Wind Cave

This has easily become one of my families favorite hikes! It's only about a couple of miles and most of it (except maybe the last 50 yards) is really gradual incline. This was great for family members who don't care for hiking much. The first part from the parking lot until you get higher up on the mountain is the prettiest (especially late July-August). The view once you get to the waterfall is fantastic. It's a little steep though, so not many places to sit and rest if there are a lot of people there. Definitely take the time to go deep into the cave! It is really neat to go from a great big cave opening to an almost-touch-the-ceiling height. If you're really adventurous, then you will go through the wind tunnel. It doesn't go very far back and depending on your size, you will need to be on hands and knees. You will then be in a small room. There's another tunnel that takes you to a slightly bigger room, but you DO NOT want to go any further in to the cave if you don't have the proper equipment! This is a great place to turn off your flash lights and experience total darkness, if you like that kind of thing. Bring a jacket, even on a hot summer day. It gets really cold back in the cave!
5 8 years ago (13-01-2018)

This is a great hike for all kinds of people, even beginners. It's 3.3 miles to the wind cave and approximately 1,700 feet ascension (NOT a guess, recorded with Gaia GPS). The hardest part is the last half mile which is switchbacks but if you get this far it's worth toughing it out to get to the cave itself. All along the way there are great views of the valley. There's also water sources once you get close to the end of the trail in case you need to refill your bottle. The waterfall is also really nice and you can actually climb right down to it; just watch your step as it's slippery! Once inside it gets dark and cold very quickly! If you go all the way to the back the wind coming through the small opening in the cave wall is quite strong.
5 7 years ago (17-02-2018)

We hiked this trail in early July. It was a hot day- mid 80’s. We are from the east coast. In average shape. We’ve hiked some trails in PA/NJ Mountains and in the Blue Ridge mountains in NC. For us, this was a difficult hike. (As others have said this is not 5 miles round trip. I’m thinking it’s 10 miles round trip.) The elevation climb is approximately 2,000 feet in those 5 miles. The scenery is beautiful. There are lots of switch backs. I think for us, part of the problem was we were not used to being at that elevation. We are living at almost sea level. I was surprised at how often we had to stop and catch our breath! Im in my 50’s, my daughter is 18. A 5 year old with his dad, passed us. So did a pregnant woman!!! While it was hard, we did make it to the waterfall and cave. But the snow was still melting and the waterfall was strong. We were not able to enter the cave. Just make sure you bring enough water for the weather. It took us about 5 hours to get up and maybe a little over an hour to come down! For people that are from the area and in shape, it’s probably a 1-2 hour up and maybe 45 to an hour down. The higher elevation really slowed us down.
5 8 years ago (08-10-2017)

Fantastic hike! It was a round trip hike of about 5 miles. Going up to the actual cave requires some hiking on an increasing elevation change, but those in average shape should be able to accomplish this hike with little to no problems, save for regular wear of the body. Be sure to bring water and a few granola bars/protein bars. I went with a little bag of fruit-snacks, a nature valley bar and a large water bottle and I got through it great. Absolutely beautiful! The foliage and wildflowers really bring out the colors of the area, and going through the forest portions of the trail offer great amounts of shade. Perfect photo opportunities as well. If you are planning on going through the caves, bring pants, sweatshirt and a flashlight/headlamp. It gets cold in there!
5 8 years ago (31-08-2017)

I just wanted to clarify for people this is actually a 10 mile hike. The description is extremely misleading. The 5 miles are not a loop and you will be ascending a steep grade for most the hike. The cave lies near the top of mountain and you will climb another mountain and work your way around the canyon. In addition, the drive to the end of Darby Canyon road involves 4 miles of gravel road that will be slow going to reach the trailhead. Make sure you are prepared and take suitable precaution. I have hiked many areas in the west and i would rate this as a moderate to difficult hike. It it definitely worth doing.
5 8 years ago (29-09-2017)