Near Bear Valley lies Ebbetts Pass, which has one of the best known caverns, Mercer Caverns. It is located 1 mi/1.6 km north of Murphys, on Sheep Ranch Road. The cave was originally used by the Indians as mortuary cave, but later was abandoned and its entrance was covered with debris, until pioneers discovered it in 1885.
Inside there are crystal formations, such as Angel Wings and susceptible compositions of aragonite, along with stalagmites, stalactites and also a labyrinth of underground, that visitors drawn for centuries. The tours in the cave include Fairies Grotto, Oregon Loft and Gothic Chamber. The tour lasts about 45 minutes and is a quarter of a mile long. You won’t cover all the distance at once.
There are several stops, where the guide will explain the history and geology of the cave and give you time to take some pictures. There are no tripods or video cameras allowed. The tour has totally 440 steps, 208 down into the cavern and 232 up out of the caverns.
You should be careful on some of the steps, because they are steep and narrow. The tour is moderately strenuous, mainly on the way out, but there is no crawling. The main temperature is constantly at 55 ºF/12.8 ºC with 90% humidity.
Bear Valley is a ski area located near Angels Camp, on highway 4, between Lake Tahoe and Yosemite, approximately 3 hours southeast of Sacramento, California, USA.
Seneca Caverns is located in the Germany Valley, Pendleton County, West Virginia. It is the most prolific area for caves in the entire United States. In order to satisfy their curiosity, many people visit this site every year.
Maykop is a city situated on the right bank of Belaya River, which is a tributary of the Kuban. It is the capital city of the Republic of Adygeya in Russia.
Saint Petersburg is a city situated on the Neva river, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The federal subject of Saint Petersburg has its name changed three times, from Saint Petersburg to Petrograd, then Leningrad and back to Saint Petersburg.
Java is the 5th largest island in Indonesia and the world's most populous as well. It acts as Indonesia's center of cultural and economic activity. Java is divided into four provinces, West Java, East Java, Central Java and Banted, plus two additional special regions, Jakarta and Yogyakarta. Java is almost entirely of volcanic origin and lies between Sumatra to the west and Bali to the east.
The Kangaroo Island covers an area of approximately 4400 km²/1698.8 mi², located at 110 km/70 mi south-west of Adelaide in South Australia and easily accessible by ferry or plane. A congregation of attractive small towns and fascinating wild Conservation parks, Kangaroo Island represents Australia's third largest Island.
Yosemite National Park is located near Mariposa, California, USA.
Northstar California is a ski resort, located near Truckee, California, USA. It is a very big ski resort, covering 3170 skiable acres/12.83 km².
Sonora Pass is located near Pinecrest, Tuolumne County, California, USA. It is off of Highway about 60 mi/96.5 km east of Sonora.
Bear Valley is a ski area located near Angels Camp, on highway 4, between Lake Tahoe and Yosemite, approximately 3 hours southeast of Sacramento, California, USA.
Kirkwood Mountain Resort is a year round resort in Kirkwood, south of Lake Tahoe, in El Dorado County, California, USA. Kirkwood is at 33 mi/53 km south of South Lake Tahoe, on State Route 88 and it is surrounded by El Dorado National Forest.
Mammoth Lakes is located near Mammoth Mountain, in California’s eastern Sierra about 100 mi/161 km south of Nevada State Line, 9 mi/14.5 km northwest of Mount Morrison, at an elevation of 7880 ft/2402 m, Mono County, California, USA.
Heavenly Mountain Resort is located near the city of South Lake Tahoe, on the California-Nevada border, El Dorado County, California, USA.
Mount Shasta is located in northern California, east of Interstate 5 along SR89, between Mount Shasta city and McCloud city, California, USA.
