Timpanogos Cave National Monument

All right, it’s very steep, but there are a lot of benches along the way for you to rest! We booked a 9 AM start time for our hike, but we got there early and started around 8 AM because we know we’re a bit slower. We had two seniors and an asthmatic in tow. We had to be at the caves at 10:30 and we arrived right at 10:20-ish. They were very nice and had no problem with us starting earlier this way, we didn’t have to feel like we were killing ourselves on the way up lol We did the cave tour and there was a lot of bending and twisting. They won’t allow poles in the cave unless they can fold up very small. My poles were able to fold up small enough to fit in their box, but my in-laws poles could not fold that small and they had to put them down in the Bear box. You also can’t bring very big backpacks. Think more the size of a bladder bag besides if you’re in the cave, you’re not gonna want much bigger than that anyways because you have a lot of bending and twisting, and you need to put your bag in front of you quite a bit because the bag and you won’t fit when you’re ducking from getting your head hit on all of the formations in the cave. There was one section that was especially challenging going up the stairs because the formation took over half the stair. Just be prepared to twist bend and potentially crawl depending in how tall and wide you may be. We were exhausted but we made it! There’s also a super fun book you can sign at the end of the cave tour to leave your mark of saying “you were here”

Well worth the 3 Mile round-trip hike gaining and losing 1100 ft and well worth the money for a ticket. Our trail was asphalted and carefully taken care of. It was a joy to walk on. Our park ranger guide was an archeologist who knew his stuff and made the cave tour fun and exciting. Expect the whole experience to take you 3-1/2 plus hours. You must buy tickets beforehand and with tour size limited to 16 people, they go fast. You can get them at recreation.gov. this national monument doesn't disappoint! Note: If the tour is sold out or you just don't want to go through it, you are free to hike the trail up to the caves at no cost.

This is one of my favorite places to visit in all of Utah. The hike to get to the cave is breathtaking in every sense of the word. Very strenuous, but paved and has spectacular views. The cave itself is so interesting and beautiful. I was shocked by the vibrant colors. The tour guides are very knowledge and make it fun. Make sure to reserve tickets in plenty of advance. I wouldn’t recommend doing the hike during the summer afternoon (morning is best for summer). There is a bathroom at the top near the cave entrance, which is great (but stinky). The tour takes about an hour and the hike takes about 1.5 hours for a slow group.

You need tickets (<$40 for 3), and a national forest pass (America the Beautiful pass). You meet at the visitor center at your ticket time. So your ticket time is when you begin your hike, and your cave tour at the top of the hike starts at 1.5 hours after your ticket time. We completed the hike faster, and we were able to get in on an earlier tour because there was room. The hike isn’t crazy. It’s steep, but there’s intermittent shade. Especially if you’re from Utah and are used to hiking you will be totally fine. Sea level folks struggle a bit. Great cave tour, the guides are well prepared and do a good job leading you through so that you don’t hit your head or trip. They know what to say when to say it. They share interesting facts about the cave and did a good job answering the group’s questions. We didn’t need the coats we brought.

It's a very good exercise to get to the entrance of the cave. Inside is very cold (around 50F or 10C) so bring some warm clothes. A bottle of water is just fine. Cave is not what you imagining, it's very tight and and few places you have to go in crunch just to pass overhead walls. It is a good experience.

The Timpanogos Cave Trail offers a rewarding and accessible hike with impressive views. Although the parking lot was packed, the timed-entry system keeps the number of visitors on the trail and in the cave at a manageable level. The paved trail climbs steadily with a significant elevation gain over a short distance, but it’s still very doable for most hikers. Before heading up, there’s a brief safety orientation which helps set expectations. The cave tour itself is fascinating, walking through the stalactite cave is a unique and well organized experience. Highly recommended for anyone visiting the area!

Most awesome hike. Pretty straight up. Rangers super awesome. Super knowledgeable about the history of the caves. Most amazing experience I've been on.

This is my first time back up to the caves since the early nineties. It was just as spectacular as it was as a child! We had the pleasure of hiking the last half of the trail with Ranger Lainey. She was jovially informative and brought a welcoming, friendly energy with her. She helped this arborist identify the trees properly and introduced us to the fragrant mountain pennyroyal. To top it off she walked my water jug down to the intersection of the return trail! I have met many angels on trails all over the country but she takes the cake! Thank you, Lainey!