Join MountainGeist on a guided adventure to explore wild caves! Your guide will lead you into the beautiful foothill countryside where you will literally climb into a chasm in the ground and scramble through natural underground tunnels, chambers and squeezes where you’ll experience stalagmites, stalactites and occasional nocturnal cave creatures. You will have the entire cave to yourself – these are wild, uncommercialized caves!
Beginners and experienced cavers will appreciate the experience and it is absolutely kid-family friendly! The experience may be tailored to 4-6 hours with a variety of caves to explore. Helmets and headlights are included. Your guide will educate you on the delicate nature of caves, their formation and how to ensure we leave them exactly how we found them for others to explore. This experience is an absolute blast!
CALL TO BOOK NOW!
EXPERIENCE
Wild Caves
ACTIVITY
Caving
DESTINATION
Calaveras Gold Country
SEASON
Year-Round
DURATION
4 - 6 Hours
CHALLENGE
Moderate yet kid-friendly
SOLITUDE
Off-the-beaten-path
PRICE
From $120 PP
WHAT'S INCLUDED
Expert Outdoor Guide
Helmet and Headlamp
Natural, historic and cultural interpretation
Guide will carry all necessary navigational tools (map, compass, GPS)
First Aid kit carried by guide trained in wilderness first aid
Water at trailhead (bottle/s)
Bag lunch
Light trail snacks – may contain nuts
USFS permits and guiding fees
WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED
Guide Gratuities
Transportation to/from trailhead (we will caravan from a central meeting location)
Personal Park Entry Fees (where appropriate and driving separately)
Please call for equipment rental options for specialized gear (bikes, boats, paddleboards, etc.)
WHAT TO BRING
Highly Recommended
Light day pack
Comfortable hiking shoes with grippy soles
Older clothing you don’t mind getting dirty – pants and long sleeve shirt
Sunscreen (SPF 30+) and sun hat (for the hike)
Additional top insulating layer of clothing (e.g microfleece or old sweatshirt)
Wind/Water resistant jacket (top shell)
WHAT TO BRING
Optional
Camera
Change of clothing – you will get dirty – and plastic bag for your dirty clothing
Some find knee pads and elbow pads helpful.
Personal water bottle or hydration pack (1-liter minimum recommended)
Additional trail snacks (especially those with dietary restrictions or allergies)
Walking poles (short hike, balance)
Personal medication
Bug spray
Personal Headlamp or extra flashlight and personal helmet if you wish
Nitty Gritty Details
Scheduled Days of Experience
Wild Caving experiences are offered year-round as weather allows during weekend and holidays. Call to book. Private experiences may be booked during the week days with prior arrangement
Meeting Time and Place
Upon booking, you will be provided an exact time and meeting location which will can be tailored up or down the highway 4 corridor to accommodate our guests.
Transportation
All transport to and from the trailhead will be in your personal vehicle. The group will caravan together from the meeting location to the trailhead.
Challenge, Terrain and Duration
The challenge level of this experience is Moderate yet totally fun for kids because most of the challenge is in crawling on your hands and knees through a wild cave, which kids love! I won’t tell, but Dads seem to enjoy it even more... Keep in mind, there are no handrails or pathways in a wild cave which is why it’s a wild adventure! The approach hike to the caves is approximately 1.25 miles over uneven terrain at times (about 2.5 mile round trip) with a gradual 400 foot elevation gain when hiking back to the trailhead. The experience can be customized from 4-6 hours depending on the group’s size, fitness and level of challenge desired. The trailhead elevation is 2,000 feet. If you’re fit and very adventurous, call to inquire about a combination paddle-cave tour where we paddle, hike and cave in the same day (special pricing applies)!
Solitude
Off-the-Beaten-Path – You are off-the-beaten path and in unknown areas to visitors. It is possible you will not see another person outside of our group during the entire experience after leaving the trailhead.
Group Size
You may expect anywhere from two to eight other ‘adventurers’ on your shared experience. Private experiences are also available for an upgrade.
Minimum Age
Generally, we encourage each participant to consider their ability in meeting the “challenge” level outlined in each experience rather than adhering to strict age limits. While we recommend a minimum age of 10 on this experience, we would consider younger ages who Mom and Dad consider tough rascals!
Trip Packet
Shortly before the scheduled day of the experience, a trip packet will be sent to the contact email who booked the experience. You will be provided trip details, trailhead information, weather forecast update, and reminders on what to pack and what to expect. You will also receive a liability waiver and a few other items to fill out prior to the day of the experience which will be returned via email or delivered in person to the guide at the meeting location.
Security
As with parking in any remote location, we encourage you to leave any valuables at home and lock anything remaining of value in your trunk or out of site. Due to wildlife considerations, we discourage leaving food or scented items in your vehicle. There are generally no bear boxes at the trailheads where we will be parking, so leave what you don’t need on the ride at your home, hotel or rental.
Park Entry Fees
Some experiences may take place within parks or recreational areas that require a personal entry fee. When traveling in your separate personal vehicle following the guide, you will be responsible for any park entry fees where appropriate (e.g. New Melones Lake – Glory Hole or Tuttletown, or Caltrans SNO-PARK fees when parking along Highway 4 in the winter.) Most trailheads in the Stanislaus National Forest do not require an entry fee or collect parking fees during non-winter seasons.
Lodging
You will start at a trailhead elevation of TBD feet with terrain variations less than +/- TBD feet throughout the ride.
Pricing Details
This experience is open to the public and single participants will join a larger group.
Pricing per person (PP) based on number of people in booking party (not total group size).
Discounts provided to parties booking with 2 or more people.
“Solo” pricing option available on experiences that do not book multiple participants (it does not refer to a private experience).
Non-refundable deposit required upon booking. $25 per person for open trips or 20% of the total price for private trips.
Private group experience upgrade fee of $200 per group.
Full-Day and Multi-Sport Upgrades are available
Call for details about private groups, corporate events and custom experiences
Cancellation Policy
Refunds offered up to 48-hours in advance of all day or half-day trips (7-days in advance of all multi-day trips) less the non-refundable deposit unless cancelled by MountainGeist in which a full refund or credit will be offered.
Single-participant, non-private experiences (public experiences that only book a single participant), will have the option to either upgrade to a “solo” price experience or cancel 48-hours in advance with a full refund. The “solo” option may be designated at time of booking as well.
Pricing
SOLO OPTION
$300
1 PERSON
$170 / PP
2-3 PEOPLE
$150 / PP
4+ PEOPLE
$120 / PP
UNDER 12
15% Discount