mercer caverns

We enjoyed the tour of Mercer Caverns. The tour guide was great. His name was Bernard. He was very knowledgeable about the caverns and the area. The tour goes 16 stories down in the cavern. Paths are very narrow in spots and some low clearance places so you need to be cautious with young children but there are hand rails and well built paths. It seemed more natural to us which we enjoyed. Worth visiting for sure.

I went to Mercer Caverns with my family and 70 year old plus inlaws. There IS some ladder climbing and tight stops, but if you are in fair shape, it is do-able. You go down pretty deep and see mineral deposits and geologic structures you can only find underground, along the way. The guides are friendly and knowledgable. Great thing to do if in the general area and like activities that are a little different. I would recommend this for adults and older children because of the climbing of ladders and the possibility of young kids getting scared in such an environment.

The formations are very cool: a great variety of well lit limestone stalagtites and stalagmites and ever dripping formations. The 16 floors down is pretty accurate in that there are many stiar,s some of them narrow and steep, some declines where you have to lean back a little to get down. Most adults and older children could navigate it quite well, and upon the return there are rest stops. Well worth the price of admission ( $15 for adults) for this unique experience. Not suitable for young children ( who would have to be carried and that could be a chore) or those who cannot navigate steep stairs. About a 40-45 minute tour. For those who cannot ( or dont want to tour the caverns), there is a "gem mining" water sluice box set up for kids ( and saw adults who enjoyed it too) where you purchase a bag of sand containing " gemstones" then sluice box out the sediment to discover hidden treasures. About $9 a bag for the large bag, but smaller ones were available. Kept the kids occupied for quite awhile, and they left with their pocketed gems. A nice hilltop location with picnic tables also ( no food save for vending machines,,,bring your own) and a time worn and bit dusty gift shop chock full of kids toys, dinosaurs, fossils, geodes , other assorted trinkets and a resident cat. Tip: leave the way you came up from the town of Murphys...the other road "out" , specifically Sheeps Ranch Road is a very long, bumpty, rustic countryside road that goes on for dozens of miles. It is beautiful countryside and ranch areas, but no services and no quick way out.

Nice to beat the heat and see some of natures wonders. The staff is courteous and knowledgeable and the grounds are well kept.

Go down 160 feet into the earth. See some beautiful mineral deposits and get some history to boot. Not for little ones who can't navagate steep stairs, or any one else for that matter. They do have some activities for little ones above ground. Mining for precous gems. They have a water trough to sift out some gravel bought from the gift shop. Fun for the young ones. If you love caves and mineral formations this is the place for you.

Well worth the 45 minutes and 400 and some steps, this tour through the Mercer Caverns was a wonderful way to spend the afternoon. Our guide was very patient, well-informed and knowledgeable both about the fascinating formations and the history of the caves. The stairs are steep in areas, but railings are very helpful. Not over-developed, this attraction is definitely worth checking out!

We took the 45 minutes tour with a lovely guide. The caverns, grottos and rock formations are breath taking. The walk, while sound intimidating, was not hard at all. Our six year old mastered the stairs and the guide gives very clear safety instructions at every point. While it may sound like strenuous work "climbing sixteen floors of steps," there are frequent stops, the steps are actually quite short, handrails and sturdy and the fresh, crisp air makes it easy. Definitely worth a trip. Also while we waited, we bought two bags of "sand" and prospected for gems and emeralds. It was a lot of fun. Multiple bathrooms and picnic tables. ATT even worked from the parking lot, quite a surprise.

Dropped into the town of Murphy for a tour of the Mercer Cavern. It lasted for 45 minutes or so. The wife and my daughter were a little leery about climbing down into this cave. The descriptions and history of this find were definitely worth while. Be prepared for some steep stair climbing and ducking along the way. After all was said and done we all enjoyed this attraction. Definitely recommended for those who don't mind a moderate stair climb and interesting features.

Limestone caverns are one of the wonders of the earth and unless you are uncomfortable on sometimes steep stairways or seriously out of shape this is a great one to see. Because it is a relatively small cave (tiny compared to Carlsbad) it allows an intimate look at the calcite formations that make the underworld a wonder world. Stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone deposited slowly over thousands of years with good lighting and a knowledgeable guide will stimulate your imagination.

This was my first experience inside a cave and it was amazing! Our tour guide was a plethora of information and was absolutely hilarious! The details in the cave were beautiful and my kids even enjoyed it. Just know that there are a lot of stairs that you climb and the spaces are small at times - if you have knee problems or claustrophobic I wouldn't recommend going. You also are not allowed to carry backpacks or purses because it will damage the walls if you hit them, plus it is $1000 fine. Overall it is a great time for the whole family!

It took us two trips to Murphys before we were able to make it to the cave, but we did not regret it. It has a wonderful history and is beautiful to see. It is a 16 story walk to the bottom of the cave so it is a little work but well worth it.

Beautiful place to see. Allowed to take pictures. Tour guide, Diane, was very good. Very steep stairs! 16 flights to climb out, but numerous stops so you're not winded. We're seniors, so it wasn't bad. Kids in our group love it too.

We spent a week in the general area off 108 and found this spot a delightful way to combine kid stuff (the Caverns) with grownup stuff (touring and winetasting in Murphys!) The kids, ages 14, 13, 11 and 8, (plus their parents and grandparents) said it was one of the best things we did over a six day trip. Narrow walkways and a fun guide and lot of little tiny jumping frogs (Mark Twain and Calaveras County reminder) made for some good photos. No dogs, of course, so one of us sat it out with the pooch, but there is lovely spot to sit under a huge tree outside the store if caves aren't your thing.

As others have said, the guides really make this worth visiting.Very narrow passageways and low outcrops require much care. Sufficient time was given to take photos.Very extensive; download the map from their website to truly appreciate.

The caverns were so amazing, I've never seen anything like it. You really can get up close and see the details of the cave, it's so well preserved. Our party of 11 was easily accommodated and it we hardly had to wait (on a Saturday, mind you). Our tour guide Jerry was super funny, knowledgable, and friendly. He had a great sense of humor, which added entertainment, but also provided a thorough description and history of the cavern. Definitely a must see!