Royal Arch Cave - Springfield, NH

I have a backlog of nearly 50 places we've been to that someday I hope to write about, and we are constantly adding to that list. Newer adventures get added to the bottom while I chip away at the older ones, but every now and then a place comes along that is so good it jumps right to the top. This is the case with the Royal Arch Cave in Springfield, NH.

I'd first learned of this cave in an issue of the NE Caver magazine, but because it was listed as an "overhang" cave I didn't have it high on my priority list. An overhang cave to me sounded like I'd be standing under a doorway awning, and I like my caves to be deep and dark and with the potential of being eaten by wild animals. So there is sat at the bottom of my to-do list, until recently I received an email from a reader asking if I'd ever been to it. He convinced me it was something I'd enjoy, so on a recent afternoon a group of us went to find out for ourselves.

We began our hike from a dirt lot along the side of route 114 where a trail known as the SRKG crosses, but we'd barely gotten the blood going in our legs before I was bringing the group to a halt to check out the top of this car we found. Besides being a crumpled mess, I still don't know if the bottom half was buried or just missing.

Not long after this our hike came to a stop again, but this time so we could scratch our heads at a sign telling us that the trail was closed.

Turns out they are logging this section of woods - a legitimate enough reason to close a trail - but because this was a Sunday we made it through the empty worksite without any trouble.

Our next stop was at a ledge called the North Overall, a little more than halfway into our hike.

Not knowing the cave's actual location, we reached Royal Arch Hill with the expectation we'd be doing some searching. Fortunately, the good folks who maintain the SRKG had this sign waiting for us.

But here's the trick - these directions bring you to the ledge the cave exist in, but not the cave's front door. Locate a faint path to the right of the ledge and scamper down, then soon you'll be greeted with this sight.

Not only was finding the cave a relief, but so was its cool air on this unseasonably warm day.

This is a large, impressive cave, which I'm convinced would be a tourist attraction if it weren't hidden three miles deep in the woods. Some people are making regular visits to it, though. A fire pit, a makeshift bench, and one of those plastic chairs you'd find in a classroom were all scattered within.

We'd been told to look in the rear of the cave for the words Royal Arch, and we easily found them carved into the wall. They were big red letters that seemed obvious to me someone took their time creating. Curious of who that was, that week I exchanged emails with the Springfield Historical Society to learn more about it, but although they are well aware of the cave and of the carving, there are no historical records of either who wrote it or how long it's been there.

My wife and I do a fair amount of hiking, but we consider ourselves explorers much more than we do hikers. This day was perfectly fitting of that description. As part of a larger trail system, this was an enjoyable area for anyone just looking to hike, but if you also have that itch to break off trail and do some exploring, the Royal Arch Cave is one of the best secret places New Hampshire has to offer.

Thank you Arnold for the suggestion!