Joani's research told us a short but strenuous hike to Community Caves would be worth our while. There was no indication of any sort along the Spearfish Canyon highway. Using Google Maps we located a turnout along the highway with one parked car. There were no signage or trail markers to guide us. We simply decided to follow what appeared to be a narrow pathway leading down the bank. The further we departed from the road the less defined the path became until we reached the water. Several fallen trees seemed to be loosely connected to provide a bridge and on the other side, we thought we picked up the trail again.
It quickly headed uphill and certainly fit the review description of a strenuous hike. It was difficult to show in a picture just how steep the trail was but I would guess it was more than a 30-degree slope. The loose rock and underbrush made it slow going.
About halfway up we were able to see the cliffs that seemed so imposing from the roadway. Can you see Joani in the picture below making her way over some of the rocks?
Closer to the top of the climb we heard running water under the rocks and realized there was a source of water at the top of the trail. I kept thinking about how difficult it was going to be heading back down the treacherous slope.
Apparently, the reason there was a clear "path" was that the waterfall above the caves had washed away the trees and brush leaving behind the loose rocks.
What a view from the top of the trail. The "community" in the name Community Caves referred to the collection of caves created by the flow of water through the porous rock. We were certainly not prepared for cave exploration - not that I would willingly enter any cave that didn't have lighting, paved paths and guides - so we have no idea how deep any of the caves were.
Of course, Joani noticed some intriguing rocks and shared her time between enjoying the panoramic views and searching for the perfect souvenir.
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