Some caves can be visited on your own
To avoid fees and go at your own pace, check out these California caves.
Go caving!
Caves on public land, particularly lava tubes, can often be visited without a guide or fees. In most cases agencies, such as the US Forest Service, the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management, have set up parking and restrooms in these locations. Often there are campgrounds nearby. These cave are generally good for family outings.
In southern California go and see the small cave at Rainbow Basin near Barstow, or check out the lava tube in Mojave National Park. This is a popular spot if it is hot outside. Chumash Painted Cave is a state historic park near Santa Barbara. You can’t go in, but you can look in to see fantastic paintings by the Chumash people.
In the northern part of the state you can see Subway Cave, a spacious lava tube near Lassen National Park or Jot Dean Ice Cave in the Sattitla National Monument.
In the Mother Lode country is Natural Bridge in Calaveras County. Take good care of the bridge! It has been seen lots of graffiti and trash. This cave has been the site of big cave clean up projects organized by the Western Cave Conservancy.
You can find sea caves to explore at Matador State Beach, Avila Beach and Dana Point, Leo Carrillo State Park, Thousands Steps Beach in Malibu, Cabrillo National Monument in San Diego, Terranea Cave in Palos Verdes, Van Damme State Park, Crystal Cave Sea Cave in Newport Beach and many, many more.
Pinnacles National Park has multiple talus caves that are very fun to explore. They feature streams and trails. Some times of the year they are closed to protect a rare bat species.
The grand daddy of them all for visiting caves on your own in California is Lava Beds National Monument, way up north on the Oregon border. There are dozens of caves here with easy access and lots to see, do and explore. You could easily spend days in the caves here. Catacombs Cave by itself is more than a mile long and very complex.
