Mitchell Caverns are limestone caves with unique geological formations—stalactites, stalagmites and other oddly shaped formations—from top to bottom. The caverns are located in the Providence Mountains State Recreation Area (near the Mojave National Preserve) and are the only limestone caverns in the California park system.

The park's visitor center is located in the historic home of Jack and Ida Mitchell, who ran a resort at the caverns for 20 years. Elevation at Mitchell Caverns is 4,300 ft. and temperatures inside the caves stay cool at a constant 65 degrees.

Guided tours are available and last more than an hour. From Labor Day to Memorial Day, tours begin at 1:30 p.m. on weekdays and at 10:00 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. on weekends; in the summer tours start daily at 1:30 p.m. Admission is $4 for adults, $2 for children. No tours are given on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, or New Years Day. Be prepared to walk for a mile and a half on uneven ground.

Tour size is limited to 25 people. Reservations are required for groups larger than 10. For current admission rates, information, and to make reservations, call (760)928-2586. For maps and background, visit the Mitchell Caverns website.

Mitchell Caverns from Essex Road off I-40

Mitchell Caverns is located in the Providence Mountains State Recreation Area. The caverns are at 4,300 feet elevation in marine limestones formed during the Paleozoic era, more than 230 million years ago. Geologists are not sure if the caves were formed before the uplift of the Providence Mountains, when the ground surface and water table were above the level of the caverns; or, after the uplift, during the ice age, when abundant rainfall maintained a through-going flow of water to dissolve the rock. The caverns are famous for the range of bizarre formations--stalactites, stalagmites, helictites, shields, and draperies--caused by the deposit of calcite, one drop at a time, over thousands of years.

Jack and Ida Mitchell, who originally developed the caves for tourists, named the two principal caverns in tribute to the Chemehuevi people who lived in the caves for 500 years. 

For more information, call (760)928-2586.