- Distance
- 3.2 mimi
- Climb
- 1,043 ftft
- Est. time
- about 1 hours 35 minutes
- Difficulty
- Hard
A steady climb up the side of Pass Mountain to a shallow wind-carved alcove with wide views over the East Valley.
Wind Cave is the most popular trail in Usery Mountain Regional Park. It starts flat through saguaros, then switchbacks up the rocky side of Pass Mountain to an alcove at 2,840 feet, where volcanic tuff meets granite. The "cave" is a long, shallow overhang rather than a true cave, and water seeping from its roof keeps hanging gardens of rock daisy alive. It looks out across the East Valley. The county rates the trail Difficult; most write-ups call it moderate.
- Parking
The lot fills quickly on weekends; overflow parking is near the park entrance.
Trailhead: Wind Cave Trailhead.
- Fee
$10/vehicle
$5 per person walking, biking or riding in
- Dogs
- Dogs on leash
- Shade
- Partial
- Hazards
- No specific hazards recorded beyond desert heat.
- Best months
October to April, when the average high in Phoenix is under 90°F.
- Sources
9 sources · last verified Sep 24, 2026. Report a change
Where each fact comes from
- Usery Mountain Regional Park map — Maricopa County Parks (PDF) checked 2026-09-27
- Trails — Usery Mountain Regional Park, Maricopa County Parks checked 2026-09-24
- Fees — Usery Mountain Regional Park, Maricopa County Parks checked 2026-09-24
- Park Rules — Maricopa County Parks checked 2026-09-24
- Wind Cave Trailhead — OpenStreetMap checked 2026-09-24
- Best months: normal high under 90°F, Phoenix Sky Harbor 1991–2020 (NOAA NCEI) checked 2026-09-24
- Wind Cave Trail — 10Adventures (updated 2026-09-01) checked 2026-09-24
- Wind Cave at Usery — Visit Mesa (undated) checked 2026-09-24
- Usery Mountain — Maricopa County Parks checked 2026-10-02
Low heat risk · now
72°F now · high 84°
Sunset 5:48p · ~1h 35m hike
As of Today 9:28a · NWS forecast · NWS alerts · NWS HeatRisk
Next 6 days · high / low · NWS HeatRisk today 1 of 4
- Tomorrow87° / 66°
- Wed82° / 70°Rain 82% 6:10a–5:45p
- Thu74° / 64°Rain 87% 6:11a–5p
- Fri72° / 58°
- Sat74° / 55°
- Sun77° / 57°
From the trail
Field notes
Owen · Wind Cave Trail · Mar 2026
I did this hike multiple times, both on its own and as a part of the Pass Mountain Loop. It is perfect for a morning hike and has some cool cacti along the trail. There could be bees present in or around the cave depending on the season. There is a wooden sign that says "Travel at your own risk beyond this point". After that is where you'd continue on to the Pass Mountain Summit Loop.
Same trailhead
Wind Cave Trailhead
Nearby
East Valley & Superstitions
