Overview. This is a beautiful privately owned cave with plenty of quirkiness to go with it (see pics below). The tour was led by an outstanding guide, Gary Russell, who was extremely knowledgeable and highly entertaining. When visiting Cave Country, be sure to include some privately owned caves in addition to those found in Mammoth Cave National Park.

Route Type | Out and Back
Total Distance | Est. 0.5 miles
Elevation Gain | Est. 80 feet
Physical Demand | Easy with Stairs

GPS Waypoints
Parking Lot | 37.110611, -85.973931

Ticket Prices and Hours
Crystal Onyx Cave Website

Parking. Limited parking is available near the gift shop where tickets can be purchased.

HIKER NOTE - Photography. The cave is well lit, so no flash is needed. Tripods and monopods are prohibited. Most high-end smartphones do well - these photos were taken using a Google Pixel 8 Pro with Night Sight.

HIKER NOTE - Lower Cave Tour. We did the upper tour, but a lower tour can be done with a few more flights of stairs. We’ll hit that next time down.

HIKER NOTE - Caving/Spelunking in Kentucky. The Commonwealth has an abundance of caves on private lands that are visited by an underground community of adventurers. See what I did there - underground - caves - funny, right? Anywho, if caving tickles your fancy, connect with a regional caving group at:
https://caves.org/state/kentucky/