This is a short trail – that is really less of a trail at this point than a spectacular place to walk around and explore. But I’ll give you what I think is the best way to explore the area, but really, just looking around and exploring is about is good as anything. The “trail” here is only about ¼ mile – but there is a LOT to see in such a small area.
The trail head to Bear Cave Trail is on Highway 154, one mile west of Mather Lodge.
To begin the trail, leave at the trailhead marker at the back of the parking area.
You’ll start off down the trail and immediately come across several huge stones with pathways cut through them. There are several small walkways here through the large rocks. A couple lead to dead ends, and a couple find their way through to the other side. The main pathway through will be the “Eye of the Needle” – a very narrow passageway through the stones that is just amazing to hike through. Remember, you should not have to climb up any rock ledges here, so if the road ahead looks challenging at all, you’re not in the Eye of the Needle.
Once you get to the other side of the passageway through the rocks, there will be three options. One goes to the right, which is a short climb to the top of the large boulders you just walked through. This is definitely worth checking out and this trail eventually curls back around to the parking lot.
The pathway to the left curls down to the Bear Cave – which is really more of a small indentation into the stone. This area has a series of wood ties that at one point would have made for a stairway down, but erosion has taken its toll, so the trail is well worn but more of a mess than a trail. This little spur loops around the cave and back up to the parking lot as well.
At the turn, there is also a trail that goes straight - you’ll notice two large boulders to the left as you start out on this trail. At that point, the trail blazes also turn from Pink (which mark the Bear Cave trail) to white – which is where the 12 mile long Boy Scout Trail that goes through the entire park takes off from the area. If you see the white blazes, and only want to do the Bear Cave area, then turn around and head back the way you came.
This is a really fun area and we enjoyed exploring just about every nook in the area. Plan to spend some time here, as it’s a natural playground that is well worth the time to explore. Just be safe if you climb atop any of the boulders.
Distance: .25 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Children: Yes!
Footwear: At least a sturdy pair of tennis shoes
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
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