Round Trip Distance: 0.6 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: 5371 - 5455 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: 20 mins.
Trailhead: MM 24.2 Buckhorn Draw Rd.
Fee: none
Attractions: Petroglyphs, primitive camping
Buckhorn Cave is located in Buckhorn Draw between Green River and Emery, Utah. Knowing that the Buckhorn Draw area has seen people come and go for thousands of years it is easy to imagine that the cave has probably seen many interesting visitors over the passing millennia.
The parking area is along the Buckhorn Draw Road about 24.2 miles north of Exit 131 of Interstate 70. A road leads from the parking area to several primitive campsites passing the cave in route.
Primitive campsites can be found throughout Buckhorn Draw. Camping is permitted anywhere that isn't posted otherwise. The developed sites at the San Rafael campground are the only place where a fee is required.
If you hike close to the cliff rather than along the road you will be able to spot a few petroglyphs that you would otherwise miss.
There are several mounds of earth that appear similar to rubble piles. If they are rubble piles then it would be illegal to excavate them.
The roof of the cave has been blackened by who knows how many fires. A thick deposition of wind blown sand is taking up much of the caves space.
The sandstone in front of the cave has several faint petroglyphs some of which are hard to sort out from the considerable amount of modern graffiti that accompanies them.
This is one of the more secluded primitive campsites near the cave.
The BLM calls this a toilet but we have always called these quaint open air commodes privies. It is actually not to shabby. The throne is mounted on top of a concrete slab.
