Ice Cave Trail
Photo: kevin dooley, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- 6.8 mi
- round trip
- 515 ft
- climb
- 7,212 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- best months
Is Ice Cave Trail open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Lakeside Ranger District. It doesn't name Ice Cave Trail, so check the source for the area it covers (2 listed).
Scott Reservoir Recreation Site Closure - Lakeside RD
Agency closure covering Lakeside Ranger District · Order 03-01-07-26-001 · USFS · Lakeside Ranger District
Benny Creek Campground/Southfork Day Use Area Closure Order - Springerville Ranger District
Agency closure covering Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests · Order 03-01-25-06-004 · USFS · Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests
Forest Road Conditions Alert
Agency alert covering Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests · USFS · Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests
No Fire Restrictions
Agency alert covering Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests · USFS · Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests
As of · Source: USFS · Lakeside Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Ice Cave Trail is a 6.8-mile out-and-back hike in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, within the Lakeside Ranger District of Arizona. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail gains about 515 feet from its low point of 6,677 feet to a high of 7,212 feet. The trailhead is named Ice Cave Trailhead, and its parking is labeled ICE CAVE. The hike is rated moderate. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at about 7,200 feet show May highs around 71°F and October highs around 66°F, while July and August bring the most wet days and highs near 80°F. Scott Reservoir campground sits less than a mile away. Porter Mountain Motorized and Timber Mesa Trail are each about 1.1 miles off, and the Ice Cave mountain biking route is about 1.2 miles away.
Best time to go · Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
Best time to visit Ice Cave Trail
Best months: April–June and September–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
45° / 20°
7 wet
Feb
48° / 22°
7 wet
Mar
55° / 26°
7 wet
Apr
62° / 32°
5 wet
May
71° / 38°
4 wet
Jun
82° / 46°
5 wet
Jul
82° / 52°
13 wet
Aug
80° / 51°
16 wet
Sep
76° / 46°
9 wet
Oct
66° / 34°
6 wet
Nov
55° / 27°
5 wet
Dec
45° / 19°
7 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Pinetop 2e, AZ, 4.3 mi away at 7,200 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: kevin dooley, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Porter Mountain Motorized
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Photo: kevin dooley, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Timber Mesa Trail
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Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
