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Mitchell Caverns Trail
Hiking Around Las Vegas, Mojave National Preserve, Providence Mountains State Park
Mitchell Caverns
Mitchell Caverns
Hiking out to the caverns (view S)

Overview

The hike into Mitchell Caverns is a great 2-hour ranger-guided nature walk. The trail runs out an easy 0.5 miles from the Mitchell Caverns Visitor Center to the entrance to the caves. The tour then goes underground for about an hour to see and learn about the interesting, unusual, and well-preserved cave formations.

The park is open all year, but only on Fridays, Saturday, and Sundays (plus holiday Mondays) The park is closed weekly Monday through Thursday, plus Christmas and New Year's Day. Tour fees are based on age, ranging up to $10 per adult. Tours are twice per day and limited to 15 people. For information on reservations, visit the Providence Mountains State Park website. For more information, download the Providence Mountains brochure (1.2mb PDF).

Link to Trail Map or Cave Map.

Mitchell Caverns
The eyes of the mountain (view S)

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert, ...this is a pretty safe hike, but be careful on the trail and watch your head in the cave. There are stairs and tight places inside the cave.

While hiking, please respect the land and the other people out there, and try to Leave No Trace of your passage. Also, this is a short, guided hike, so just bring what you need of the 10 Essentials.

Mitchell Caverns
Cave shield and stalactites

Getting to the Trailhead

This hike is located in Mojave National Preserve, about 2.5 hours south of Las Vegas.

From town, drive out to Mojave National Preserve and then to the Hole-in-the-Wall Visitor Center (Table 1, Site 0502), which is about 85 miles from Las Vegas. From the Visitor Center turnoff on Black Canyon Road, drive south for 9.7 miles to a T-intersection with the paved Essex Road (Site 0845). Turn right and drive west for 6.1 miles to the end of the road (Site 0503). Park in the large parking area by the campground or the small parking area by the Mitchell Caverns Visitor Center. Park here; this is the trailhead.

Mitchell Caverns
A tight spot

The Hike

Join the tour on the outside patio of the Mitchell Caverns Visitor Center (Table 2, Waypoint 1) by the flagpole. The ranger will give an orientation talk explaining the geologic history of the area and how the caves formed, explaining that there are actually two limestone caves (El Pakiva and Tecopa) that are now linked with a man-made tunnel. They talk about human history and use of the cave, including use by prehistoric, historic, and modern peoples. Rangers also talk about the wildlife (including unique species) in and around the caves. After the talk, the ranger leads the group south on the well-maintained trail across the hillside towards the caverns.

Mitchell Caverns
Don't bump your head!

The vegetation along the trail is relatively lush, higher-elevation Mojave Desert Scrub with creosote bush, Mojave Yucca, cactus, and other species. The elevation is high enough that Juniper trees survive in the canyon at the mouth of the cave.

The rocks along the trail are limestone and dolomite, but higher up, the rocks are volcanic. The limestone generally was laid down as flat layers of deep-ocean sediment, but a volcano pushed up through the layers, melting and tilting the limestone. The dark-colored peaks above the trail are the remains of the volcano. There are good views of the contact between these two types of rock along the trail. The rangers will fill in details of the geologic history.

Mitchell Caverns
Large columns

Just before getting to the cave, the trail rounds a little ridge where there is a great view of "the eyes of the mountain," the double opening of El Pakiva cave. Just a few steps beyond the curve, visitors can see the remains of an old cave on the uphill side of the trail. This cave might have been part of El Pakiva cave, but here the roof collapsed, and the walls completely eroded away. All that remain are formations that made up the floor, including the concentric rings of several columns and some flowstone.

With the orientation talk and several brief stops along the way, it took our group about 1 hour to get from the ranger station to the cave entrance (Wpt. 2). Inside the cave, the trail is paved and easy, but there are some stairs and narrow parts, so watch your head; the trail is not fully accessible.

Mitchell Caverns

The cave formations are spectacular with many stalactites, stalagmites, and columns as would be expected, but there are also many "erratic" formations including cave shields, straws, popcorn, and other formations that grow against gravity. The rangers use lighting to spotlight and highlight various formations.

Interesting animals live inside this cave and nowhere else on earth. Unique animals include the cave stinkbug and cave pseudoscorpion. Many other creatures use the cave too, including Townsend's Big-eared Bats (a species of concern). These cute little bats have ears that are about 1 inch long (on a 4-inch body), and they can roll up their ears to keep them warm while sleeping.

The Hike

Mitchell Caverns Trail
Approaching the Ranger Station; trail on stairs left (view W)
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Stairs to begin the trail to the cave (view S)
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Note: no dogs on trail or in the cave)
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Trail to the cave is not open for general hiking (view S)
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Hikers gather up outside the Ranger Station (view N)
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Hikers starting on the trail to the cave (view S)
Mitchell Caverns Trail
First stop along the tour: info about Jack and Ida Mitchell (view SW)
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Plaque honoring the memory of Jack and Ida Mitchell (view SW)
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Trail to the cave is fairly level (view S)
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Trail to the cave (view S)
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Ranger speaking about an old mine (view S)
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Fossils in the limestone rock
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Grand scenery from the trail (view E)
Mitchell Caverns Trail
First view of the cave entrance from the trail (view S)
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Eyes in the mountain
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Ranger speaking again about trail-side geology (view SW)
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Outcrop along trail is an old cave (view W)
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Old cave formations exposed along the trail (view N)
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Old cave formations exposed along the trail (view N)
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Information sign about creatures living in the cave (view N)
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Mitchell Caverns Niptus Beetle (Niptus arcanus)
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Mitchell Caverns Niptus Beetle (Niptus arcanus)
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Mitchell Caverns Pseudoscorpion (Archeolarca aalbui)
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Mitchell Caverns Pseudoscorpion (Archeolarca aalbui)
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Bridge across chasm leads towards the cave (view S)
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Grand scenery and some pinyon pines (view SE)
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Stairs lead up towards cave entrance (view S)
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Fork in trail: straight is the return from cave exit (view S)
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Stairs into the cave (view SW)
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Ranger giving final instructions before entering cave (view W)
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Hikers finally entering the cave (view W)
Mitchell Caverns Trail
The cave has a gate to keep vandals out (view W)
Mitchell Caverns Trail Mitchell Caverns Trail
Mitchell Caverns Trail Mitchell Caverns Trail
Mitchell Caverns Trail Mitchell Caverns Trail
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Small bat sleeping inside the cave
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Small bat sleeping inside the cave
Mitchell Caverns Trail Mitchell Caverns Trail
Mitchell Caverns Trail
The cave is wet and still growing
Mitchell Caverns Trail
The cave is wet and still growing
Mitchell Caverns Trail Mitchell Caverns Trail
Mitchell Caverns Trail Mitchell Caverns Trail
Mitchell Caverns Trail Mitchell Caverns Trail
Mitchell Caverns Trail
A live Mitchell Caverns Pseudoscorpion (Archeolarca aalbui)
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Cave bacon and other formations
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Cave shield
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Cave shield
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Cave popcorn
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Bridge over the "bottomless pit"
Mitchell Caverns Trail
The bottom of the "bottomless pit"
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Tunnel that was dug to connect the two caves
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Door that forms an air-lock between the two caves
Mitchell Caverns Trail
End of the tunnel
Mitchell Caverns Trail Mitchell Caverns Trail
Mitchell Caverns Trail Mitchell Caverns Trail
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Cave formations
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Cave formations under black light
Mitchell Caverns Trail Mitchell Caverns Trail
Mitchell Caverns Trail
I hope they don't break off and fall while I'm here!
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Cave formations
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Passing around a piece of a broken cave formation
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Natural exit from the cave in the distance
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Final chat from the Ranger while inside the cave
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Natural exit from the cave
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Hikers on stairs that lead to the exit gate
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Hikers passing through the exit gate
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Above ground, hikers return towards the cave entrance (view N)
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Hikers returning towards the cave entrance (view N)
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Hikers approaching the cave entrance (view NW)
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Hikers collecting items left at the cave entrance (view NW)
Mitchell Caverns Trail
From the cave, it looks like a long way back (view N)
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Returning to the bridge (view N)
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Climbing stone stairs (view N)
Mitchell Caverns Trail
The Ranger Station is getting closer (view N)
Mitchell Caverns Trail
The Ranger Station is getting closer (view N)
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Hikers returning to the Ranger Station (view N)
Mitchell Caverns Trail
Returning to the trailhead (view N)
more to come
More to come ...

Table 1. Highway Coordinates (NAD27; UTM Zone 11S). Download Highway GPS Waypoints (*.gpx) file.

Site Location Latitude (°N) Longitude (°W) UTM Easting UTM Northing Elevation (feet) Verified
0502 Hole-in-the-Wall Visitor Center 35.04221 115.39490 646403 3878704 4,260 Yes
0503 Mitchell Caverns parking area 34.94341 115.51171 635911 3867581 4,314 Yes
0836 Black Cyn Rd at Hole-in-the-Wall Rd 35.04185 115.38989 646860 3878671 4,213 Yes
0845 Essex Rd at Black Canyon Rd 34.90858 115.42343 644034 3863842 2,887 Yes

Table 2. Hiking Coordinates Based on GPS Data (NAD27; UTM Zone 11S). Download Hiking GPS Waypoints (*.gpx) file.

Wpt. Location Easting Northing Elevation (ft) Verified
01 Ranger station Trailhead 635837 3867590 4,300 GPS
02 Cave entrance 635890 3867100 4,300 GPS

Happy Hiking! All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate.
copyright; Last updated 240329

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