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CRYSTAL CAVE IS CLOSED FOR 2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 28, 2024

SEQUOIA PARKS CONSERVANCY ANNOUNCES CONTINUED CLOSURE OF CRYSTAL CAVE FOR THE 2024 SEASON

Three Rivers, CA – Sequoia Parks Conservancy regrets to announce the continued closure of
Crystal Cave for the 2024 season. This decision is a result of the damage sustained to the road,
trail, and visitor facilities at Crystal Cave during the 2021 KNP Complex wildfire and the extreme
winter weather in early 2023.

“We understand the disappointment that comes with the closure of Crystal Cave," said
Savannah Boiano, executive director of Sequoia Parks Conservancy." As stewards of this
natural treasure, we are committed to ensuring its preservation for future generations. We are
excited to work with our park partners in the National Park Service to bring this inspiring
experience back to the public.”

Sequoia Parks Conservancy is working closely with the National Park Service to restore safe
access to the public in 2025. Repair work will include removing dead-standing hazard trees left
by the drought and KNP Complex Fire in 2021, significant repairs to the damaged road from the
winter 2023 rains, restoring the solar electrical system that powers the cave lights, and the
installation of a new ticket entrance kiosk.

When visitors return to Crystal Cave in 2025, they can expect to once again marvel at the
hidden wonders below ground, just as they do with the towering General Sherman above
ground. Crystal Cave, the second-largest of 275 known caves in Sequoia and Kings Canyon
National Parks and the fourth-largest in California, boasts over three miles of surveyed
passageways. Since the 1940s, Sequoia Parks Conservancy has operated tours at Crystal
Cave, and it has become the highlight of its Field Institute Program.

In the meantime, while the cave is closed, the public is encouraged to experience the wonders
of Crystal Cave through captivating video footage taken prior to the KNP Complex Fire. Exploring Crystal Cave can be viewed here:

How You Can Help:
Sequoia Parks Conservancy invites the public to support their 2024 preservation efforts, which
include an upgrade to the Crystal Cave ticket booth. This essential project aims to streamline
visitor access, improve operational efficiency, and enhance the overall experience for cave
explorers when Crystal Cave reopens to the public. To donate, visit https://bit.ly/3I4aBFL or
email Tamara Marks, Philanthropy Director, at giving@sequoiaparks.org.

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About Sequoia Parks Conservancy
Sequoia Parks Conservancy is the official nonprofit partner of Sequoia and Kings Canyon
National Parks, working hand-in-hand with the National Park Service to support critical park
programs, including education and outreach, trails and access, wildlife management, search
and rescue, and resource management and science. Learn more at
www.sequoiaparksconservancy.org.

About Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
These two parks, which lie side-by-side in the southern Sierra Nevada in Central California,
serve as prime examples of nature’s size, beauty, and diversity. Nearly 2 million visitors from
across the world visit these parks for the world’s largest trees (by volume), grand mountains,
rugged foothills, deep canyons, vast caverns, the highest point in the lower 48 states, and more.
Learn more at http://www.nps.gov/seki or 559-565-3341.

 

Media Contact:
Sequoia Parks Conservancy
Nicole Stivers
Marketing and Communications Director
press@sequoiaparks.org

 

We will update this website as information becomes available. To learn more about Crystal Cave access and other major park features, visit https://www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/index.htm.

Dates: Sequoia Parks Conservancy regrets to announce the continued closure of Crystal Cave for the 2024 season.