Timpanogos Cave

Timpanogos Cave was an incredible experience that I wish everyone could have the opportunity to do. This cave is found on Mount Timpanogos, in American Fork, Utah. The cave is a national monument which quite literally sits at the top of the mountain. The newly renovated trails and visitor center make it much easier for the whole family to see the caves. Once you head up American Fork Canyon, you cannot miss the giant visitor’s center that sits just to left of the trail to the cave.

The actual trail itself is free, however, going inside the cave costs money. IT is $12 per person to go inside the cave. However, it is so worth the money and time. When you purchase the tickets online and reserve your spot, they will reserve about 4-5 hours of your day. Most of this time is designated for the hike up to the cave.

The park ranger told us to expect 1.5 hours to climb up the mountain and hour hour down, which left just over an hour for the actual cave itself. My husband and I are avid hikes and go every weekend.

The hike up literally took us 45 minutes, but we only stopped three times and just to catch our breath. The hike is very steep and has a huge incline up the whole time. The hardest part is probably where the caution lines are for landslides and the very end of the hike. They are the steepest and most dangerous parts of the hike. The hike itself is a great workout, you will be sweaty. I recommend wearing workout clothes, but also bringing a jacket since the cave is very cold.

At the top, there are restrooms, and a smaller information/visitors center where more park rangers patrol and take turns giving the cave tours. Because my husband and I hike up so fast, we were able to go at an earlier cave tour time which was super nice, but there are benches at the top and a beautiful overlook of utah to enjoy while you wait for your tour time if you happen to get there early.

The cave itself is just gorgeous. Park rangers lead the entire tour so you dont get lost. They emphasize not touching any parts of the cave which makes sense because human oils kill caves that are growing and take millions of years to continue to grow. Walking through the cave, you get to see 3 different caves. There are bridges and walkways already organized to ensure your safety. Smaller children can definitely do the cave, but its just the hike up that might be overwhelming for them. However, i saw many smaller children make it up the mountain just with lots of mini stops. There are water streams in the cave and it gets very cold. At one point, the ranger will turn off the lights for a second to show what total and utter darkness looks like. It is really cool. Lots of different formations are seen throughout the cave, including some that look like animals.

I highly recommend this national attraction to everyone!