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terrain September/October 2020
First Timer? Show Caves are Your Best Bet
With over 7,000 documented caves in Missouri, options for exploring are abundant. Show caves are a great place for fledgling cavers to start. Many show caves provide the necessary safety equipment, a tour guide, and even recommendations on where to stay and what to do nearby. Be sure to call ahead to check for any changes in policy, visitor restrictions, or temporary closures due to COVID-19. "Blanchard Springs is a great beginner trip, as they provide pretty much all gear for beginners," said Seth Colston, president of Kansas City Area Grotto (KCAG). Blanchard Springs Caverns in northern Arkansas' Stone County offers three different cave trails. The easiest trail is the Dripstone Trail, which takes about an hour to complete. Visitors travel through the largest rooms in the living cave, filled with impressive calcite formations like soda straws and stalagmites. Discovery Trail is a more complex option. It takes about an hour and a half to complete. While it offers fewer rock formations than the previous trail, it provides a look into the past that any hobby historian will love. Visitors will see the campsites and homemade harnesses of early explorers as they follow the stream that runs through the cavern. The most challenging trail is the Wild Cave Tour, which takes visitors to the undeveloped sections of the cave. Be prepared to climb, crawl, and get dirty on this trip. Bring sturdy boots and Blanchard Springs Cavern will provide the rest - hard hats, headlamps, knee pads, gloves, and belts. To complete your visit to Blanchard Springs Caverns, hang your hardhat at the Blanchard Springs Campgrounds. With quintessential Ozark landscape and easy access to hiking, biking, fishing, and swimming spots, the campgrounds are a destination in their own right. Campers are equipped with a table, grill, and fire ring - plus nearby public restrooms and showers. RV campers should note that the grounds do not have electric hookups.
Blanchard Springs Caverns
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