The Civil Defense Caves — Attraction in Warm River

This is a super cool place located a short ways outside of Rexburg. The cave is at the end of a pretty long dirt road. I’d recommend a Jeep or truck if possible, but any high clearance vehicle should be able to manage it. The cave itself is cold, and I’d recommend bringing a jacket. The caves floor is pretty jagged, but any closed toe shoes will work fine, just don’t try to go through in flip flops. Sadly the cave has been heavily vandalized, but in some spots formations still remain intact. The cave has a pretty interesting history that I recommend researching. In terms of difficulty this is an easy cave. I was somewhat confused by the layout, so be very careful not to get lost. We ended up making a loop without realizing it. There was one easy crawl that can be traversed either by going on hands and knees or by squatting. There is some climbing neccassary to enter the cave, as well as some light climbing at other spots scattered around, but most of the time you’ll just be walking. We encountered a lot of wasps and yellow jackets outside the cave, so careful not to accidentally upset them or they’ll sting you. This is a great spot for an easy weekend day trip or if you’ve got a few hours to kill while visiting Yellowstone National Park. The drive from Yellowstone was about two hours one way, and I spent about two hours in the...

I love the caves and the information about the caves. It's just a shame that they've been so vandalized and have so much graffiti-- the entire walls are covered for quite a ways in. Regardless, the formations are so beautiful and unique! The floor is uneven due to the formations, but you get accustomed to it pretty quickly. Hiking shoes might have been beneficial! It's quite cold in the cave - there were ice formations throughout-- but that's to be expected in any cave! Dress in warm clothing! Also, bring good flashlights - the ones on our phones weren't horrible, but flashlights would've been more convenient. The road in (after you turn off the paved road) was VERY rutted and rough. By the time we arrived at the parking lot, we were beyond grateful to get out of our jeep! 😆 I'd definitely recommend this adventure to anyone, but just be aware that you'll have to climb over boulders to get into the caves, so it's not really...

Super"cool"...literally ;) Fun jaunt, once youre on the right road (these are NOT the St Anthony Ice Caves, that takes you a whole other place, not worth going to). Wear good hiking shoes, flats, flip-flops, and vans are not advised. You'll need a flashlight or headlamp with fresh batteries, being in there in without artificial light will be a LONG and PAINFUL walk out. Depending on your flair for cool air, a jacket/hoody may be right for you (chill enough you can see your breath while breathing out)...we've done these caves late August and Early September...I didn't need a jacket, but others in our group we happy...