On Labor Day, the sisters plan a trip to Sequoia National Park and reserve the Boyden Cavern. We needed to arrive by 9:50 a.m., so we had to get up early and find out how to get there. Without a cell phone connection, there is no GPS connection. Make sure you have a full tank of gas and download the offline map first. We planned to meet at the King Canyon visitor center, but learned we needed to go to the Boyden Cavern visitor center instead. From the King Canyon Visitor Center to Boyden Cavern, it is another 45-minute drive on a windy route. Luckily, we arrived on time and checked in. While waiting, the views are stunning, and the tour lasts approximately 30 to 40 minutes. It's really nice inside the cave, the temperature within the cave is around 50 degrees, which feels cool and pleasant. When visiting Sequoia National Park, Boyden Cavern is a must-see attraction. read more

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This was such a fun activity to do as you drive down the scenic road in Kings Canyon! It was our first time driving down and when we saw this turn out we were so excited to sign up for a tour! Our tour guide Josh was so impressive & had captivated our group so much he had us laughing! 10/10 really recommend doing this! read more

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Boyden Cavern is about 20 miles east of Grant Grove! If you're in the area near KingsCanyon, or heading to Cedar Grove you must enjoy the breathtaking views during the spulunking tour through the Cavern. You will have a guided tour through an age old Cavern that was discovered many years ago in the late 1800s by Jay Putnum Boyden. You will see an array of different geological formations that where formed by water and calcite that took hundreds of years to form. Make sure you are prepared by checking trip advisor. The tour takes about 45 minutes. Enjoy read more

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We were driving into kings canyon and discovered the wonderful sighting ,we were able to get tickets on a busy weekend,even though it's best to have your tickets way in advance .It's definitely worth seeing .you have to hike up before you enter the cave and it's a little over an hour 20 min. Tour read more

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We were 3 mins late and one of the staff was rushing us once we got there Our tour guy was very quiet And the cavern tour very short read more

We were pleasantly surprised at this gem of a cavern. It's a little bit of a walk to the mouth of the cavern, but our guide Bridget provided great commentary on the way about the local history, geography and geology. She is so knowledgeable! Once inside we learned so much!! How people lived in there and how all the formations were formed over centuries. I'm usually pretty anxious, due to my claustrophobia, but here I was so fascinated I wasn't anxious at all. read more

My group and I arrived for the 5:00 PM cave tour, running slightly late at 5:03pm due to weather. I immediately rushed out of the car to check in, but the woman at the entrance was rude and disrespectful from the start. She accused us of "hanging out" in our car and questioned our sense of urgency, despite me explaining that we had just arrived and were securing our valuables. Her hostility was unnecessary. When we reached the cave entrance, we saw that the group hadn't even started the tour--we ended up waiting another 10 minutes for the guide. Unfortunately, the guide seemed disinterested, wore an EarPod, and spoke too softly for anyone to hear. The entire tour lasted only 20 minutes and felt rushed. Overall, the experience was disappointing due to the unwelcoming staff and the lackluster tour quality. read more

I'm so excited that I could visit Boyden Cavern this time!!! We went to Kings Canyon and Sequoia in last year spring time but some places were closed such as Boyden Cavern. And they finally open in summer. We got our tickets online before our camping trip. Adult was $16 each, youth 5-12 $8 each. Child 1-4 $5 each and infant under 1 is free. We booked the walking tour for the time we chose (you can also choose private tour and it's $45 each but the walking tour lasts longer for 65-75 mins). We went there about 2 weeks ago and it was on my bucket list for a while. The walk up to the cavern was the challenging part to some people because it was strenuous. It was short but steep walk uphill to the cave entrance. We got there 20 minutes before our walking tour started. Make sure you get there 15-20 minutes earlier and go to the gift store and show them your walking tour confirmation (you can screenshot it before the trip coz there's no signal there) and provide your name to them. After we hiked up to the cave entrance, our tour guide was waiting for us there. The tour guide was informative and talked about the interesting history of Boyden cavern. The cave inside was amazing by different formations! We went to the deep part inside of the cave and usually they require to wear water shoes. We were lucky that there was no water inside the cave this time!!! (You can bring your water shoes and wear shorts just in case, I wore waterproof hiking boots) some sections are narrow but glad I'm petite and not tall so I could walk around easily. However, don't touch anything inside unless you need something to grab on to balance. The whole walking tour was about 45 minutes. Inside temperature was cool about 50F. It's a must go attraction place if you go to Kings Canyon. read more

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Word of caution. If you have low vision problems just be aware that you will need to watch yourself. Some of the roof lines are below 3ft and you need to keep your head down. Lighting is low. Wear traction/hiking boots as there are slippery areas. The walk up there is steep unlike Crystal cave. Recommend if you're not fit to shoot up front of the group and get up there as quick as possible. Nice came, some good pics but parents leave your kids at the lodge. They don't care about this and screaming and talking while the guide is trying to talk only impresses the rest of us to think you're a really lousy parent and a horrible selfish human being. read more

We bought tickets here on a whim and were so pleasantly surprised by the tour. It begins with a 10 minute, extremely steep, climb up to the cavern. Then, the guide leads you inside the cavern which has a narrow walkway and handrail. They lead you through three distinct "rooms" each of which is well lit and shows different kinds of rock formations. Our guide even turned off the lights for us briefly so that we could experience the true blackness of the cave. At the end, we had the choice to come out the "dry exit" which is where we entered or the "wild exit" which had us walking along a little stream in ankle deep water. Overall, it was a great way to beat the midday heat. We would definitely come back. read more

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Stella was an amazing tour guide. Very knowledgeable and kept the entire tour entertaining and fun. We visited on a Friday at the 3pm tour. There were only 9 people. I think we seriously lucked out with our group being small and respectful as well. There is a few minutes walk to the entrance. It can get pretty steep as well. You are allowed to take plastic water bottles. No hydro flasks as they might scrape the wall if contact is made. You can also take pictures inside. They do recommend a sweater as it gets chilly inside but I was totally ok with a long sleeve dry fit top and leggings. It felt good inside the cavern being it was in the 90s just outside. If you are in the King's Canyon National Park, please stop by and get to learn the history of Boyden Caverns and also get to see all the neat intricate formations inside. read more

We went to the park a year ago, but unfortunately it was closed due to COVID. So we were very excited to finally join the tour. We are really more of independent explorers, but I have to say that this trip was fantastic. Everyone we met working at the cave was super friendly. Our tour guide was both entertaining and knowledgeable. Just enough education to keep the kids engaged, but with the perfect amount of humor. Our group was having a great time, and with four kids, that's no easy feat! As for the cave, the journey up is the hardest part. But the views are incredible. This section of Kings Canyon offers some amazing water escapes, so it's a nice place to take the family on a hot day. And what better to cool off then a mid-50s degree cave. The sights inside are great. Our 45 minute tour was just enough to keep everyone entertained. The adults would have loved more, but the kids had a blast. And the adventurous exit was a great ways to end the trip. Highly recommend to everyone. read more

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We went to the Boyden Caverns today and had an amazing time. We were able to carry our 2 year old through the whole tour. There and back cavern tour, but a very cool "adventure" option for the way back allows you to walk through the creek at the base of the cavern. Super friendly staff! 55 degree constant inside the caves winter or summer! read more

Boyden Cavern - Tours Near Me - Kings Canyon, California

Huge shout out to our tour guide Aiden for an amazing tour. He was extremely friendly, welcoming and funny! He went above and beyond to make our tour memorable. He also answered every single question without making anyone feel like they asked a dumb question. I didn't get the same level of service from the other employees so if you go- make sure to ask for Aiden to be your tour guide! read more

We arrived early for our 11:00 tour and when we checked in we were asked if we wanted to join the 10:30 tour which began a few minutes later. They seemed much busier as the day went on. They will try to accommodate walk-ins or add you to another tour if there's room. We were there in mid June. Even though it says you need a light jacket because the cavern is 55° inside, you really don't need anything. It's a little humid inside and we were glad not to have our jackets with us. As clearly stated on their website, the short walk up to the cavern entrance is short but quite strenuous and I, being on the heavy side, had a struggle. The cavern is amazing to see. We wore our water shoes to take the "wild side" exit in the stream bed. Glad we did. There are gravelly areas though, and I found myself wishing the soles of my water shoes were a bit thicker. The icy water really cooled us down as the temp outside was about 90 degrees. Our guide, Morgan, was friendly and entertaining even though it must become a bit mechanical to do this tour over and over each day. The tour lasted almost an hour. It was a fun adventure and I'm glad we went. read more

If you're looking for a breathtaking underground adventure, Boyden Cavern in Kings Canyon within Sequoia National Park is a must! The tour guides at Boyden Cavern are knowledgeable and friendly, providing an informative and engaging tour of the caverns. The tour takes you through a series of stunning chambers and passageways, showcasing a variety of incredible rock formations, including stalactites, stalagmites, and flowstone. The entire tour is well-organized, with plenty of opportunities to take photos and ask questions. The temperature inside the cavern is also refreshing, making it a great escape from the hot summer sun. When I went, we had around 20-25 people in the tour group. The surrounding area leading up to the cavern is also beautiful with a walkway following Kings river underneath. A great spot to visit before or after a hike. We did our tour at 10am, finished at 11am and continued our drive to the Mist Falls trailhead. Some things to note: - Must buy tickets in advance online - Arrive early to explore the entrance and take photos - No backpacks allowed inside the caves - The tour lasted about 1 hour read more

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A little late for my review, but I visited Boyden Carvern a couple days before it closed for the season. According to the signs put up, the cavern is open October 2nd - November 12th, with tours at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm (I would double check the website though). I showed up early and bought tickets on the same day with no issue. The walk up to the actual cave itself is steep, but short. There's handrailing all the way up to the cave entrance, but the inside can be a little hard to maneuver around in some places. Not ADA friendly, but kid friendly forsure. There were quite a few kids in my tour group and they seemed to enjoy it. Interesting cave, but not really worth the $16 in my opinion. I would maybe pay $10 for it. The cave is pretty small, the guide gave some great information, but if the kids in the group didn't ask questions, then I don't think the guide would have provided the information on his own, such as how the cave was named, etc. I wish the guide would've been more strict about people not touching the formations; these kids (and many adults as well!) were grabbing and climbing around on the rocks, eek! *You have an option to walk through ~1 foot deep water on the way back out, so bring an extra pair of socks if you plan on doing this! *You can't wear the same outfit (including shoes, accessories, backpacks) to different caves, so take a picture of yourself so you don't wear the same things to another place or back to Boyden Cavern! read more

Boyden Cavern - Tours Near Me - Kings Canyon, California

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I have to say, Daniel, Morgan, and Aiden went above and beyond to make sure we were helped! You see, we had car problems on the way there and broke down. A few nice people gave us a ride to the Cavern, and that's when they were very helpful. Not only did Daniel do his best to accommodate us, but he also gave me a ride back to our truck to wait for the tow ( which never showed). Made our way back to the Cavern, and that's when Morgan gave me a ride back. She offered to take us back to our campsite outside of the park so she and Aiden gave us a ride back to our trailer so we could resolve this issue without being stranded in our truck overnight. I can't say enough about how accommodating they were! We never went on the tour, but we will be back to take it! Give a shout out to them when you go!!! Highly recommend them. People like them give me a renewed faith in humanity! read more

First time visiting Kings Canyon, saw a video on this place. I went on May 2021 Enough parking, parking lot has bathrooms Option to use the water exit from cavern Tour was 45 to 55 minutes long Tour guide was friendly Good expierence to do once in a lifetime read more

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It is hard to put into words how amazing our cave tour was.... Not only because the cave was a great experience but because of our tour guide Ely! Ely was animated, patient, knowledgeable, funny, and made my family feel special even though we were with a full group! If you book make sure to try to get with a tour that Ely is doing!! Best part of our vacation! read more

Boyden Cavern - Tours Near Me - Kings Canyon, California

Such an amazing experience! The tour guide was very nice and we enjoyed every part of it! They let me use my Canon Mark 50 in the cavern ( I kept the flash off, you don't want to blind people walking around ). The Cavern was so beautiful and I took lots of pictures and video of me and my wife walking around. read more

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I don't know how people can say they didn't like this tour. I loved it. Stella was our guide and she was amazing, fun, informative. Due to COVID all tours are given with just your group - which is awesome. We had a private, intimate tour and the cavern was really really cool. Especially the ending when we exited thru the creek in the Cavern. I've done the Crystal Caverns 2 years ago (it's closed now bc of COVID) and while that was neat , the hike to the caverns was pretty strenuous and the tour much more sterile. You followed along a concrete foot path. With this tour, some was concreted, some not and you really felt as if you were on an expedition discovering something new. The hike up to the Cavern entrance, while initially daunting to look at, wasnt that bad (Crystal Caverns was far worse). I wouldn't recommend this tour for families with little kids bc there are areas where I can see them tripping or falling and there is quite a bit of ducking involved. Also given some of the areas we had to squeeze thru , I also wouldn't recommend this for anyone very heavy. All in all, I highly recommend and this is a definite must do if you're heading into Kings Canyon. read more

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So, I will review both the tour and the cave itself; the cave is pretty neat I suppose. If you're into earths natural odd formations, and you can deal with some super lame tour guide than this is for you. I don't particularly like yours to begin with as as soon as I saw huge open areas all I wanted to do was explore. Our eat the is magnificent, but I want to be let loose to discover it, not have some guy turn of the lights and tell bad jokes and waste my time. I think the cave is alright but I think where it is located is the appeal. So much fresh air and beautiful land to take in. It can be hard as rocks taking pictures of what the tour guide says is important, but it's rocks, it's a little lost on me but still neat. read more

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A MUST DO IF YOU'RE IN KINGS CANYON! This cavern is unlike any I've previously visited. It's smaller and much more intimate, but it's a solid 45 minute tour that allows you to explore all of its crevices. It's also the best COVID compliant activity in the area. It's by reservation only, groups no larger than 4, everyone must be from the same household, and masks are required. Even though the cavern is small, there's still plenty of space for social distancing between yourself and the tour guide. It'll feel like you have a whole cavern to yourselves. read more

Our tour guides, Deven and Kiera, were excellent! The cave is so beautiful and intriguing, like nothing I have ever seen. I can't wait until my next trip here. read more

This is an absolute must do excursion in Kings Canyon. Because of Covid my family had a private intimate tour of the cave and the photo opportunities were endless. Our tour guide was so patient with my kids and went over the history of Boyden himself and the intricate details of the cave. She took us to the end of the cave and turned off all the lights so we could experience pitch blackness in the cave. And to top it all off, we did the water exit in the end which was so cool and in my opinion, the best way to exit. Definitely the cave experience of a lifetime! read more

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We recently visited to Boyden Cavern on our road trip to Yosemite, Kings Canyon & Sequoia National Parks. We originally planned on going to Crystal Caves but it was closed for the season so we booked 2 tickets here instead. The tour started on time (11:00am) with a short hike up a paved path to the entrance. Our guide was very friendly & knowledgeable about caves in general as well as this cavern in particular. It was a small group with ample time to take pictures & ask any questions. I only wish I had packed extra shoes (to take the more "adventurous" lower exit route through the water/creek - maybe they could rent boots like the narrows in Zion National Park. Highly recommended (this was my first cavern tour). read more

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A must-do in Kings Canyon NP! The cavern was beautiful and a very unique experience. The tour guide Ely was entertaining and very knowledgeable about the cavern. He made the tour fun and engaging. We went with a small group ~ 8 people and had plenty of time to take photos and admire the cavern features. Don't miss this stop if you're in the park! read more

It's been a long time since I've toured a cave, so I'm tempering my rating a bit and might come back and up it to five, we'll see. The person who guided the tour was super nice and knowledgeable and - no spoilers! - the cave has a cool story. It is entirely made of calcium deposits, so if that's your thing, this is your cave for sure! read more

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Friendly staff, relaxed environment and beautiful cave! Cost was very reasonable for the experience. We went during the week which seemed to be much slower than the weekend day we saw. Only two others on our tour! read more

Love this cave, beautiful! And the staff is so pleasant and helpful!! Definitely worth the cost.

Okay..so I have been to both Boyden Cavern and Crystal Cavern in the Kings Canyon and Sequoias area. There are pros and cons to each. Both have beautiful cave features, and are good for kids both young and old. Boyden cave is smaller, and the trip to reach its mouth (up a VERY steep but relatively short path) is shorter and easier. Anyone who takes the time to visit Boyden Cavern will be in for a treat. The gorge where the cavern's parking lot is situated is one of the most beautiful parts of Kings Canyon (at the base of the gorge, where the Kings River rushes by in even the driest parts of the year (watch kids--and don't go into the water--we have too many fatalities in the Kings River each year--even at shallow depths, you can easily be swept away). I am a HUGE fan of Kings Canyon, and believe that the view from this spot alone is worth the drive. There are picnic benches, pit restrooms, and while bears may be a problem, I always feel safer leaving my car in this lot as opposed to elsewhere in the park, as there is usually at least a small crowd of people visible from the parking lot. Because Boyden Cavern is privately owned, it does not really have a "national park" feel. There is an informality to the tours, and it feels a bit more commercialized. As for crowds.... I think it really depends on the time of year and time of day that you go. Tours have been known to sell out. However, I think the drive to Boyden Cavern is probably a bit out of the way for most people (unless they plan to visit Cedar Grove). I definitely prefer the natural wonders, size, and more professional tour that you get when visiting Crystal Cavern, but Boyden is also worth a visit. read more

Great experience for the entire family! Great and hospitable owners and staff! Love the unique gifts at this shop!

This cave is on the smaller side but very intimate, cozy and beautiful! The best part of this cave is an adventurous option if you'd like, to explore through a winding passage of water as you exit! Super cool little Adventure in a controlled environment! Make sure it wear boots or water shoes, or maybe just a pair of shoes u don't mind getting wet. The water is from toes deep up to calf/knee deep in a few spots..I highly recommend this lil excursion. It's approx 15 bucks and 1 hr long. Has some tight spaces and u will need to duck and squeeze in a few areas. Cool excursion and very friendly kind staff! read more

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The cavern was really cool - but for me the MOST AWESOME part about this site is the canyoneering adventures. I reluctantly went on the canyoneering trip (can't remember which exactly but it was the 12 hour one) The company gives you all of the gear, packs food and beverages for the hike. Our tour guide Daniel was really supportive, helpful. Made us feel like we were safe doing all of the awesome maneuvers, etc. It all meshes into one super-blur but we went on numerous rappels - down huge rocks, slid through natural water slides made of huge rocks, rappelled into water pools of crystal clear water - it was just incredible. By far the coolest thing I have ever done. I am planning a trip back with more of my friends this summer. CANT WAIT. read more

Let's start off by saying that it is impossible to visit Crystal Cave and Boyden Cavern and not make some sort of comparison... With that being said, I wanted to fairly recall my experience. I was really interested in visiting both of the caves because I had never been to a cave before and I thought it would be a neat way to experience the park in its entirety. Unlike CC, BC does not have a limit on the number of people that can visit. On the one hand, that's good for last minute large parties... not so good for a group of super-ahead-of-time planners with no kids. Us "nerds" were interested in hearing the facts and learning about the history of the cave. We took the short walk/hike to the cave and paid our fees.[The $15 fee was the same as CC.] We watched as the group grew and grew. "Okay, let's go", someone instructed. There were no rules discussed, no cleaning of shoes, nothing. I was beginning to get the impression that this park cared little about Boyden Cavern. When we reached the top, a nice older woman told us to "try not to touch" whereas in CC touching was strictly forbidden and that "flash photography was welcome". I scanned the faces of my co-cavers which were also surprised to hear this. Flash photography greatly deteriorates caves so why would they allow this...? A hurried younger park ranger raced up to the cave entrance and said "Well, I guess she told you everything" in a CLEARLY aggravated voice. He began his hurried race through the cave. My group stayed close to the park ranger because we actually cared to hear what he said. He spoke in what could only be described as a loud whisper. He said, "You guys are going to have to transmit this to the people that are further behind because they can't hear". ARE YOU KIDDING? I'm not going to spend my time transmitting anything so I can miss the few audible words coming from his mouth. After a total of 3 sentences he brought us to a large seating area inside the cave and said, "any questions?". The poor people in the back had a billion questions because they had heard nothing. The only reason the park would allow photography inside the cave is because people will get a better look at the cave and be persuaded to come. Basically, they are willing to sacrifice and deteriorate their cave to no end for funds for the park. I understand the need to bring in funds, but there can be a middle ground. We decided to allow the rambunctious children to take their pictures before us and stayed at the end of the group to take our own pictures. The park ranger turned off the lights while we were still in the cave and left us there. He didn't even keep track of the visitors... All in all, if you only have time or money to visit one cave, it should be Crystal Cave. The tour guide was infinitely more knowledgeable and friendly. read more

While I like the idea of exploring caves and welcomed a change of pace and a break from the daytime heat in King's Canyon, I found Boyden Cavern to be a bit underwhelming. The cave is relatively small, and while there were a handful of interesting formations, nothing came close to measuring up to the grandeur of the rest of the park. The two highlights of the tour were when the guide demonstrated the cave's total darkness by turning off the lights and then when participants were allowed to take the "adventure" route off the path on their way out. In more mundane surroundings, this might have been a standout stop for me, but having spent $20 to enter Sequoia and King's Canyon, the $14.50/person price for my friend and I to see the cave felt like a paltry value. If you're short on time and/or money and not particularly smitten with spelunking, consider skipping this sight. read more

Nice cave tour for the family. Guide was nice and informative. He knew a lot about caves and history. The people who work there are very nice. I accidentally bought tickets for the next day online and thought it was a same day ticket. They were very sweet and switched me to the same day tour time. Kids (10/7)loved tour, was a great introduction. Hour was perfect! Would recommend. I liked that you could buy the ticket right on sight. With national parks you never know how long it will take to get to a location. Especially with kids. read more

This Cavern was a little different than others I visited before, but neat in its own regard. A few helpful hints/warnings: 1) The 5-10 minute paved trek up to the cavern opening is reeeeally steep. I was pretty winded after getting up to the top. 2) This cavern wasn't as open and big as others I've visited, so if you're claustrophobic, this might not be the best cavern for you. 3) At certain points in the tour, we walked around on loose rocks, squeezed between narrow cavern walls, ducked to avoid hitting our heads, etc, so proceed with caution if you have any sort of difficulties with balance, crouching, etc. Some cool things about this experience: 1) Our tour guide was awesome! She was a young buck but knew a great deal of pertinent information/history about the cavern, and was hilarious. 2) We got to experience what a cave feels like in real life (i.e. our guide shut off the lights so we could try it out). Absolutely frightening!! 3) Lots of cool formations within the cavern (wedding cake, Christmas tree, bacon strip, short stack... is anyone hungry yet?) In the future, I'd like to try out Crystal Cave and compare n contrast. read more

Caves were pretty neat. I've never been to Crystal Cave, so I don't have much to compare to. Tour guide was irritating. Seemed very focused on sharing the cheesy names of the formations (bacon, christmas tree, etc.) but didn't actually seem to know anything about the cave history. He kept making a big deal about total darkness and turning out the lights. He amused himself more than anyone else. Cool place, worth a visit. Ignore the tour guide. Bring earplugs. read more