North Dakota isn't particularly known for having deep caverns or huge caves among our many natural wonders - in fact, very few caves exist in the state. Those that are present are more often than not formed by "slope failure," when hollows or caverns form in slopes that have partially collapsed, instead of caves carved out by underground rivers or similar factors. But they still look like caves to us, and North Dakota has a rather special set of caves you may not have known about. Venture under the earth into the amazing ice caves in North Dakota.
On North Dakota's amazing Maah Daah Hey Trail, a 95-mile trail system in the western region of the state, you can find all sorts of impressive natural areas.
The trail system winds through the badlands, up the buttes, and down into the painted canyons.
It also takes you to some of the very few caves in the state.
On the trail between mile posts 108 and 109, you can take a 1.5 mile detour to the ice cave cliffs area on the Ice Cave Trail.
You can also access the Ice Cave Trail from a nearby trailhead.
The steep, rocky cliffs are magnificent to view and hiding beneath them are some very special caves.
The Ice Caves get their name from their chilly interior temperature that has resulted in explorers of the cave seeing ice and snow from the previous winter as far into the year as July.
People visiting the caves in early summer can expect to see beautiful ice crystals still present even after months of warm weather.
Even when ice is not present, it still feels cooler in the caves than outside.
There is one main ice cave and a few smaller ones that you can explore.
Inside the main cave you'll find a geocache as well as the dark, rocky formations of the cave.
The cave is about 30 feet long from the entrance to the back.
You can explore all the caves in the area and feel just how chilly they are inside, and if you come during May or June, will likely still see ice on the ground or walls of the cave.
It's a spectacular natural phenomenon and a special part of North Dakota!
From the trailhead, the Ice Cave Loop is an easy 2.1-mile hike. You can preview the hike, read reviews, and check out ice caves photos on AllTrails Plus - which also allows you to download maps for offline use on this remote trail. If you've visited these ice caves in North Dakota, tell us about it in the comments.
Have you ever hiked the Maah Daah Hey Trail in North Dakota? There are other awesome things to see along it besides the ice caves - after all, it's 95 miles of trails through the beautiful badlands!
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