Trail Overview

The Civil Defense Cave trail is a well-maintained, grated road for the first 4 miles until the turn off of Crooked Road onto Civil Defense Cave Road. The last mile is not grated but still well traveled. I would recommend a higher clearance vehicle as there is potential for lower vehicles to bottom out in some spots due to rocky terrain and trail destruction during the muddy seasons. This area is also closed to human entry for wildlife migration from Dec 31st to sunrise May 1st.

Photos of Civil Defense Cave

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Difficulty

The last mile has some muddy obstacles with some bypasses but is also slightly rocky and could cause damage to lower-clearance vehicles.

History

The caves got their name during the Cold War era when they were seen as valuable in the eyes of civil defense because they could be used for a variety of different purposes including: storage of military vehicles or materials, natural bomb shelters, and military prisons. They also are well insulated and maintain a cold but steady temperature throughout the year. Some have ice in them year-round. During the height of their use traversability was 10s of miles underground.

Technical Rating

Nathan Lambros

Sep 07, 2025

Open

Easy trail with some deep ruts, but nothing difficult at all. It was a fun little trip and there were lots of side trail opportunities. Sad to see the graffiti and bullet holes. Not brave enough to explore the cave itself but it is pretty cool.

john Wilding

Nov 02, 2024

Open