Thunderbird Cave is a strenuous and difficult bushwhack hike near Bass, AR. We’ve done many demanding hikes over the last few years, including Hemmed in Hollow. This one was even more taxing than that. The distance we hiked was 3.9 miles round trip. You can shorten the distance by parking at the old homestead, but we parked up the road across from a gate where there is a wide spot to park on the side of the road. Read on to find out about this latest adventure.
This old homestead sits at a fork in an old road. You can park here if you have a high-clearance vehicle. The coordinates are 35.86272 -93.01676. You want to follow the old road for a short distance then head off-road to begin the climb. This is a bushwhack hike with no established trail. It also should be noted that the road is bordered by private property so be sure and respect the property of the owners and avoid trespassing.
The best way to reach the cave is using a GPS. You will be climbing the entire distance and the elevation gain from my GPS was 1239′. There are many downed trees and “rock gardens” to navigate. With the copious amounts of leaves on the ground ankle-twisting holes are a constant threat. I would be remiss by not mentioning the many places where you have to navigate around stands of wild roses with thorns that can easily penetrate your legs along the route.
The last part of the hike will have you scrambling uphill, sometimes on all fours, as you get close to the cave. But once you reach the level of the cave the view is spectacular. You can enter from the rear to reach the front of the cave. Be advised, this isn’t what most of us think of as a cave. It is more of a passage through the bluff that opens up to an expansive view of the surrounding hills and valleys.
The GPS coordinates for the cave are 35.84618 -93.00714 for those adventurous souls who prefer to blaze their own trail.
Watch the video below to see entering the cave and views of the surrounding landscape.
If you want to attempt this hike yourself you can download the GPS file to follow our route to the cave. Just click the button below to download the file for free.