Information
Landmark: Cave Spring TrailCity: Monticello
Country: USA Utah
Continent: North America
Cave Spring Trail, Monticello, USA Utah, North America
Overview
Just outside Torrey, Utah, Cave Spring Trail winds briefly through Capitol Reef’s sandstone and sage, revealing the park’s striking geology, traces of its past, and hardy desert plants.Most visitors can reach the trail, where a cool alcove and a trickling spring offer a shaded hideaway from Capitol Reef’s bright, sun-baked cliffs.The trail starts on a sandy slope, curling through a tight canyon where warm, rust-colored Navajo Sandstone rises high on both sides.On both sides, red and tan cliffs tower high, and here and there an overhang casts a cool shadow into a sheltered alcove.The trail winds to a snug rock shelter, where cool droplets sometimes slip from the cliff face, gathering into a short-lived spring that keeps a patch of bright green alive in the dry, sunbaked land.The desert’s warm, dry sandstone meets the cool shade of the alcove, and the clash of heat and shadow makes the scene feel both refreshing and arresting.The Cave Spring Trail winds past traces of human life from long ago, like weathered carvings etched into the rock.Faded carvings and small scratches in the stone hint that early settlers and passing travelers once paused here, using the cool, shadowed shelter for rest or a brief refuge.This little alcove shows how nearby springs guided where people settled in Capitol Reef, offering precious water in the dry heat.The trail runs about 0.6 miles round trip, making it a quick outing for families, casual hikers, or anyone who just wants a short walk past the pine-scented air.The trail winds over soft sand with a gentle rise, leading to a spring framed by towering sandstone cliffs and dotted with hardy desert plants, their leaves catching the sun.Near the spring, benches and little nooks invite visitors to sit for a moment and watch the water glint in the sun.At the spring, a patch of ferns, moss, and low shrubs thrives-fresh green against the baked red dust of the desert.Birdsong drifts through the alcove, and now and then a squirrel’s quick rustle stirs its quiet edges.The sandstone walls bear delicate erosion marks-thin water streaks, shadowed nooks, and smooth, rounded edges-each shaped over years by steady rain and the push and pull of seasonal streams.The warm, dusty smell of sunbaked stone drifts into the damp breath of the spring, and together they make the air feel distinctly cooler than the bare desert just beyond.Cave Spring Trail offers a gentle walk past red sandstone cliffs, a scenic first glimpse into Capitol Reef’s geology and storied past.A quiet alcove with cool shade, a trickle of seasonal water, and a hidden desert nook draw you in, turning this spot into a place you’ll remember while wandering the park’s sweeping canyons, cliffs, and trails.
