EXPLORE: Wyoming’s Most Mysterious Caves

There is a cave near Cody, Wyoming, called Spirit Mountain Cave, formerly Shoshone Cavern National Monument, located on Cedar Mountain west of town, offering complex passages for permitted, experienced cavers through the BLM.

Contact the BLM, and you can get a key to open the gate at the mouth of the cave.

Another significant site is Mummy Cave, a large rock shelter on the North Fork of the Shoshone River, accessible via the Beartooth Highway (US 212). While Spirit Mountain requires permits, Mummy Cave is more of a historic rock shelter for viewing, with directions available from the Forest Service.

Watch the video below to see what exploring one of these hidden treasures is like.

Spirit Mountain Cave is high up on the east side of Cedar Mountain, about five miles west of Cody, Wyo. The good gravel road to the site is open to the public, but the cave is locked. People wishing to explore the cave should call the Cody office of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, (307) 578-5900, or stop by the office at 1002 Blackburn Street in Cody for a permit and a key. Office hours are 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Mummy Cave is a rock shelter on the left bank of the North Fork of the Shoshone River in Park County. It is adjacent to U.S. Highways 14, 16, and 20 just east of the east entrance to Yellowstone National Park. The site was first given serious attention in 1962 and was subsequently excavated by the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. Radiocarbon dates from the deposits in the cave range from 7280 years B.C. to A.D. 1580. Internally, the site comprised 38 cultural strata representing cultures ranging from late Paleoindian to the Late Prehistoric period.

Mummy Cave in Wyoming is a significant archaeological rock shelter near Yellowstone's east entrance, named for a naturally mummified Native American burial ("Mummy Joe") preserved in its dry conditions.