LOGAN — The U.S. Forest Service has issued an emergency order closing the Wind Cave Trailhead, its access road, and more than a mile of the hiking path in Logan Canyon through the end of the year. The closure of the popular trail will allow crews to work on a new parking lot.
Deputy Forest Supervisor Kelsha Anderson signed the order Oct. 16 that officially takes effect Oct. 26 and will remain in force through Dec. 31, unless formally rescinded earlier. Officials stated the administrative action is required to protect public health and safety while heavy machinery and construction crews rebuild and reconfigure the Wind Cave trailhead parking area.
Under the order, all pedestrian, hiking, and vehicular traffic is prohibited within 150 feet of the mouth of the Wind Cave trailhead area, the trailhead parking lot, and Wind Caves Trailhead Road. The closed access road extends approximately 0.1 miles east of U.S. Highway 89. Along the highway corridor, the restricted zone covers the roadway between milepost 466.3 and milepost 466.45, extending 150 feet outward from the closure perimeter.
The directive also halts public access to the lower section of the popular hiking route. Forest officials closed roughly 1.13 miles of the Wind Cave Trail, starting at the trailhead and continuing up to its junction with Wind Cave Way Trail.
The initiative is a joint effort between the U.S. Forest Service’s Logan Ranger District, Cache County Public Works, and the Cache Valley Visitors Bureau to improve visitor infrastructure.
Although the primary trail will be inaccessible, hikers can still reach the limestone caverns via an alternate route starting at the Preston Valley Trailhead in Green Canyon. Forest officials advised that this backcountry detour is significantly longer and requires thorough advance planning.
Exemptions to the closure are restricted to federal, state, and local law enforcement, certified rescue teams, firefighting personnel performing official operations, forest administrative workers, and individuals who obtain a written permit from an authorized Forest Service officer.
Forest officials warned that entering the closed zone carries severe legal penalties. Under federal law, violations are classified as Class B misdemeanors punishable by a fine of up to $5,000 for an individual, $10,000 for an organization, a prison term of up to six months, or both.