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Attraction · California

Mercer Caverns

Mercer Caverns, a attraction in California
Mercer Caverns, a attraction in CaliforniaFrank Schulenburg · CC BY-SA 4.0
Mercer Caverns, a attraction in California
Dave Bunnell · CC BY-SA 4.0
Mercer Caverns, a attraction in California
Dave Bunnell · CC BY-SA 4.0
Mercer Caverns, a attraction in California
No machine-readable author provided. EugeneZelenko assumed (based on copyright claims). · CC BY-SA 4.0
Mercer Caverns, a attraction in California
No machine-readable author provided. EugeneZelenko assumed (based on copyright claims). · CC BY-SA 4.0

More photographs at the Wikimedia Commons category.

Mercer Caverns is an attraction in California, at a modelled elevation of 653 m. Blue Mountain stands 1,835 m to the north-northeast, 15 miles off. The nearest named place is Murphys Pokey, a attraction 1.2 miles away. Ebbetts Pass Scenic Byway passes 8.1 miles off.

About

The story

Mercer Caverns is a show cave located one mile north of Murphys in Calaveras County California. It is named after the gold prospector Walter J. Mercer who discovered the caves around 1885 and filed a claim. The caverns have a large number of speleothems, stalactites, and stalagmites. It is formed in a marble unit known as the Calaveras Formation. It also contains a large display of aragonite frostwork.

The standard tour of the cave descends 160 feet, 208 steps down and 232 up in a traverse between the natural and an artificial entrance. The cave was mapped in 1986 to a length of 3389 feet and a total depth of 192 feet. The map can be viewed on the cave's web site.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Wikidata Q8342992, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.

Getting there

How to reach it

Driving directionsPlan a drive around it
Coordinates38.15117, -120.47809

Overlooks nearby

Around it

Named places within 25 miles

Parks
Peaks
Springs: 33
  • Lord Spring: 7.0 mi
  • Vine Spring: 7.2 mi
  • Gold Spring: 8.0 mi
  • San Antonio Spring: 12.5 mi
  • Gooseberry Spring: 12.9 mi
Museums: 15
Historic sites: 13
Attractions: 9
Picnic sites: 5
  • Heron Point Day Use: 11.5 mi
  • Lupine Day Use Area: 11.7 mi
  • Veterans Memorial: 12.6 mi
  • Oak Leaf: 13.7 mi
  • Moccasin Point: 23.6 mi
Ghost towns: 4
Nature reserves: 4
Cliffs: 4
Natural arches: 1
  • Natural Bridge: 6.7 mi
Gardens: 1
  • F - Master Gardener's Demonstration Garden: 10.6 mi
Rest areas: 1
  • Scoutmaster Grotto: 23.5 mi
On the horizon

Summits around it

The highest named summits within 17.7 miles of Mercer Caverns. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.

SummitBearingElevationDistance
Blue MountainNNE 25°1,835 m14.6 mi
Repeater HillENE 63°1,672 m15.7 mi
Buck MountainNNE 20°1,566 m16.5 mi
Elizabeth PeakESE 116°1,486 m13.9 mi
Mount ProvoESE 123°1,479 m17.6 mi
Mount KnightE 85°1,458 m13.0 mi
Manuel PeakNE 37°1,354 m8.1 mi
Cougar RockNE 41°1,297.56 m7.4 mi
Conditions

When to go

Light through the year

DateSunriseGolden hourSunset
March equinox07:0618:3919:14
June solstice05:4019:5020:29
September equinox06:5018:2619:00
December solstice07:1616:0516:46

Local time (America/Los_Angeles).

Climate normals

Months averaging 50–80 °F: Feb–Jun, Sep–Nov.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Avg °F485054586674818076665548
Precip in5.94.94.82.61.50.40.00.00.21.52.95.2

1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — NEW Melones DAM HQ, 10 mi away.

Sources

Where this comes from

Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.

OpenStreetMapWikidata

OpenStreetMap element node/485093241

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