Missouri is known as they “Cave State”, boasting over 6,400 caves among its borders. And while there are some incredible “show caves” you can visit and tour…that’s not for everyone.
The more adventurous prefer their caves of the “wild” variety, and there are some good ones in Missouri. Let’s have a look at six wild caves you can explore in the Show Me State.
Slabtown Cave
Slabtown Cave Overlook offers a beautiful cave view of the Big Piney River and Paddy Creek Wilderness Area. Slabtown Cave is perched high in a bluff overlooking the valley beyond, offering excellent views.
You can explore the small cave area here that extends back into the bluff and offers plenty of space to sit under cover and peer out. It can be reached via a 1-mile hike, but be sure to exercise caution as the trail leading down to the cave is steep and slick.
For those up to the challenge, this is one of the more unique views you’ll find in the Missouri Ozarks. It can be reached via the 0.4-mile Slabtown Cave Overlook Trail.
Devil’s Icebox
The Devil’s Icebox at Rock Bridge Memorial State Park, just outside Columbia, Missouri, is a hidden gem full of natural drama and beauty. This fascinating spot gets its name from the cool 56-degree air that greets you year-round.
Wooden pathways lead you through a stunning karst landscape of sinkholes, caves, and flowing springs. While the seven-mile cave system is closed to protect bats, you can still venture into Connor’s Cave with a headlamp and galoshes for a taste of its dark, mysterious beauty.
After a rain, waterfalls roar through the area, making the scene even more unforgettable. Peaceful, rugged, and a little wild, the Devil’s Icebox is well worth the trip.
Bennett Spring Natural Tunnel
At Missouri’s Bennett Springs State Park you can explore the 300-foot Bennett Spring Natural Tunnel. This natural tunnel is just under 300 feet long and is a winding, S-shape.
You’ll find the tunnel within Bennett Spring State Park at the end of the Natural Tunnel Trail. You can enter the tunnel and walk through it, though you’ll want to be sure and bring a flashlight and be careful, as the center of it gets pretty dark and may be slippery.
Whether you choose to traverse the tunnel and view the second unique entrance, or simply admire it from the outside…it’s one of the more interesting places to explore in the Ozarks.
Meramec Caverns (via Meramec River)
The Meramec Caverns make for one of the best show caves in Missouri that can be toured. But you can also view (from outside the barrier) several of the Meramec Caverns entrances along the Meramec River.
These caves are tucked into bluffs but are visible from the river, and you can pull off and walk right up to them for a closer look. They are barricaded off so that you cannot enter, but you can still peer into them from behind the barrier…and even just seeing them along the Meramec River as you float is a pretty awesome sight.
Greer Spring Cave
Greer Spring Cave is one of the most scenic wild caves in the Ozarks, thanks to the stunning Greer Spring that emerges from it. The second largest natural spring in the state, Greer Spring discharges an incredible 200 million gallons of water daily.
The spring water here is generally a vibrant turquoise color, and flows directly from the mouth of Greer Spring Cave where it bubbles to the surface before flowing around 1.25 miles through a scenic gorge and moss-covered terrain until emptying into the Eleven Point National Scenic River.
You can reach this Greer Spring Cave via a one-mile hike through the Mark Twain National Forest, where you can take in the beautiful surroundings and listen to the sounds of the spring water as it rushes by. The cave cannot be entered however.
Cave Spring
Missouri’s Current River is home to Cave Spring, one of the most scenic natural springs in the Ozarks that empties straight from a cave before flowing into the Current River nearby.
Among the 20 largest springs in the state, Cave Spring empties an estimated 32 millions gallons of clear, blue water into the Current River each day, with the spring water bubbling up just inside the mouth of the cave from an almost vertical shaft that flows up from underground reservoirs.
You can reach Cave Spring while floating the Current River or via hiking a 4.6 mile loop trail. The cave goes back a good ways, leaving plenty of room to explore via a kayak or to walk along the rocks beside the spring inside of the cave.