Caving - Upper Big Brush Cave, Ashley NF, Vernal 8/29/25

Sample Itinerary:

Carpooling - 7:00 am (3 hr 45 min drive)

Trailhead - 11:30 am

Hike to Cave - 11:30 am - 12 pm

Explore Cave - 12:30 am - 4:30 pm

Hike out - 4:30-5 pm

Drive Home (dinner in Vernal) - 5-10 pm or Camping

NOTE - You may be able to combo this trip with the Rafting - Little Dutch John

Directions: Big Brush Trailhead, Ashley National Forest, Vernal

Activity: 

Caving Big Brush Cave - DO NOT ENTER THIS CAVE WHEN THERE IS A CHANCE OF RAIN - Risk of flooding

Approach - From the unmarked trailhead, start hiking south. Follow the well-traveled trail southeast for about 0.4 miles (NOTE - follow GREEN trails - map below - Blue trail leads you to a STEEP and possibly muddy downclimb with an old handline) The Green trail will follow a dirt hiking trail and then you need to connect it by hiking east to an old 4 wheeler trail that will take you to the left top of the cave entrance. Look for a sharp right trail with a hand line. Follow the handline over about 20 ft of rock outcropping and then down to the cave. As you approach the cave, you'll be able to see the giant cave entrance (big enough to fit a house).

Section A - The large entrance room is spectacular with ice columns and other features. Inside the cave, passageways are narrow and cold. We could see our breath. We hiked this large section to the end where Section C begins (this is an ADVANCED area with winding mazes, water, rappels and dead air spaces - ONLY attempt with an experienced guide. (check out the Timpanogos Grotto).

Section B - These are the ice tunnels. The entrance is found at the beginning of the cave on the left. Follow the main trail down as far as you wish to go. Many tunnels are plugged with debris forced in from past floods. Early in the season there is ice which melts during the summer. This section was suitable for all sizes with no girth limit. There are crawling areas over rocky ground, scrambling, short belly crawls and about half you can stand in. Don't miss "Elsa's Cavern" on the right about 1/3 in, the "Grand Room" with a large muddy Jabba the Hut hill on your left l, the "Crystal Springs" - small white pool and a mini "Narrows" near the end. Several tight tunnels branch off and go far (see map below). *we named these rooms ourselves :)

Section C - For a beginner trip, we did not do this section. It begins at the end of the large tunnel of Section A. You crawl through the log debri and it drops you into the lower maze. Further into the cave it opens up into a canyon that takes you all the way to the bathrub room and to dead air passage. Along the way, there are several side passages.  Dye Clan Trip Report

Gear: Helmet, headlamp, small flashlight, extra batteries, (3 sources of light), clothes you are ok to get dirty - Hiking pants or old jeans, synthetic t-shirt, long sleeve shirt, fleece, light waterproof jacket, back pack, 1-2 Liters water (bottles preferred - hydration hoses get filthy), 3-4 snacks, brown bag lunch (eat before cave), first aid kit, hiking boots/running shoes, gloves (gardening gloves with rubber palms is best), change of clothes, baby wipes, $ for dinner in Vernal, $ for gas chip in, knee pads

Map of Cave Approach

Sections A and B are circled above