Loading Spotwander…Find the spots worth the detour.

Notable cave · Santa Cruz, California

Empire Cave

Empire Cave is a cave in Santa Cruz, California.

Open on the map＋ Add to tripDay trip from herePlan a road tripGoogle Maps ↗

Empire Cave: crowds and conditions

Typical pattern: moderate; weekends busier. Been there recently? Post today’s status and it shows here for the next traveller.

Status options for this cave: Open, good conditions · Very crowded · Approach road bad · Closed / not accessible.

Best time to visit Empire Cave

Season: Year-round; October to March is most comfortable, some caves flood in heavy rain.

Busiest days: Weekends and long holidays.

Crowd: Moderate; weekends busier.

Typical week: Mon light · Tue light · Wed light · Thu light · Fri light · Sat busy · Sun busy.

How to reach Empire Cave — distance from nearby cities

    Coordinates: 36.99630, -122.06878. Road distances are estimates; the road-trip planner uses real routes and adds stops worth the detour.

    Places to visit near Empire Cave

    See everything within a day’s drive of Empire Cave

    Other caves near Empire Cave

    All caves in California

    Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

    Frequently asked

    Is Empire Cave open today?

    No visitor has reported the opening status for Empire Cave yet. Typical pattern: moderate; weekends busier. Busiest: Weekends and long holidays.

    What is the best time to visit Empire Cave?

    Year-round; October to March is most comfortable, some caves flood in heavy rain. Moderate; weekends busier.

    What are the places to visit near Empire Cave?

    Nearby: Antonelli Pond (lake, 6 km), Neary Lagoon Wildlife Refuge (sanctuary, 6 km), Younger Lagoon (sanctuary, 6 km), Bigfoot Museum (museum, 6 km), Undertow (temple, 7 km), Four Mile Beach (beach, 7 km).

    Is Empire Cave worth visiting?

    Empire Cave is listed as a notable cave in California on Spotwander.