There’s something so endlessly fascinating about exploring Idaho’s caves. Learning about their unique pasts and how they were formed is an awesome venture in itself, but actually exploring one with your own two feet is an amazing experience unlike any other. Wilson Butte Cave is a relatively unknown cave hiding out in southern Idaho. It may be small but its history is definitely intriguing. In fact, the cave is even listed on the National Register of Historic Places as an ancient archaeological site. A visit to this cave is a must for any adventurer and you’re about to see why.
Hiding out on the vast and open Snake River Plain, just northeast of Twin Falls, is the Wilson Butte Cave. A lot of people are surprised to find out that this cave even exists, especially when they found out its historical significance.
Located on BLM land, the cave has a pretty odd appearance. It almost looks like a round bubble popping up from the earth. The cave is a lava tube cave composed of dark grey, almost black, basalt. According to radiocarbon dating, the cave is more than 15,000 years old.
The cave's appearance is definitely unique, but it's what was found inside of the cave that will truly fascinate you. Archaeological excavations of the cave were performed back in 1959 and 1988. What they concluded was that artifacts within the cave suggested that humans had been living in the cave for thousands of years!
Artifacts such as tools were thought to belong to the Fremont or Shoshone people, some of which are known to be at least 10,000 years old. Archaeologists suggest that the cave was used by these people as a base to hunt bison from.
We can definitely understand why ancient humans liked to use Wilson Butte Cave for shelter. The cave itself is easy to access but the entrance is short and protected. Once inside, you can see that the cave is actually quite large and comfortably cool, even on the hottest summer days.
With nothing in the area except for wide open plains and herds of cows and antelope, Wilson Butte Cave feels incredibly isolated. You can almost imagine what it must've been like to live in this cave thousands of years ago. See one of the earliest examples of human presence in Idaho and visit Wilson Butte Cave soon.
The road to the cave is rough so prepare ahead of time for a bumpy drive if you plan to visit this cave. To get to Wilson Butte Cave, turn north onto Highway 50 at exit 182 from I-84. After about eight miles, you'll turn onto Hunt Road and then left onto Road 1600 E. about two miles later. You'll follow this road for approximately eight miles until you reach the cave.
For a closer look at Wilson Butte Cave, check out this video from Daniel Canfield.
Did you know about this little-known cave in Idaho? This place is just bursting with history! Take a look at our list of 8 Fascinating Caves In Idaho for more underground adventures.
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