Wind Cave Hike is a short hike at 4 miles with 1007 feet of climbing, but well worth it for the views. This is a very popular hike in the area and even on a weekday morning we encountered a handful of groups and then at the very end, hordes of kids that I assume were part of some camp.
The hike climbs steadily all the way up, and we went through 9-10 switchbacks. The trail traverses the mountainside and offers stunning views of Logan River, China Wall, and beautiful green grasses, trees, and flowers. Since this trail gets so much use, the tread is good and it’s easy to follow. The payoff at the end is a cave you can climb down into and several arches to admire from different angles. Luckily there wasn’t anyone up there when we got there. We even backtracked a bit and headed to a bluff to get a picture looking back at the cave and arches. Amazing.
Contrary to the name, Wind Cave was created by water. The formation began far underground as water seeped through cracks deep within layers of limestone rock. Over long periods of time, the water slowly dissolved the limestone creating large below ground caverns. The downward cutting Logan River exposed the caves and the arches were created as water continued to erode the limestone.
It’s gonna be a hot weekend and temps next week are in the 90’s so we’ll be spending some time in the rivers and lakes around here. Luckily, we oriented the trailer so we get optimal shade and our trailer is well built to handle seasons.
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