State park
National monument · Utah County
Timpanogos Cave National Monument
Three linked limestone caves high on the wall of American Fork Canyon, reached by a steep paved trail. Ranger-led tours only, and some of the best helictites anywhere.
Photo: RuggyBearLA · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Plan your visit: access, parking and practical details
Check the operator’s current fees, reservations, parking, transit, restrooms and accessibility arrangements before leaving. Confirm specific mobility or sensory needs directly with the venue.
Official visitor information ↗Timpanogos Cave is actually three caves, Hansen, Middle and Timpanogos, joined by tunnels and hung with formations: stalactites, flowstone and a remarkable concentration of helictites, the twisting, branching formations that seem to defy gravity. The Great Heart of Timpanogos, a large joined stalactite, is the cave’s most famous feature.
Getting there is half the experience. A paved trail climbs about 1,100 feet in a mile and a half up the side of American Fork Canyon, with views down to the river and across to the peaks of the Wasatch. Visitors enter only on ranger-guided tours, which run in the warmer months and sell out on weekends and holidays.
Make a day of the canyon. The Alpine Loop Scenic Byway continues past the monument to Sundance and Provo Canyon, and the canyon has picnic areas, fishing and trails.
Don't miss
- Cave tourA ranger-led walk through all three linked caves, about an hour inside.
- Great Heart of TimpanogosA large joined stalactite shaped like a heart, the cave’s signature formation.
- HelictitesTwisting, branching formations that grow in every direction.
- Cave trailA steep paved climb with big views of American Fork Canyon.
- Alpine Loop Scenic BywayA winding mountain road past Mount Timpanogos, best in fall color.
File photograph, National Park Service archive. Photo: National Park Service · Public domain · National Park Service
Hikes in Timpanogos Cave
Good to know
- Buy tickets in advance on Recreation.gov; tours are small and sell out on weekends and holidays.
- Plan for about three to four hours for the hike up, the tour and the walk down.
- The cave stays cool year-round. Bring a light jacket even in July.
- The Alpine Loop beyond the monument closes in winter; check road status in spring and fall.