Danger, perhaps, but no evil lurks in this lair of Lucifer
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One such feature lies just a stone’s throw from what is perhaps the most-visited feature of the Big South Fork — East Rim Overlook near the park’s Leatherwood headquarters — yet many visitors come and go without even knowing it exists.
Devil’s Cave — not to be confused with Devil’s Den further south near the O&W Bridge (or, for that matter, Devil’s Arch in the McCreary County section of the BSF [located near Devil’s Knob], or nearby Devil’s Jump) — is an impressive opening in the sandstone rock that forms the gorge through which the Big South Fork River flows, sometimes referred to as the caprock.
Devil’s Cave isn’t really a cave in the truest geological sense, but it is among the largest natural rock cavities located within the Big South Fork NRRA.
The cave is easy to find; a narrow footpath travels east from the East Rim Overlook parking lot to the top of the cave’s entrance. Although not sanctioned by the Park Service, the footpath is traveled often enough to leave an indelible impression beneath the rhododenderon as it meanders towards the top of the gorge wall.
The fact that it’s easy to find shouldn’t encourage a casual walk to Devil’s Cave. Taking the footpath will require travel along an unprotected section of the gorge, on rocks that can become quite slippery in wet weather. Extreme caution should be used, and taking children or pets along for the hike would not be wise.
Getting to Devil’s Cave is the easy part. Finding a way in is the hard part. There is a route by which the cliff wall can be descended, but it isn’t easy. An easier and safer route (though “easy,” as applied here, is a relative term if there ever was one, since it would still require a strenuous hike) would be to add a waypoint to one’s GPS unit and travel up from the portion of the John Muir trail that follows the river from Leatherwood Ford to the O&W Bridge.
From atop the gorge, the entrance to Devil’s cave — more than 100 feet below — can be observed in a crevice at the foot of the cliff wall. Further back into the woods away from the cliff’s edge, the earth suddenly gives way, providing a straight drop into the bottom of Devil’s Cave. Through this “skylight,” the stream that flows through Devil’s Cave can be heard and, in good light, seen far below. Even further into the woods, the stream’s entrance to the underground cavern can be located.