Hello everyone and thank you for participating in our 2014 canyoning adventures. If you have not done  so please click on the link below and fill in the Contact information for each person in your party.




Please fill out our contact form.

We will not be accepting any group reservations for Boyden over the holiday weekend.

Hello to all our customers, Boyden Cavern is open now, starting Memorial weekend we will open our gift shop at 09:30 am and the first tour will depart at 10:00 am. Tours will depart every hour and the hour for rest of the day, last tour of the day will leave at 5:00 pm. Ticket prices are $14.50 for 13 years and up and $8.50 for 12 and under. We also offer various discounts, especially Military discounts, so make sure to ask for your discount before purchasing tickets. Tour length is 45 - 50 minutes long, traveling at 800 feet into and then back out of the cavern.

We have picnic tables located right at the trail head to Boyden Cavern, there is a small Welcome center and gift-shop with some pretty cool fossils and minerals from around the world. The gift-shop has cold drinks including a couple of micro-beers and great tasting snacks (locally produced). Arrive any time, the shop may have it's windows closed during it's tours, however when the guide returns the shop will open and everyone can enjoy the view of the Kings River and the amazing view of the Marble mountains above Boyden Cavern. These are same mountains that 180 million years ago were under a shallow sea and grew into massive corral reefs.

Boyden Cavern- walk a scenic 5 - 10 minute trail up to the cavern entrance, there are amazing flowers and plants right along the trail, including the Giant Maple with it's broad leaf. California Bay tree with it's aromatic Bay leaf as well as many small flowering plants, make sure to ask for the manager Elaine for more details of all the plants along the trail. The hike is strenuous at one point, the trail is level for 3 - 5 minutes of walking, then the trail steepens a fair amount (stop often and catch your breath), the steep section takes 2-4 minutes to walk up, there is a switch back then the trail is level for 2-3 more minutes with the last section which is steep for 50 more feet. There are benches along the way and at the cavern entrance. Once inside the cavern the trail is mostly level with occasional steps. As the tour progresses through the cavern, folks pass stalactites and stalagmites which resembles cities, drapes, tacos, camels and elephants....Oh and bacon. The trail toward the back of the cavern descends into the stream bed and is no longer a easy walk with hand railing. Be prepared for rough surface with stream stones and slippery footing. We strongly suggest shoes that are closed toe with good friction bottoms. Your final destination is the Christmas tree room with a beautiful Christmas tree formation that is estimated to be around 50,000 years in the forming.

Please keep an eye on our Blog site for the most up to date information on our cavern tours and times. Also as the CANYONING season gets here we will be updating our Blog with which trips are available and specific details on the trips.

For more information or to make reservation please call us at 888-965-8243. We are a very small office and do not have full time office staff, so if we do not pick up, please, please leave us a message so that we can get back to you and answer your questions.

See all of you in the canyon..........

Here is a Google Map of the Boyden location

National Forest? National Park? or Monument?

 Are we in Sequoia National Park, Sequoia National Forest, Kings Canyon National Park or Sequoia National Monument? We'll let me tell you that this is a little complicated, Boyden Cavern is located Geographically in Kings Canyon, right where Highway 180 crosses the beautiful Kings River and has some of the most spectacular views of the amazing geology associated with all of Kings Canyon. Although Boyden Cavern is in Kings Canyon, the governing agency is not the National Park. Which is to say we are not located in Kings Canyon National Park...... So where are we located? As far as government agencies are concerned the National Forest has jurisdiction over a large area of Kings Canyon.  Starting at just past Grant Grove (Located in Kings Canyon National Park, but without any real connection to the canyon), is the boundary of the Park and Sequoia National Forest. For the next approximate 27 miles highway 180 winds through Sequoia National Forest and down into some of the most breath taking panoramic views of Kings Canyon (geographically speaking). Highway 180 passes Boyden Cavern crosses the Kings River and continues approximately another 7-8 miles up canyon past Grizzly falls and then finally ends at the boundary of the National Forest and the beginning of Kings Canyon National Park, this area is known as Cedar Grove. Now during Clinton's Presidency he created a National Monument in that same area, so it is also know as Giant Sequoia National Monument. Some folks have mistakenly believed that Monuments were the domain of the National Park Service - This is absolutely not true. Sequoia National Forest is the official managing agency of "Giant Sequoia National Monument". I have included a link to the United States Forest Service Web Site for your review. Please take a look at it, not only will it help you better understand all this confusion, but will also explain all the wonderful things you can do in the National Forest, including having animals with you on trails and camping in NON DESIGNATED AREAS. Go On, Get Out, enjoy your National Forests.

Giant Sequoia National Monument

The below excerpt is from the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park web site. Protecting bears however is critically important in all areas of the wilderness including both Parks and Forest areas.

Bear Habitat means Food Storage is Required!
What must be stored?
All food and anything with a scent (even if you don't consider it food) must be stored. This includes garbage, recyclables, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, sunscreen, first-aid kits, baby wipes, lotion, hairspray, scented tissue, air freshener, pet food, insect repellent, tobacco products, baby car-seats, and window cleaner. Bears recognize ice chests, cans, bottles, and grocery bags, so store them also.
How to Store Items Properly
Use the metal storage boxes provided in much of the park.

• Shop and pack for your visit so that everything will fit in the boxes (most are 44-3/4"x34"x27-3/4") and is easy to store upon arrival.
• All items should be put in the box before setting up camp.
• Seal foods in containers to minimize smells.
• Remove baby carseats from vehicles when parked overnight.
• When storage boxes are not available, put all food and related supplies, including ice chests, in vehicle trunk with food sealed in air-tight containers.
• In vehicles without trunks, all food and related supplies, including ice chests, must be stored out of sight. Cover them completely to hide them from view.

In Picnic Areas
Store all food and related supplies properly, including ice chests. Never leave food unattended. Dispose of all garbage properly.
In Campgrounds
Store all food and related supplies in the metal storage boxes. Only when camping where there are no metal boxes, store food and related supplies out of sight inside a vehicle.
Never leave camp unattended if food is not stored. Store food day and night. Take infant carseats out of vehicles when parked overnight. Bears may enter campsites during the day, even if people are there. Keep a clean camp. Put trash in bear-resistant cans and dumpsters regularly.
While Day-Hiking
Properly store all food and related supplies left at the trailhead, including ice chests. Don't leave your backpack and walk off to take a photograph. Bears know packs are a source of food.
When Backpacking
What should I do with my food when out overnight? more...

Lodging
Store all food and related supplies indoors. Put all garbage in bear-resistant cans and dumpsters. Take infant carseats out of vehicles when parked overnight.
When You See a Bear
Never approach any bear, regardless of its size. Click here to learn more about what to do if you encounter a bear.
Report incidents and sightings to a ranger. Note: These regulations and precautions help decrease the chance of personal injury or property damage. However, bear damage and confrontations are still possible, even when all guidelines are followed.

New Hire Employee Orientation

We will have an orientation day for new Boyden Cavern Adventures & Tours employees on March 22, 2014 at 9:00 am in the Activities Room at Bear Mountain Library which is located at 30733 East Kings Canyon Road in Squaw Valley. We will meet in the activity room for a discussion followed by a question and answer session, and then carpool to the cave, weather permitting. Bring a sack lunch. We will return to the library around 3:00 pm. Please bring your requested paper work with you. This will be a good time for us all to get to know each other.

New Employees for 2014 Season

We are very excited to welcome Alyssa Plascencia and Carlos Arellano to Boyden Cavern as Cavern Naturalists for the 2014 season. We can't wait for the fun to get started at the end of April!

If you want to know about employment with Boyden Cavern please go to Boyden Employment Link

Are you looking for a job?

 

 Boyden Cavern will be at the Sequoia Job Fair on February 19 . please stop by and say hello to Elaine our General Manager and Tesia our assistant manager. For more information on Boyden employment go to: https://sites.google.com/site/boydencavernemployment/

If so, stop by the Sequoia Job Fair on February 19. This event is sponsored by the Sequoia Natural History Association. Info: www.sequoiahistory.org.

Information about jobs with the National Park Service at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks may be found at www.nps.gov/seki/parkmgmt/jobs.htm.