Ice Caves

Fantastic hiking and gorgeous views. This is my first time hiking this area. Spent about 7 hours hiking through the waterfalls and around the falls. My dogs loved it. The boston terrier was carried much of the way, as I didn’t want her to get over heated. The puggle didn’t have any problems at all. We met several dogs out on the trails that day and the all seemed to be doing quite well.
The ice caves were amazing. There was even some ice in one of them. Nice and cool inside. The last one was the coldest, you could even see your breath at the entrance. Its unfortunate that 2 out of 3 were pitch black and we had to inch our way across. I carried my puppy through and let the puggle guide us through. It could be quite disturbing if you have little kids and can’t see where you are walking.
The paths are narrow and slightly overgrown. Be careful where you step. There are no railings along the cliff edge. So you should stick to the trail and watch your children and pets. The park is very busy, so you won’t loose your way, but you will feel a little rushed. I’m surprised that everyone is in such a rush to get through the trails. Why not stop and enjoy the view?
I put insect repellent on the dogs before I left home, but forgot about the rest of us. We were fine though. No biting flies or nasty mosquitoes. Just a bunch of annoying gnat like bugs at the visitor center. They won’t harm you though.
There are maps, vending machines, and bathrooms at the visitor’s center along with some information about the site. If forgot to bring singles for the vending machine, the person at the desk will give you change. Bring lots of water and a garbage bag for what ever you need to throw away. This is a great place for people who love nature and love to be outside. I’ll definitely be back.

Very unique place.
1) The caves are cold even during the summer. When you pass through it, it is like an air conditioner breeze.
2) The hike there is not very difficult. But careful of your head, some places are very short.
3) There are some places where you need to climb ladders, so bringing a dog might not be a smart idea.

Gorgeous scenery on the hike to the caves. We were there Nov 2 but unseasonably warm weather left the caves more damp and drippy than icy, but it was still an amazing set of very small cave structures. In addition to the Ice Caves themselves, you will get some amazing scenery of the nearby valley and Ellensville. You can also make a trek down to the VerKeerderkill Falls on a separate but nearby trail for an additional 3.4 miles (roundtrip) added to the hike.
DOGS: We brought our two Boxers on the hike, and they managed it just fine. A side note, there are two separate ladders on the Ice Caves trail which are only about 6 – 10 ft in height, but may prove difficult for some dogs. Our dogs refused to try the first ladder (10 ft or so) so we had to find a small outcropping to heave them up on to get around it. As for the second ladder, they climbed it themselves. Smaller dogs this will be no issue as you can just carry them up yourself. There are several areas where there are fresh streams where they could refill themselves on water on the other trails but your mileage may vary depending on rainfall and season
DIFFICULTY CONSIDERATIONS: The hike to and through the Ice Caves can be minorly difficult. This is mostly due to a couple of narrow walkways, seasonally slippery terrain, steep ascents, and unsteady rockways. You don’t have to be in amazing shape to make this trek (for instance, I am not), but there are less arduous trails at this park for sure. Still, I saw families of all ages so unless you have major injury or other considerations, this should be doable for most everyone.
PARKING & HOURS: There is on site parking if you following Google Map directions to Sam’s Point Preserve it’ll take you right to the lot. $ 10 fee per car to park. Try to get there before noon during the summer and fall months as the lot seemed to be ready to fill up any second after we got there around 11. They close the lot at 5pm (with a little grace time) so make sure you are back to the lot before then, though they do take phone numbers and hiker information before you set out in case there are any issues.
All in all I highly recommend and look forward to coming back during the colder months to see the cave covered in ice.

We went a bit off season so there were no people but us. There was a lot of ice and some stairs were covered with it so we were not even sure if we’d have to turn around and go all the way back. However we made it through — some obstacles can make your hike so much better.