The view from inside Grey Mountain Cave in Whitehorse, Yukon, pictured on Sept. 19, 2021. (Steve Silva)

How to get to Whitehorse’s Grey Mountain Cave

After years of seeing photo after photo of Grey Mountain Cave (AKA the Whitehorse cave) online, I finally decided to check it out on Sept. 19, 2021. It’s located in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada.

The trail I took was around half a kilometre in length. I would budget between 30 minutes and one hour for a one-way trip, though it all depends on fitness level and how often you stop to take photos of the lovely views.

Trail location

The start of a trail to get to Grey Mountain Cave in Whitehorse, Yukon, pictured on Sept. 19, 2021. (Steve Silva)
The start of a trail to get to Grey Mountain Cave in Whitehorse, Yukon, pictured on Sept. 19, 2021. (Steve Silva)

The drive from downtown Whitehorse to the start of the trail takes about 25 minutes. Grey Mountain Road is filled with a massive amount of potholes, so expect the drive up the mountain to be a fairly slow affair.

This map shows the cave’s approximate location and where the trail starts.

Make sure not to accidentally park in this area. The correct parking area for the trail is a little further up the road.

The hike to Grey Mountain Cave

Grey Mountain Cave in Whitehorse, Yukon, pictured on Sept. 19, 2021. (Steve Silva)
Grey Mountain Cave in Whitehorse, Yukon, pictured on Sept. 19, 2021. (Steve Silva)

It’s a relatively simple and easy-to-follow trail but also fairly steep, so hiking poles may be useful.

As always, I brought some bear spray. I also left some water and snacks in my car for later.

Grey Mountain Cave in Whitehorse, Yukon, pictured on Sept. 19, 2021. (Steve Silva)
Grey Mountain Cave in Whitehorse, Yukon, pictured on Sept. 19, 2021. (Steve Silva)

When I arrived near the entrance of the cave, there were a few people in line waiting to enter it.

A built-in ladder stretches a few metres up to the entrance. There’s also a rope to hang onto while going up.

Grey Mountain Cave in Whitehorse, Yukon, pictured on Sept. 19, 2021. (Steve Silva)
Grey Mountain Cave in Whitehorse, Yukon, pictured on Sept. 19, 2021. (Steve Silva)

I see this being a bit difficult for some people to climb, though I was well prepared thanks to years of monkeying around on various school playgrounds.

The trail continues east and connects to another Grey Mountain trail.

Inside the cave

The inside of Grey Mountain Cave in Whitehorse, Yukon, pictured on Sept. 19, 2021. (Steve Silva)
The inside of Grey Mountain Cave in Whitehorse, Yukon, pictured on Sept. 19, 2021. (Steve Silva)

The inside of the cave wasn’t cramped (I went solo), though it’s not a huge space. There’s enough room to fit around seven people. It felt a bit like my New York City apartment in grad school.

There was a plastic box with a notebook and other stuff inside, but I didn’t go through it much.

The ceiling of Grey Mountain Cave in Whitehorse, Yukon, pictured on Sept. 19, 2021. (Steve Silva)
The ceiling of Grey Mountain Cave in Whitehorse, Yukon, pictured on Sept. 19, 2021. (Steve Silva)

I would have loved to explore an intricate cave system of some kind, as I’ve done before. Alas, the cave is really just one room.

I mean, I didn’t check every nook and cranny — maybe there is a connection to an underground network, but I didn’t spot any other area to explore.

Grey Mountain Cave video

To see more of the cave and the trail, check out this video I recorded.

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