How Do You Get to Fulford Cave in Colorado? Guide, Map, Recommendations and More.

Are you looking for a cave adventure? Not like Cave of the Winds with LED walkways, but a real cave adventure? Fulford Cave close to Eagle Colorado and just a short hike up you’ll find it. The cave was discovered by an 1874 expedition led by Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden, a geologist surveying the rocky mountains. Now the cave is surrounded by a small campground and beaver pond.

When to visit Fulford Cave?

Summer and Fall are the best options when looking to explore the cave. Since it’s outside of Eagle, it’s in the middle of the Rocky Mountains, at a pretty high elevation, and close to Vail, CO. Basically, it can get pretty cold and there might be plenty of snow to work around on the hike.

You might run into a very muddy trail and road if you decide to go in the Spring, also call Mud Season here.

What Gear Should You Bring?

To make this perfectly clear, this is not a light adventure and you should be well prepared. We put together a short list of essentials to get started. This also is not a pet friendly hike, so it’s best to leave the doggo at home.

Helmet – Hitting your head on some rocks is a strong likelihood when in the cave. Any sort of helmet would be better than nothing. Most people who have helmets use standard rock climbing helmets. These tend to range from $40 to well over $100. Black Diamond has plenty of options.

Flashlight, back-up flashlight – Newsflash, its pitch black in caves. Having a flashlight and backup per person is a no brainer. Your cell phone seems bright and can work in a pinch, but it’s far from great in a cave since it fails to produce a true beam. This light from Goal Zero has a built in solar panel and hand crank. It can also charge your phone.

Water – With the short hike and the climb through the cave you’re sure to get thirsty. Everyone in your group should have their own dedicated water. For even more adventure, you can find a small stream in the cave. It can be difficult to find, but if you follow the noise you should be good. Here would be a great time to use a LifeStraw if you have it.

Tough clothing – Tough pants and hiking boots will go a long way during your trip. There can be a build up of ice in the cave if you go during the right time of year. Athletic shorts and flip-flops should certainly be avoided. Really, now might be a great time to bust out your zip-off pants. If not now then when?

Printed copy of the map below – There are maps available and we provided you one below. You might be surprised at how quickly you can get turned around.

Where To Start

From Eagle, follow the Brush Creek Rd 10 miles south; turn left on the East Brush Creek, FDR 415 and drive 7 miles southeast. The last mile on FDR 415 to the campground is a narrow and rough rocky road but suitable for most vehicles. Once you make it to the lot, there are easy to find signs directing you to the trailhead to the cave.

What To Look For

This is it, just a small storm drain with a ladder. Just lift away the wood door and start the rough 20’ descent. This isn’t straight down but rather at a decent slope. Be careful of the ladder as it’s seen better days and has some jagged edges. If you climb up and around this main entrance you can find another small entrance but you can’t make it a little bit inside as it just drops straight down. This second entrance should not be used to access the cave. Stick to the storm drain!

Navigating The Cave

Once you climb down the ladder, you’re free to explore both levels. As you walk through, remember to turn around to look where you came from. You could be in there for a few hours and it might be hard to remember what the path back looks like. Luckily, the cave isn’t so big that you won’t find your way out, but this could avoid any back trekking. During your visit make sure you’re responsible And don’t break any of the stalactites. This is actually against the law and comes with serious fines. They also take thousands of years to form so it’s better to let them be.

Download Map for Fulford Cave

If you are visiting the cave while staying at the campground, check out our guide to car camping in Colorado.