The Ice Caves are a fantastic way to spend time during the hot summers. Originally lava tubes, the caves have developed year-round ice. It is suggested to wear a jacket, warm clothes and shoes with traction that keep feet warm, after all – you will be traversing on ice! Caves are dark – and you should bring a bright flashlight to help navigate.
The roads are amazingly rough, requiring good clearance to make it to the cave which is a large hole in the ground (similar to the civil defense caves). When traveling, you will need to have the directions pre-downloaded. Because of lack of cellular service, you won’t be able to look up any fine details. Be aware of the weather. Because of the long drive on the dirt road, you wouldn’t want to get stuck in a storm, making the road into mud.
The Ice Caves are a worthy destination, as is the surrounding terrain. The area has plenty of collapsed lava-tubes which make for fun scrambling.
This cave isn’t for those who struggle with claustrophobia. There are small and tight spaces. When exploring the cave, I found that wearing gloves was a great suggestion – as some of the ice is very rough. The cave also might be frozen or flooded during certain times of the year.
Features:
- Icey walls surrounding the Cave
- Ice is between 3 to 6 ft. thick
- A few hundred yards deep
Tips For Visiting the Ice Caves:
- Bring a Jacket
- Wear gloves
- Wear shoes with traction
- Bring a Flashlight
- If you are claustrophobic do not visit
- Prepare to get wet
- Plan to spend 2 to 3 hours round trip plus visiting
Directions From Rexburg:
- Head north of town on 2nd East like you are going to the Sand Dunes.
- After passing through sand-dunes, you will continue your drive until you cross over 2 cattle guards and see a sign that says “Entering Clark County” on the right-hand side of the road. There are two turnoffs that you can take, that connect to each other. One heads northeast, and 200 yards down the road, is a second one that is parallel to the road. Take either one of these dirt roads that head northeast for 3.3 miles. It’s recommended to have 4-wheel drive. The terrain is very bumpy. You will need to drive very slow as the county does not upkeep this road.
- Drive until you arrive at a fork in the road, take the right fork. Be careful of large pots in the ground. At the end of this small road is a lot that many people have parked in. In front is the large Chasm, which is where the ice-cave is located.
There will be a small hole on the southern side that you will cross through to get into the large hole that houses the cave entrance. The Ice Cave entrance is the lower of the two pockets, and should quickly have ice formed at the entrance. Sometimes of year the ice is melted more than others.
GPS Coordinates:
44.244661, -111.807413
