According to the National Park Service, between 500 and 600 people a day tour Mount Timpanogos Cave. In a normal year, those tours would be underway by now. But thanks to last winter’s record snowfall, it’s still closed to visitors.
Cami McKinney, program manager for operations at Timpanogos Cave, said only the first half-mile of the 1 1/2-mile trail to the cave is open to hikers right now.
“We had more snow on our trail than we've ever had before," said McKinney. "And that also meant avalanches covered our trail. And so we had a lot of snow to remove, and a lot of damage to repair before we could open for cave tours.”
McKinney added that a rock curtain above the upper portion of the trail is of particular concern.
“It received just a lot of damage over the winter," she explained. "And it is critical at catching and reducing rock fall on the trail. And so the crew has been on the mountain, on the cliffside repairing the rock curtain.”
McKinney said many explorers have come to the visitors’ center hoping to get tickets for a cave tour. They come away disappointed, but also understanding.
“Most folks recognize the need for having our trail completed and the safety components for having a good experience in the park," said McKinney.
She said there’s nothing wrong with the cave itself, just the trail leading there.
“The cave is sitting quietly waiting for us to be able to get going," she said. "The lights underground are working. The stalactites are dripping away. And we just hope to get people there soon.”
McKinney said the cave’s staff is eager for tours to begin, hopefully in about a week. The visitor center is open from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Swinging Bridge and River View picnic areas are open for daytime use. You can click here to get more information about visiting the Timpanogos Cave National Monument.
