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We have done quite a few road trips along Interstate-5 through the Shasta and Redding areas. Every time we passed through, we always saw signs for Shasta Caverns. Unfortunately, it was never a good time to stop. So, when we decided to stay in Redding for our visit to Lassen Volcanic National Park, we knew we had to visit Shasta Caverns. What differentiates Shasta Caverns from other cave tours that we did is that the caverns are located on the other side of the lake. The only way to get there is by boat. So for the tour, you’ll get a boat ride along with the tour of beautiful caverns. Two adventures for the price of one; of course, we had to do it!
Shasta Cave is located in the foothills of Mt. Shasta, 900 feet above Shasta Lake. To get there, you have to take a boat. Luckily, it is included with the tour! Your tour will start at the Shasta Caverns Visitors Center, right off Interstate 5. It is about a 30-minute drive north of Redding, California.
Just a word of warning: Shasta Caverns Road is very narrow. The road can get windy. If you are driving a motorhome or RV, it can be challenging.
Shasta Caverns Visitors Center
20359 Shasta Caverns Rd, Lakehead, CA 96051
As of the time of this blog, the tour to Shasta Caverns costs:
You can reserve your ticket in advance online or purchase it in person. If you plan to visit during busy times such as weekends or holidays, we recommend reserving your spot in advance. We came during a weekday. So, we were able to get our tickets in person without any issues.
Tours run daily every 30 minutes from 9 am to 4 pm.
Pets are not allowed in the caverns, but the Visitors Center offers a complimentary kennel.
Unfortunately, they are not, due to their natural layout. The parking lot, picnic area, and gift store are accessible.
The cavern’s temperature is a constant 72°F (21°C).
We got to Shasta Caverns Visitors Center around 10 am. After crossing under the giant sign for Shasta Caverns, we followed the paved path to the gift shop. This is where you can either purchase your tour ticket in person or check in if you got your ticket online. We didn’t get our tickets in advance, but we were hoping to get on the 10:30 am tour. However, it was booked, but the 11 am slot was wide open. So, we took the 11 am slot. The lady at the register told us to be back about 15 minutes before our scheduled time. This was because we had to walk down a long set of stairs to get to the boat.
With about 45 minutes to spare, we went around to check out our surroundings. This area was really cute. Besides the gift shop, there are picnic tables and a funny photo-op with an old outhouse. There is also a kids’ playground with a mining sluice. You can purchase bags of gemstones at the gift shop and run them through the sluice.
About 15 minutes before our scheduled time, we made our way to the back of the gift shop. From there, we climbed our way down a series of stairs. I’m not gonna lie, there were a lot of them. It reminded us of the way down Carlsbad Caverns, but not that far. When we got to the bottom of the stairs, we spotted a pontoon boat waiting for us.
Once everyone got on the boat, our captain backed up and steered us across the beautiful water of Shasta Lake. Although we were looking forward to the caverns, we also really enjoyed our boat ride. There was something about the brisk morning wind and the blue water that really cleansed the soul. It was a short ride across the water.
After we got off the boat, a bus was waiting to shuttle us to the cave’s entrance. Keep your eyes peeled on the bus ride up. Not only do you get to see some pretty views of Shasta Lake, if you’re lucky, but you might also spot mama bear and her cubs. We saw them on our way up. It was really cool!
Once we reached the top, we found a small building. There are restrooms if you need to use them. There’s also a small museum right before the Shasta Caverns’ entrance. At the entrance, we met our tour guide. She gave us some information about the cave. Then, we were ready for our tour.
Once we walked through the large metal door, we entered a new world, where light plays with shadows, and the walls look like dripping wax. This is the Discovery Room, your first introduction to the real beauty of the Shasta Caverns. Here, you will find most of the popular cave formations in one place, including helictites, flowstone, columns, stalactites, stalagmites, soda straws, and cave bacon!
After leaving the Discovery Room through a small passage, we reached a series of stairs switching back and forth. This is the Thompson Room. You won’t actually stop here, but it is a cool place to fawn over how beautiful all the formations are.
At the top of the stairs, we got to the Dome Room. This is a much larger room. It is famous for its flowstone. Flowstones are sheets of minerals deposited by water as it flows across the walls and floor. That would be a sight to watch. Unfortunately, it is impossible to see because these formations were created between 200 and 250 million years ago.
While we were in this room, our guide pointed out more formations. Some of them reminded us of an inkblot test. The Dome Room definitely lives up to its name. It has a dome ceiling that stands a very impressive 80 feet tall. The room’s acoustics are pretty surreal. There have been concerts held here before.
After leaving the Dome Room, we descend the stairs for a short distance before walking through picturesque passageways. The formations along the way were so interesting that we couldn’t help but stop to look at them. Once we crossed over the passageways, we were greeted with MORE stairs!
Once you reach the top of the stairs, you will be in the Crystal Room. This is one of Shasta Caverns’ newest rooms. Crystal Room is another huge room full of glistening crystal formations, folded sheets of flowstone, and many cave bacon. If you did bring a flashlight, this is a great place to use it to light up some of the formations. This room in Shasta Caverns is also known to have water in it from time to time, but it was dry on our visit. It reminds us of our cave tour at Lehman Caves in the Great Basin National Park.
From the Crystal Room, we were a short distance from the Basement Room. At one point, the Basement Room was thought to be one of the lowest rooms of the Shasta Caverns. That is, until explorers accidentally broke into the Discovery Room at the cave entrance. While the Basement Room is smaller and less impressive than some of the other rooms on the tour, it is still very beautiful and also has a bit of history. As you make your way along, you will notice a name written on the wall. This mark was left by James A. Richardson when he explored the cave in 1878. Obviously, we don’t condone graffiti, but back in 1878, this was probably how you let people know that you explored it first. It’s pretty wild to know his signature is still there almost 150 years later.
Narrow winding corridors will bring you to the second-to-last room. This is a very short stop known as the Chimney Room. Early explorers used the Chimney Room to access the cave. Now, all that remains is a very rickety ladder.
After the Chimney Room, guess what… THERE ARE MORE STAIRS! Thankfully not too many. Once we reached the top of the stairs, we turned right and were welcomed with one of the most amazing sights! Through the gap between the rocks, we saw the cave formations glowing with purple and pink lights! This room is MASSIVE! It stands between 125 and 180 feet tall. The walls are covered with pipe organ-like formations, columns, draperies, and gigantic features. It was breathtaking.
Once everyone settled down, our guide turned on the music. The classical music harmonized with the cave lighting, making this a very spiritual experience. We could almost feel the music reverberate off the twisted walls. This was probably one of the most surreal moments that we have had on a cave tour, and we won’t soon forget it.
The Cathedral Room is the last room on the tour. After that, it was a long descent back to the museum and the cave entrance. Along the way, you’ll get beautiful views of Shasta Lake. Once you get down to the museum, you’ll get back on the bus and eventually take the boat ride back to your car.
We had such a wonderful time on the Shasta Caverns cave tour. If you love caves, you’re not too far from Subway Cave Lava Tubes. Although this lava tube is short, it is FREE and nearby! Besides this, we recommend checking out Boyden Cavern in Kings Canyon National Park. It is a smaller cave, similar to this one. For wild caves, we love Goshute Caves in Nevada. If you’re up for lava caves, check out Tabernacle Hills Lava Tubes. For talus caves, check out Balconies Caves and Bear Gulch Cave in Pinnacles National Park.
Happy Adventuring. Don’t forget to check out the related posts below for more inspiration on your upcoming adventures. While at it, follow us on Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel! We’ll love you forever!
These are the gear that we personally use and find helpful for this particular adventure. Don’t forget to check out our Recommended Gear section as well.
Our favorite biodegradable, eco-friendly, reef-safe sunscreen!
Our favorite hiking/travel jacket. It's warm and packable, perfect to bring on a hike or a road trip.
Our favorite hiking/travel jacket. It's warm and packable, perfect to bring on a hike or a road trip.
Our favorite head light! It's super bright and long-lasting. We bring this on hikes, caving, and more.
Compact GoPro pole that extends to 25", perfect to bring on your adventure.
This is our go-to camera for all of our adventures. It comes with us everywhere!
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Hi! We are Dustin & Vy, the proud creators of Live That Adventure. We created this website because we wanted to inspire others to live their lives to the fullest. On here, you’ll find everything from hiking, canyoneering, kayaking, and snorkeling to adventure and travel tips, gear reviews, and bucket list items such as bungee jumping or wing walking. We’ll show you the ropes so you can do them too!
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