they have in the gift shop. Only this time, it looked like it was empty and on the verge of closing down...in fact, I don't think I saw any new toys or souvenirs. Needless to say, we made no purchases this time....not only because of the lack of "fun stuff for sale", but also now my family of 6 is paying 6 extra bucks for the same tour. When we visited before, the establishment was well staffed. This time, on a day that seemed to me to be to be a busy one, there was one staff member working. In fact, when we got there, the gift shop was locked, with a note on the door, essentially saying "there's a tour in the cave, please wait here". This was a little odd I thought, since the hours on Black Chasms website say they are open every day of year, especially at a little after 1 pm, the time I arrived. The thing is, we had to wait almost a full hour to enter the barren giftshop. There was only one employee whom I interacted with during my 2 hour visit to Black Chasm. Seemed like a big workload for one person. As far as the employee goes, my wife and I found her to be very professional and a hard worker. Despite many past visits, I still saw and learned several things unbeknownst to me The whole thing was a big turn off. Before, the change in ownership, the ticket prices and gift shop sales definitely provided it's owner with substantial income.....but the payment was reciprocated with a great experience. Now, the experience is more expensive, but of lesser quality. It's sad to see this place fall apart the way it did. read more

Such a cool cavern and well worth the cost to take a guided tour. James was an amazing tour guide and the cavern itself was stunning with just enough steep stairs and a significant enough temperature change to make you feel like you're on a total adventure. I'm sure shoes are recommended but it's totally doable in sandals. It was a little hard to tell when tours happened before we got there, but from what we could tell they just keep rolling them throughout the day on the quarter/half hour with multiple guides, at least when we visited on a Saturday. Our 12pm tour had about 15 people on it. Highly recommend for all ages! read more

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Very cool tour. Our guide El was funny and informative. Our first cavern tour. Glad we did it!

We went here after going to Indian Grinding rock for a hike. It was approximately 95 degrees that day. So when we went into the 63'ish degree cave I was in HEAVEN! The formations are exceptionally beautiful and we were told that only 4% of caves (in the US I think) have helictite formations which were EVERYWHERE in this cave. I've only ever been in one other cave and it certainly didn't have them. Our guide described them as "what looks like coconut thrown onto the walls" and that's a pretty accurate description (I uploaded a picture of them.) We LOVED our guide! I wish I had gotten her name. She was well spoken, funny, charismatic, cute, and well educated on geology and the particular cave we were in. This is a very short tour, and in a few points the stairs are more like going up and down a ladder than stairs. I don't recommend this for anyone who is excessively out of shape or has a heart condition. For your normal does not go to the gym but isn't 80lbs overweight person it should be fine =) What did I learn: Bats don't like caves like this one, because it goes pretty much straight down after you enter. They fly in their echolocation tells them it's VERY small, and they leave. The water in the cave is a lot purer than tap water. It's been tested and a few years back was used to supplement the nearby town's water supplies. The cave has marble and limestone in it. A mining company was going to mine it for marble, but when they sent in a survey team the team was from the parks department. They noticed the rare helictite formations and declared it a national landmark thus making it illegal to mine. I'm sure I learned more.. but my memory sucks. I give it 4 instead of 5 stars because it was a VERY short tour. Great fun though! read more

Black Chasm Cavern - 1st viewing room - Tours Near Me - Volcano, California

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touring here was A SPECIAL also remarkable experience, this caves has a very special things that won't easily seen at any other caverns, told of all know caves on earth, perhaps 5% contain "HELICTITE", the Helictite formations incredibly twist, curl from the cave wall in every direction, they display all kinds of amazing shapes, today we enjoy watching the entire 3 chambers but because it's so incredible beautiful, we'll come back to see them more times plus take chances to visit the minors trails. read more

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Highly recommend checking this cave out if you're in the area! It's about a 15-20 min drive from our hotel in Jackson. They have tours on the hour every hour from opening. We got there just in the nick of time. Cost for tour is around $18 but ask for military or senior discount. Think Melissa was our guide. She was wonderful! Great sense of humor. The tour was about 50 min. Stairs going down then up on the return. Not too strenuous -- they are on a platform. Learned so much about caves. And you can even see the lake at the bottom. One of the highlights of our weekend in Amador. read more

1 hour and 40 minutes drive from Midtown Sacramento. Park on dirt at the Visitor's Center and there's a separate area for RV parking You pay with the cashier for a tour of the cave. (They'll let you know what time the next tour is.) $17.50/adult. Approx. 40 minutes. Alex was the tour guide. Informative and corny. He's a college student that's 6'7" and has size 15 shoes-- if you're concerned about maneuvering in the cave. There's a lot of steps and it's cool inside. There's 18 rooms in the cave as well as underground lakes but you're limited to 3 rooms on the tour. Gold miners found this cave but found no gold and over time, it has been founded a National Natural Landmark but is privately run. One of the rooms was a little scary to me.. just because it's so big and you're confined to a walkway over what might as well be a bottomless pit. I just thought how secure is this walkway? and please nobody bump me. It's an okay visit. If you've seen a cave, you've seen them all. They say the draw here is the helictites. It's also a learning experience in geology. I just want more access to more of the cave and the lakes. And if you enjoyed your tour guide, tip him or her. read more

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Tour is a little cheesy, but wow the caves are amazing. This really is worth checking out. Caves are proof of how glorious nature can be. Pictures do not do it justice, I will post some anyways. I have done a few cave tours in my years. This tour and walk are shorter and a little easier than some. Still some pretty tight spaces so not great for those who are claustrophobic. I say it's a little cheesy because our well rehearsed young tour guide had lots of dumb jokes. Maybe other guides would be a little more serious. read more

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We had a fun afternoon at the Chasm! The tour guides are great - knowledgeable, personable, and very patient with our large group of kids and corny grown-up jokes. Lots of information about the formations. The prices were reasonable. $15 for adults and $8 for kids, free tour on your birthday! The caverns are beautiful! They light the really cool stuff so you can get good photos. Then, after the tour, for about $7, you can "pan for gems." While perhaps not realistic, it was super fun for the kids! The chasm was immediately cool, as soon as we walked through the gate. Temps are in the 50s year round so bring long sleeves. Parking seemed limited and I can see having difficulty parking on a busy day. The gift shop is a mix of cheesy tourist junk and informative books, videos, and real minerals. What we did see was also reasonably priced. You can get your kid out with a "precious souvie" for less than $7. read more

Black Chasm Cavern - Stalactites - Tours Near Me - Volcano, California

My husband and I went for a tour, the whole experience was amazing. Our tour guide seemed like she really knew what she was saying and loved her job. We will definitely be going back. read more

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Wow! Where do I begin? Black Chasm was absolutely beautiful! The cave was stunning and the tour guides were very friendly and had a great sense of humor, making the tour even better with laughter! Our family went on the Labyrinth tour as well. My boys are 13 & 8 years old, and they enjoyed it immensely! The Labyrinth was absolutely incredible! The scenery was gorgeous, the excursion exhilarating, and our guides Shawndy & Tim were one-of-a-kind! We had an amazing adventure and would definitely do it again! We all had such an awesome experience! I owe a BIG thank you Shawndy for her patience and encouragement helping me rappel down an especially challenging area! She was wonderful! I HIGHLY recommend this excursion, but be prepared to get a little beat up. It isn't for the weak or timid, that's for sure! Another Yelper said this is not for kids under 10, but my youngest is 8 and he had no problem in the cave or on the Labyrinth....you know your child best, so use common sense. You will be climbing through the forest, over fallen trees, up & down & all around boulders and hillsides. And it's exhausting, with a L O N G walk back to base, so some kids might have a tough time. But it sure is FUN!!!! Don't forget your camera - You'll get some really awesome photos! read more

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At the risk of opening with a pun, this place does NOT rock. Looking into the history of this place, it seems that the cavern was first described in 1854 while miners were looking for gold. The official surveyed length is 3,136 feet and depth of 225 feet including the lake. It became somewhat of an attraction in 1860 when they gave tours--I've read the original entrance was only 18 inches wide! After the gold rush faded so did the interest. However, in the 1950s, people began getting more interested in caving and helictites were found. In 1976 it was granted national natural landmark status and in 1996 it was purchased by a private caving and mining company. Until 2000 I've been told they offered multiple hour expedition trips which sounded like the real deal. From 2011 to 2015 they had a 2.5-hour tour that involved climbing, crawling, sliding, and rappelling during the "Labyrinth Tour." Unfortunately, today, you'll only get to see a very limited glance of this cavern. To me, having been to some really amazing sites to see caves (e.g. Blanchard Springs Caverns in Arkansas), the Black Chasm Cavern seems like a money-grab operation. First, can we talk about the price? Every time I check the price, it rises by 50 cents, and when I went it was 17.50 per person. Also, be aware of all the rules they have; they don't allow any type of backpack or photo apparatus that could be useful (who would ever want a tripod in a dark location when taking serious photos?!). Second, that price would be fine if the tour was more than 15 minutes and in only 2 rooms; but, sadly this is too short. There are interesting lakes in the cave but try to stop too long to look and an employee will rush you. I was hurried along while taking pictures, the docent was shining the flashlight in peoples' eyes, and the overall vibe was one of herding people in groups two at a time then herding them out as fast as possible. Finally, the steep stairs are dangerous as hell. As one who studies the brain for a living, I was surprised by these steps (which are constantly slippery and wet) weren't taped up with something simple like 3M non-slip tread tape. So, brace yourself for a head injury. True, it's a cave with helictites, which are rare, but I think it's not a worth a visit unless you're the area already for something else. read more

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First time visiting a cavern and even though I fainted as soon as I made it out I would go back again lol. I highly recommend you eat before you make your way down. I made the mistake of going on an empty stomach which made me collapse once outside. I'm sure the low oxygen levels below also played a role in my fainting. Nevertheless, I enjoyed all the marvelous beauty this cavern has to offer. If you are thinking of going I'd advise you to bring comfortable shoes, a small flashlight and a light sweater. It's quite chilly down there even in the Summer. Some of the steps are wet and slippery so hold on tight to the railings! I saw a kid slip down a couple steps while walking down and it was pretty scary. Thankfully she wasn't hurt. read more

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This place was AMAZING! My bf and I came with some of his family to visit his grandpa and his parents suggested we go visit this place. Upon walking in, we met Drew. He was anything you ask for in a guide. EXTREMELY knowledgeable, very PUNNY, and made the whole experience that much more amazing. We got there in between tours and were very distracted looking around the gift shop and chatting with Drew before our tour started. Kids and adults alike will love this and the beauty that you get to see inside. You're also highly encouraged to take your time on the stairs and the guides are very patient and accommodating to those that may need more time. My bf and I HIGHLY suggest stopping by to check it out wether you live near by, are passing through, or got lost. Thanks so much Drew for being so amazing! read more

If you haven't seen caverns before, then this is pretty cool. As far as this cavern, compared to dozens of others I've visited, it's about average. The 45 minute tour could easily be walked in less than 10. There are a few chambers to visit, the last being quite impressive, but it's just not a big tour for the basic guided experience. My guess is that an extended tour would likely be pretty awesome, given the depth, and the water way down below. The guide was very nice, and had a good time. read more

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This place is great. Beautiful cavern tour, friendly guides. It's more of an "couple of hours in the afternoon" thing than spend-all-day. The little town of Volcano a mile away would make a great place to get a bite to eat. It is first come-first serve at the counter and in covid times the tours are only 10 people, so on weekends I'd recommend arriving early or send one person there to sign up, and pick up tickets for later in the day then bring back the whole group at your assigned times. Great gift shop! There are lots of steps so this isn't great for people with mobility issues. read more

Oh wow what a beautiful and interesting place just outside of Volcano and Pine Grove CA. For those concerned it is a difficult descent, it really isn't. The steps down and up mostly have two handrails and it is pretty easy to navigate. There were kids there as well as seniors. It is $18.50 per person and the tour lasts about 45 minutes. Many photo opportunities! The tour guide we had was so knowledgeable! This is worth a special trip!!! read more

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This was very interesting. I learned a lot and appreciated how knowledgeable our guide was. It's beautiful place and well worth the $18 a person. read more

Black Chasm Cavern - Tours Near Me - Volcano, California

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Such a cool family trip! Tour guide was super cool. We drove 2 1/2 hours to go and it was definitely worth it. Very informative and so many coo things to see. Thanks again for the awesome experience. read more

This isn't the biggest cave out there, but the quality of what is there is amazing. The crystal room at the bottom is INCREDIBLE. The Dragon formation is awesome as well and has become the mascot for the cave. Would be 5 stars if it was bigger with more formations. Tour guides are friendly and will answer any question you have. They will kick people out if they don't heed the 'don't touch' policy..good for them! read more

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My family visited today for the tour. We were totally blown away. Drew was an amazing tour guide with so much interesting knowledge of the geology, history and lore surrounding the cave. My five year old, who is a budding geologist, was enthralled and Drew made time to answer all of her questions, no matter how silly. The cave itself is other-worldly with super rare formations that are only found in a few caves in the world. (Don't forget to look up). The stairs are super safe with high railings and even steps- I was never worried that my kid would fall or slip. The cave is perfectly lit for the tour. This is a very well done, informative, fun, super unique tour. Don't miss the opportunity to see such a magical place. The gift shop is also great with so many affordable rocks and gems to purchase. My daughter loved panning for gems right out front. All of the staff that we met were so enthusiastic, welcoming and really seemed to love the cave and their work. This place rocks!!! read more

Came here on a rainy Wednesday afternoon, thinking they were not going to be open. Fortunately for us they are open rain or shine! This was our first time going into a cave, and honestly it was so beautiful and our tour guide(Amber I believe) was so friendly and did an amazing job telling us about the history of the cavern! We couldn't have asked for a better experience, we will most definitely be checking out other caves nearby in the future. read more

Shoutout Scott #1 tour guide this side of the equator ladies and gentlemen! Do NOT @ me. Shouts also out to our little homie Max for so graciously joining in the photo op of the century. Shout out to my mom for giving birth to me so i could leave this review, and lastly shout out to the gold rush folks who found this place and no gold within it but charged gold for folks to get in instead (genius indeed). read more

Black Chasm Cavern - Tours Near Me - Volcano, California

Keeping it simple; place is pricey and tour is not that long. I assumed the cavern was a lot bigger and we would get to explore more. It was actually a bit boring but it was intriguing at the same time. Went for a school field trip and the kids were super bored. read more

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Nice drive up to the cavern itself very beautiful ! The staff was very friendly and the cost of the tour was cheap ! Tour guy was very punny and informative ! Caves were very pretty lots of stairs so be prepared for that. Overall had a great experience! read more

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Simply awesome! Photos didn't capture how large this cave was. Our tour guide was super friendly and knowledgeable. read more

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