Darby Wind Cave, WY (~8,000')
Intro | The Ascent | Getting There | Facts
Beautiful scenery, a pleasent hike and a rewarding cave all describe the short hike to the Wind Cave in Darby Canyon. With a hike of about 3.5 miles each way and only a thousand foot elevation gain, the Wind Cave can be done in just a little over two hours. But once you arrive, you may spend hours crawling through the windcave, which goes from hundreds of feet high at the entrance to merly a crawlspace farther in. For the more adventurous, an ice cave is only another mile away, but to enter this you must have technical ice climbing knowledge. Also around this area are many cliffs and boulders for the rock climber. If you go on this hike, a flahlight for the cave is a definate must.
Intro | The Ascent | Getting There | Facts
Intro | The Ascent | Getting There | Facts
Intro | The Ascent | Getting There | Facts
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Miles (round trip) |
5 miles |
|
Time |
This hike makes a nice day hike, very relaxing and plenty of time to see the cave. This hike is mild enough that you could do it in around 2 hours though. |
|
Elevation Gain |
1,880' |
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Trailhead Elevation |
7,040' |
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Summit Elevation |
8,920' |
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Hiking Terrain |
Dense forest through some cliffs, open valley before cave. |
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TOPO's |
Mount Bannon Quadrangle |
|
Water |
There is a stream running from the cave, but should be filtered. |
|
Views |
Since you never come out of the vally, you can't see much. The only spectacular view is the cave. |
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Weather |
There is always a chance of rain, but in the summer you should have plenty of nice days. Even if it does get nasty, your car is only two or three miles away. |
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Knowledge of climbing needed |
If you know how to walk, you can get to the Wind Cave. Some crawling is necessary to go back into the cave though. |
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My opinion of this hike |
Short, but the cave is a great destination |
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Other |
There are plenty of rocks with a few cracks around this area. It would be worth exploring is you're a climber. |
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Photos |
Looking out of the Wind Cave....(20KB)
Looking into the Wind Cave....(48KB) |
