Inland Caves in Southern California

Southern California really is a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts. 

With a landscape packed with oceans, islands, beaches, hills, mountains, deserts and more, it’s no wonder that people of all hobbies and interests can find something fun to do near home. Including, of course, some caving!

Thanks to an inland sea that once covered much of this area during the time of the dinosaurs, California has just the right geologic makeup for caves to form. A few million years’ worth of sea, sand, water and wind has helped the processes move along, leaving us with dozens of cool caves scattered all over the state.

Here are just a few of the caves found here in Southern California, not counting the sea caves that dot nearly all of the shoreline — those deserve their own list.

Have fun!

6 inland caves to visit in SoCal

Arroyo Tapiado Mud Caves

The Arroyo Tapiado Mud Caves are a series of mud caves that were formed by the erosion of water and wind through the Carrizo Badlands of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. The collection of caves range in size from a thousand feet long to just a few feet, with many of the narrow passageways only small enough to take a peek inside.

Mud caves are made of, well, mud, and are therefore soft and easily eroded. This makes them prone to collapsing and crumbling — especially in the rainy season when the cave walls get slick and soft. If you do want to visit these, you’ll have to take a 4-wheel-drive vehicle from the Borrego Springs Visitor Center, and be sure to bring proper safety equipment, too! 

Bronson Caves

The Bronson Caves are a series of man-made caves located in Griffith Park in Los Angeles, where they have been used as a Hollywood filming location for a variety of movies and television shows in the past century.

The caves were originally carved out by the Union Rock Company in 1903 for use as a quarry, but by the 1920s the rock was no longer being quarried and the caves were left alone. Since then, the conveniently-located caves have been the backdrop for a number of sci-fi and western films and shows, the most notable of which include:

• “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country” (1991)
• “The A-Team”
• “Batman” (1960s)
• “Bonanza”
• “The Dukes of Hazzard”
• “Little House on the Prairie”
• “Mission: Impossible” (1960s)
• “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”
• “Star Trek: Enterprise”
• “Star Trek: The Next Generation”
• “Star Trek: The Original Series”
• “Star Trek: Voyager”
• “Twin Peaks”
• And much, much more!

Cave of Munits

We all love a good lava tube, don’t we? After all, what’s better than exploring the path of ultra-destructive magma that burned its way through the ground in a fit of fiery terror? 

So cool. 

The Cave of Munits is one of these lava tube caves located in El Escorpión Park in West Hills, California and is not only a popular hiking destination, but is famously home to a variety of native bats. As such, it’s important to keep your explorations limited to the entrance of the 100-foot-long cave, rather than delving all the way in. 

To add to its awesomeness, the cave is named after a mythical Chumash shaman who was said to have lived in the cave — according to legend, the shaman was killed by an eagle after murdering the son of a Chumash chief.

Lava Tube in the Mojave National Preserve

Nestled below the scorching hot sands of the Mojave Desert is the remnant of yet another ancient lava flow, and it’s one that you just can't miss!

This lava tube is about 500 feet long and 30 feet wide and is located about 5 miles east of Kelbaker Road on a gravel road. Getting to it requires a detour, sure, but the beams of light that shoot down through the cracks and illuminate the sandy cave floor are stunning and well worth the trip.

Mitchell Caverns

The Mitchell Caverns are a series of limestone caves located in the Providence Mountains State Recreation Area in Southern California and are the only limestone caverns in the California State Park System!

Out of all the kinds of cave formations, limestone caves offer some of the best indoor features. Stalactites, stalagmites, columns and flowstones are the result of millions of years’ worth of slow, steady water erosion, and these caves have definitely got plenty to show for their time! The most popular cave in the system, El Pakiva, has about 1,000 feet of stunning interior limestone features inside its 100-foot-high chamber. 

Be sure to reserve a tour online if you want to visit these caves, as entrance is restricted by the California Department of Parks and Recreation.

Vanalden Cave

Though just 50 feet deep, 25 feet tall and 25 feet wide, Vanalden Cave is a fascinating cave to visit in the scenic Santa Monica Mountains.

Formed by the erosion of wind and water over the sandstone cliffs, Vanalden Cave is more of an overhang dotted with holes in the ceiling and walls, creating a Swiss-cheese like exterior that is more open-air than covered. The holes in the walls and roof allow light to filter into the den and gives explorers the chance to explore to their heart’s content! 

If you live in or near our luxury Southern California apartments in Los Angeles or San Diego, then be sure to check these caves out next time you’re looking for something different on your outdoorsy adventure. You won’t regret it!

Enjoy!

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Featured photo courtesy Pixabay/TonyRinaldis