Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park (SEKI), located about 60 miles east of Fresno, California, is the major focus of the California area of operations of the Cave Research Foundation (CRF). Many SFBC members are also joint venturers in the CRF and participate regularly in expeditions to this cave area. Activities focus on two of the parks' principal karst areas: the Redwood Canyon area of Kings Canyon National Park and the Mineral King area of Sequoia National Park. Redwood Canyon, as beautiful above ground as it is underground, contains the largest surviving grove of Giant Sequoia trees in the world, and Lilburn Cave, one of California's longest caves. Mineral King valley contains extensive karst resources, and many caves have developed there in classic light and dark foliated marble typical of many sierran roof pendant terranes. Both areas involve access by backpacking distances of 3 to 7 miles, depending upon the season and the trail selected.


Activity in the Redwood Canyon area focuses primarily on Lilburn Cave, one of California's longest caves at almost 17 miles and growing. Lilburn Cave is managed by the National Park Service as an underground reserach laboratory. Entry is restricted to those conducting or assisting with NPS-approved research projects. Current projects include:

  • Cartography
  • Cave restoration
  • Sedimentology
  • Karst development and processes
  • Hydrology and aquatic chemistry, including studies to model a rare ebb-and-flow spring
  • History
  • Subaqueous exploration
  • and other studies currently under development

Most projects are aimed at learning how Lilburn Cave operates as a physical system. Each project has a prinicpal investigator who is responsible to the National Park Service and to the CRF for conducting the study in a responsible manner and for achieving professional results summarized in published reports.


The Mineral King area sports vast, cave-rich karst resources, with current CRF efforts focusing on cave cartography, exploration, and resources inventory.Initially, studies have focused on two hanging valleys at about 10,000 feet that are tributary to the Kaweah River, the principal drainage of Mineral King valley. In 1997, surveys of Cirque Cave were essentially completed, and interest is shifting to other large karst resources of the valley. The massive amount of marble in the valley, suggests the potential for several kilometers of new cave system. There remains much potential at Mineral King!


If you think you may be interested in becoming involved with any of these projects, please feel free to drop by the next grotto meeting and ask one of the executive committee members. We will be happy to point you in the right direction. "Project caving" can be a very rewarding experience, and is a great way to give back to the caving community. If the SEKI projects don't sound right for you, but you still want to be involved with CRF project caving in the California area, the CRF Lava Beds projects are an excellent way to get involved, and are suitable for both novice and experienced cavers alike.


Park Service SEKI Pages
These are the Park Service's pages on the SEKI area, including directions, camping information, and a general look at the area aboveground.

Cave Research Foundation
The SEKI project, among others, are coordinated through the CRF. The Pacific/California CRF Website has information on Lilburn and Mineral King activity for 1998.


Cave Research Foundation Expedition Report by Joel Despain
Memorial Day Weekend at Lilburn Cave and the Redwood Canyon Karst by John Tinsley
CRF Finds New Karst Connection in Mineral King Valley by John Tinsley

Photos: (Top) Carol Conroy, Carol Vesely, and Nancy Pistole surveying off Grand Central Passage in Lilburn by Dave Bunnell; Howard Hurtt assists Bill Farr during CRF diving exploration at Big Springs, Kings Canyon NP by Glenn Butcher; Dave Bunnell restoring the Jefferson Memorial at Lilburn by Bill Frantz

©2008. These pages and their contents are property of the San Francisco Bay Chapter Incorporated, part of the National Speleological Society, except where otherwise noted. Opinions expressed within are not necessarily those of the SFBC, its board members, or the NSS.