Near Bear Valley lies Ebbetts Pass, which has one of the best known caverns, Mercer Caverns. It is located 1 mi/1.6 km north of Murphys, on Sheep Ranch Road. The cave was originally used by the Indians as mortuary cave, but later was abandoned and its entrance was covered with debris, until pioneers discovered it in 1885.
Inside there are crystal formations, such as Angel Wings and susceptible compositions of aragonite, along with stalagmites, stalactites and also a labyrinth of underground, that visitors drawn for centuries. The tours in the cave include Fairies Grotto, Oregon Loft and Gothic Chamber. The tour lasts about 45 minutes and is a quarter of a mile long. You won’t cover all the distance at once.
There are several stops, where the guide will explain the history and geology of the cave and give you time to take some pictures. There are no tripods or video cameras allowed. The tour has totally 440 steps, 208 down into the cavern and 232 up out of the caverns.
You should be careful on some of the steps, because they are steep and narrow. The tour is moderately strenuous, mainly on the way out, but there is no crawling. The main temperature is constantly at 55 ºF/12.8 ºC with 90% humidity.
For the enthusiast of speleology and spelunking, the numerous and particular caves in Abruzzo region offer moments of real fun and excitement, due to the geological conditions and the morphology of the Apennines zone.
Mammoth Cave National Park is a U.S National Park, located in central Kentucky. The park covers an area of 52830 ac / 213.80 km², located in Edmonson County, Kentucky with small areas in Hart County and Barren County. Mammoth Cave National Park encompasses portions of Mammoth Cave that is the longest cave system known in the world.
Trentino Region, in northern Italy, is a well known zone amongst the passionate fans of caving. The particular geological formation of the Dolomites Mountains and the continuous pass of floating water and steams have shaped the underground format of the area.
Maykop is a city situated on the right bank of Belaya River, which is a tributary of the Kuban. It is the capital city of the Republic of Adygeya in Russia.
In Alto Adige - Trentino region, fans of caving can admire the impressive underground setting of the Dolomites mountain chain, shaped by the continuous flow of crystal clear water from the melting of ancient glaciers.
Saint Petersburg is a city situated on the Neva river, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The federal subject of Saint Petersburg has its name changed three times, from Saint Petersburg to Petrograd, then Leningrad and back to Saint Petersburg.
Sonora Pass is located near Pinecrest, Tuolumne County, California, USA. It is off of Highway about 60 mi/96.5 km east of Sonora.
Yosemite National Park is located near Mariposa, California, USA.
Kirkwood Mountain Resort is a year round resort in Kirkwood, south of Lake Tahoe, in El Dorado County, California, USA. Kirkwood is at 33 mi/53 km south of South Lake Tahoe, on State Route 88 and it is surrounded by El Dorado National Forest.
Tamarack Lodge Resort is located in Mammoth Lakes, near Mammoth Mountain, in California’s eastern Sierra about 100 mi/161 km south of Nevada State line Mono County, California, USA.
Bear Valley is a ski area located near Angels Camp, on highway 4, between Lake Tahoe and Yosemite, approximately 3 hours southeast of Sacramento, California, USA.
Bear Valley is a ski area located near Angels Camp, on highway 4 between Lake Tahoe and Yosemite approximately 3 hours southeast of Sacramento, California, USA.
Sonora Pass is located near Pinecrest, Tuolumne County, California, USA. It is off of Highway about 60 mi/96.5 km east of Sonora.
Bear Valley is a ski area located near Angels Camp, on highway 4, between Lake Tahoe and Yosemite, approximately 3 hours southeast of Sacramento, California, USA.
