Hike the Cave Falls loop

You can choose to start this hike either at the ranger station or at the Cave Falls campground parking area.  To get to either, you need to drive about 16 miles on Cave Falls Road, a turn off of the Mesa Falls Scenic byway.  At 16 miles, turn left for the ranger station, or stay on the road for another 2-3 miles to reach the campground.  Both should have sufficient parking.  Here is the route I took.  I chose to start at the Ranger Station so I could pick up a map.  This means, however, that a ranger will likely be around to collect the vehicle entrance fee of $25 (unless you have an annual park pass).  If you start at the ranger station, I've included the trailhead sign in the photos above.

Take the trail a couple hundred feet in then turn right at the sign.  There will be almost two miles of forested trail with little elevation gain or loss until you meet the Bechler River.  Turn right (left turn leads to longer hikes, if you have the time) and follow the Bechler River Trail.  If you need to take a break, the best place for that is at Bechler Falls, about 2.5 miles into the hike.  There are some rocks good to sit on, with views of the small fall.

From here, the hike gets more scenic.  The trail goes up a small canyon while the river plunges into it from Bechler Falls.  Once you reach the confluence of Bechler and Falls Rivers, you are half a mile away from Cave Falls.  The loop continues straight at a set of signs, and that will take you back to the station, but the falls on on the trail to the left.

There is an overlook and a path that goes down to the river bank.  You can use this trail to access the falls' namesake, the cave.  There was a recent rockfall that left the cave more difficult to access, but it's still there.  From down there, if the sun is just right, you'll see a rainbow on the falls.  I saw it at about 6pm on a July night.  

When you've spent enough time at the falls, go back up to the trail and continue the loop back to the station.  This last three mile stretch is where bug spray becomes critical.  If you forget bug spray, you will be very unhappy on this section of damp wetlands, just like I was.  Lastly, this area is prone to afternoon and evening thunderstorms, so check the forecast ahead of time.