South Plateau Loop + Painted Cave

Overall: 9/10 Dog friendliness: 10/10 Wow factor: 3/10

This trail begins and ends (obviously, it’s a loop) at the trail head parking lot inside Monte Sano Park. Enter the park, drive past the picnic and playground area, and it’s the gravel parking lot on the right. Start walking down the main trail and within a few feet you will see the South Plateau Loop clearly marked.

The loop is approximately 3.4 miles and is extremely well maintained. This is essentially a walking path and not necessarily a hike. Since I adventure with three dogs, this is occasionally the most enjoyable type of “hike” to take.

I sought this trail out after seeing pictures of the painted cave, so finding this was the main goal of the hike. Along the loop towards the cave, there are good views overlooking the mountain and a few water crossing that I always enjoy experiencing. This trail is also far enough out of the main park that you have a chance to see deer and other wildlife.

The painted cave is approximately 2 miles into the hike. There is a rest stop which overlooks a rocky drop-off. Venture down a small path and cut a left, walk a few feet and look up — here you shall find this “cave”. The feeling I got when I saw the cave is equivalent to the feeling of walking up to the Mona Lisa at the Louve…disappointing. This is not a cave, it is a small cove within the rocks and is not something you can walk into. That being said, the paintings are nice….just don’t go with expectations.

The backtrack of the loop was the only relatively confusing part of the trail as far as marking goes. It overlaps the Fire Tower trail and a couple others, but as long as you have your phone to double check you’ll be fine. The trek back equally relaxing.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this and would recommend to anyone seeking a walk through the woods