Timpanogos Cave National Monument
The visitor center, caves, and cave tours have not yet opened for the 2026 season. Hike your way past stunning vistas to explore a hidden underground world. Taste the thrill of caving as you twist and bend to enter beautifully decorated rooms. Learn the science behind formations and hear stories of cave exploration and preservation. Experience and discover as you go – geologic mysteries await
About 1.5 hours from Salt Lake City by car.
Alerts
- ClosureTrail Closure - Rock Fall
Due to extensive rock fall on the Cave Access Trail the tours and caves are temporarily closed.
- CautionTickets are required to enter Timpanogos Cave
Reservations are strongly recommended. Reservations are the only way to ensure a spot is available for your party. Please plan accordingly by visiting Recreation.gov to secure your tickets in advance. Availability of walk-up tickets is not guaranteed.
- InformationWNP Bookstore is Cashless
The Western National Parks (WNP) bookstore has moved to a cashless operation at Timpanogos Cave National Monument. Purchases can be made with credit and debit cards as well as contactless payment methods including Google Pay, Apple Pay, and Samsung Pay.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedSpring Dell Rx
9 mi from the park's reference point
- PrescribedMill Creek State Piles Rx
17 mi from the park's reference point
- PrescribedParleys State Piles Rx
21 mi from the park's reference point
- PrescribedTaylors Fork Rx
29 mi from the park's reference point · 300 acres
Within 50 miles, as of 2026-10-14. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Check the park's alerts and the managing office before you drive.
Fees & passes
Free. No entrance fee here. The tours below are the exception.
| Type | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Tours & reservations | ||
| Timpanogos Cave Tour ↗Tours often sell out weeks in advance. Please purchase tickets ahead of time to prevent disappointment. | $12 | |
| Timpanogos Cave System - Lantern Tour ↗Tours often sell out weeks in advance. Please buy your tickets ahead of time to prevent disappointment. | $17 | |
| Introduction to Caving Tour ↗Tours often sell out weeks in advance. Please buy your tickets ahead of time to prevent disappointment. | $22 | |
Although it is free to enter the park, a cave tour ticket must be purchased to enter the caves.
Although there is no cost to enter the park, a cave tour ticket must be purchased to enter the caves.
Hours
| Visitor Center | Daily · 7:00AM - 5:30PM |
| Cave Tours | Daily · 7:00AM - 3:30PM |
| Picnic Areas | Daily · Sunrise - 10:00PM |
| Administrative Building | Varies by day ▾
|
When to go
July draws the most visits here and February the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Visitor centers
- Timpanogos Cave Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
The Timpanogos Cave Visitor Center is located in American Fork Canyon on UT-92. It sits at the base of the cave trail that leads to Timpanogos Cave. The visitor center is generally closed when the cave tours are closed. See https://www.nps.gov/tica for the most up-to-date information.
No campgrounds, no webcams or events in Park Service data. What is here comes from the official page. The rest lives there.
Checked nightly. Modules appear as soon as the Park Service publishes the data.
Explore
Trails and hikes
These are the walks the Park Service lists for Timpanogos Cave. Each one opens on the Park Service site.
- Cave Tour3-4 Hours
Join a ranger for a 55-minute cave tour through the Timpanogos Cave system. Enjoy the cool, damp, air, marvel at the delicate, colorful, formations and learn about the million-year process that has created these unique caverns.
- Walk the Canyon Nature Trail30-60 Minutes
Take a walk along the American Fork river on the north side of the canyon. This side of the canyon features wildlife and plants not found on the south side. There are several interpretive signs along the trail and benches to rest on.
- Hike the Cave Trail60-150 Minutes
The Timpanogos Cave Trail is 1.5 miles each way and gains 1,100 vertical feet. Hike past thousands of years of geologic history while enjoying breathtaking vistas and the natural sounds of the park. Plan on approximately 2-2.5 hours roundtrip.
These are named Forest Service trails on National Forest land within 15 miles of Timpanogos Cave. Each one opens on Trailhead Atlas.
Distance is measured to the nearer end of the trail. Every named Forest Service trail on Trailhead Atlas.
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
On the National Register nearby
- Upper American Fork Hydroelectric Power Plant Historic DistrictHistoric district · Highland · 0.8 mi
- Moyle House and Indian TowerBuilding · Alpine · 3.4 mi
- Alpine City HallBuilding · Alpine · 3.7 mi
- Alpine LDS Church MeetinghouseBuilding · Alpine · 3.7 mi
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Guidebooks for Utah's national parks
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Seen this monthAmerican Pika 14× · Moose 8× · Dusky Grouse 4× · Belted Kingfisher 4× · Great Horned Owl 4× · Osprey 4× · Bald Eagle 3× · Red Fox 3×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist
Full checklist: 128 birds, 60 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsAmerican Kestrel · Bald Eagle · Cooper's Hawk · Ferruginous Hawk · Flammulated Owl · Golden Eagle · Great Horned Owl · Long-eared Owl · Northern Pygmy-Owl · Peregrine Falcon · Prairie Falcon · Red-tailed Hawk · Sharp-shinned Hawk · Turkey Vulture
Waterfowl & wadersCanada Goose · Common Goldeneye · Common Merganser · Green-winged Teal
Shorebirds & seabirdsCalifornia Gull · Killdeer · Ring-billed Gull
Gamebirds & dovesBlue Grouse · Mourning Dove · Ruffed Grouse · Wild Turkey
WoodpeckersAmerican Three-toed Woodpecker · Downy Woodpecker · Hairy Woodpecker · Lewis's Woodpecker · Northern Flicker · Red-headed Woodpecker · Williamson's Sapsucker
Hummingbirds & swiftsBlack-chinned Hummingbird · Broad-tailed Hummingbird · Calliope Hummingbird · Rufous Hummingbird · White-throated Swift
Also on the checklistAmerican Dipper · American Goldfinch · American Robin · American Tree Sparrow · Ash-throated Flycatcher · Belted Kingfisher · Black Rosy Finch · Black-billed Magpie · Black-capped Chickadee · Black-headed Grosbeak · Black-throated Gray Warbler · Bohemian Waxwing · Brewer's Sparrow · Brown Creeper · Bullock's Oriole · Canvasback · Canyon Wren · Cassin's Finch · Cedar Waxwing · Chipping Sparrow · Clark's Nutcracker · Cliff Swallow · Common Nighthawk · Common Poorwill · Common Redpoll · Cordilleran Flycatcher · Eastern Kingbird · Evening Grosbeak · Fox Sparrow · Golden-crowned Kinglet · Gray Catbird · Gray Flycatcher · Gray Jay · Gray-crowned Rosy Finch · Gray-headed Junco · Green-tailed Towhee · Hammond's Flycatcher · Hermit Thrush · Horned Lark · House Finch · House Sparrow · House Wren · Lark Sparrow · Lazuli Bunting · Loggerhead Shrike · MacGillivray's Warbler · Mallard · Mountain Bluebird · Mountain Chickadee · Nashville Warbler · Northern Goshawk · Northern Mockingbird · Olive-sided Flycatcher · Orange-crowned Warbler · Oregon Junco · Pine Grosbeak · Pine Siskin · Pinyon Jay · Plumbeous Vireo · Purple Martin · Pygmy Nuthatch · Red Crossbill · Red-breasted Nuthatch · Red-eyed Vireo · Red-winged Blackbird · Rock Wren · Ruby-crowned Kinglet · Sage Thrasher · Say's Phoebe · Snow Bunting · Spotted Towhee · Steller's Jay · Swainson's Thrush · Townsend's Solitaire · Tree Swallow · Vesper Sparrow · Violet-green Swallow · Virginia's Warbler · Warbling Vireo · Western Bluebird · Western Kingbird · Western Meadowlark · Western Tanager · Western Wood-Pewee · White-breasted Nuthatch · White-crowned Sparrow · Willow Flycatcher · Wilson's Warbler · Yellow Warbler · Yellow-breasted Chat · Yellow-rumped Warbler
Small mammalsAmerican Beaver · Brush Mouse · Bushy-tailed Woodrat · Cliff Chipmunk · Deer Mouse · Dwarf Shrew · Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel · Least Chipmunk · Long-tailed Vole · Masked Shrew · Meadow Vole · Merriam's Shrew · Montane Shrew · Montane Vole · Mountain Cottontail · North American Porcupine · Northern Flying Squirrel · Northern Pocket Gopher · Preble's Shrew · Red Squirrel · Rock Squirrel · Snowshoe Hare · Uinta Chipmunk · Vagrant Shrew · Western Harvest Mouse · Western Jumping Mouse · White-tailed Jackrabbit · Yellow-bellied Marmot
PredatorsAmerican Black Bear · American Mink · Bobcat · Coyote · Ermine · Gray Fox · Long-tailed Weasel · Mountain Lion · Northern Raccoon · Red Fox · Ringtail · Striped Skunk · Western Spotted Skunk
Hoofed mammalsElk · Moose · Mountain Goat · Mule Deer
BatsBig Brown Bat · Brazilian Free-tailed Bat · California Myotis · Fringed Myotis · Little Brown Myotis · Long-eared Myotis · Long-legged Myotis · North American Hoary Bat · Pallid Bat · Silver-haired Bat · Spotted Bat · Townsend's Big-eared Bat · Western Pipistrelle · Western Small-footed Myotis · Yuma Myotis
Activities
Activity guides for this park Hiking in the national parks
Weather & climate
Although inside the caves its always 43-48 F, temperatures on the cave trail can range from the 30s up to above 100 degrees F, depending on time of year. Carrying drinking water is a necessity, especially in summer. In the mountains, weather sometimes presents interesting challenges. The cave and cave trail do not close due to rain, unless that rain is heavy enough to bring rockfall. They will close due to high winds/rockfall, or in lightning storms. Call the visitor center if you have specific concerns.
Questions people ask
Does Timpanogos Cave charge an entrance fee?
No. Timpanogos Cave is free to enter, though some tours and ticketed sites inside charge separately.
Source: National Park Service
What are the hours at Timpanogos Cave?
Standard hours are 7:00AM - 5:30PM, every day.
Source: National Park Service
Is anything closed at Timpanogos Cave right now?
3 active alerts as of October 14, 2026: Trail Closure - Rock Fall; WNP Bookstore is Cashless; and more.
Source: Alerts
How busy is Timpanogos Cave?
92,031 recreation visits in 2025, number 224 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is there cell service at Timpanogos Cave?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show AT&T 4G LTE. No reported coverage for Verizon and T-Mobile. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
Is Timpanogos Cave good for stargazing?
Yes. Timpanogos Cave is a certified International Dark Sky Park.
Source: Dark sky parks
What is the weather like at Timpanogos Cave?
Although inside the caves its always 43-48 F, temperatures on the cave trail can range from the 30s up to above 100 degrees F, depending on time of year. Carrying drinking water is a necessity, especially in summer.
Source: Weather & climate
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
