Wind Cave is located close to the beginning of the trail, where the loop forks in two directions. 

I should have followed the advice on alltrails.com.

The website recommended starting Pictograph Cave Trail in a counterclockwise direction, where the trail is more defined. At least I had downloaded the map ahead of time, but I underestimated the degree to which I’d need to rely on it.

A close friend was visiting from Colorado, and we figured that the 3.4-mile loop to Pictograph Cave 30 minutes from Bend would be the perfect way to spend a few hours.

As it turned out, Wind Cave would be the only cave we’d have a chance to admire that afternoon.

After driving the last few miles of washboard on China Hat Road in my 2004 sedan, I parked just off of the road rather than driving the remaining .3 miles to the start of the trail.

We walked a red gravel trail up to the start of the trail and then an additional 0.6 miles up to the start of the loop. Wind Cave is located at the fork on the side of the path one would take if hiking the loop in a clockwise direction. It’s also the longest of the 19 caves in the Arnold Ice Cave System according to Outdoor Project, measuring 3,839 feet in length. The cave is permanently closed to protect its critical bat population.

After stopping to admire the collapsed lava tube and the jumble of lava rock inside, we continued along the path, beginning the loop in a clockwise direction.

We hiked north, chatting and soaking in the 360-degree views. To our left, we saw Mount Bachelor and the Three Sisters shining in the sunlight. To our right, a deep valley stretched out before us.

By the time we realized we’d veered off trail, we had already hiked about 10 minutes in the wrong direction. The both of us having downloaded the AllTrails map onto our smartphones, we pulled them out and pointed the blue dot in the direction of the trail.

We made it back in more or less of a straight line, having missed a small portion of the path itself. Between the added 0.3 miles at the beginning, the detour and the all-but-non-existent path, it was starting to become clear we would not have time to complete the full 3.4-mile loop.

After hiking 35 minutes, it was discouraging to see that the app showed 50 minutes remaining of the hourlong hike. We had dinner plans, so decided to cut through the middle of the loop to complete the hike on the opposite side.

Noses to our phones, we followed the red line on the digital AllTrails map back to Wind Cave. I didn’t want to risk getting lost a second time.

We never found Pictograph Cave, but we had the entire hike to ourselves and enjoyed the time spent in the High Desert. I’d happily come back to this trail, albeit beginning the loop counterclockwise and coming prepared to get lost again.

Getting There: Drive south on China Hat Road 13 miles, turn left onto Forest Road 200 and the start of the trail is just .3 miles from there.

If planning to enter Pictograph Cave come prepared with a headlamp, a second light source and warm layers. 

Watch our reel on The Bulletin’s Instagram (@bendbulletin) posted Friday.