Spend The Day Exploring Caves In Missouri’s Mark Twain National Forest
Exploring Missouri quite naturally means happening upon little known caves, often while we’re hiking. Even if we’re not into hiking, we can explore some of the most popular caves in the state on guided tours. Missouri is, after all, the cave state with more than 6,400 caves. If you’re up for a day of adventure outdoors, one that includes discovering hidden caves, make your way to Missouri’s Mark Twain National Forest.
Spanning 1.5 million acres through 29 counties, Mark Twain National Forest draws outdoor lovers from all over Missouri and beyond for its many activities – from hiking to camping.
An estimated 20 caves in Mark Twain National Forest, for example, house many of the resident gray bats. The bats use their caves for a specific purpose, such as hibernation.
If you want to get an up-close view of some of the caves in Mark Twain National Forest, lace up your hiking boots, and follow one of the 700 miles of hiking trails.
Be forewarned, however, that you may not be able to go inside all of the caves but should be able to get a glimpse inside. You might want to bring a flashlight along.
The Onyx Cave Trail, for example, will take you to several different caves along its 2.1-mile path. Just be prepared for a bit of a challenge as the trail is considered moderate.
Greer Spring Trail, on the other hand, leads you to a cave and one of the largest springs in Missouri. The 1.2-mile trek also earns a moderate rating due to several inclines and rocks that litter the path in some places.
Have you been to Missouri’s Mark Twain’s National Forest? How many caves did you run across? Let us know in the comments! If you’re a fan of hiking and caves, follow the Sheep’s Cave Trail in Meramec State Park.
Address: Mark Twain National Forest, 401 Fairgrounds Rd, Rolla, MO 65401, USA
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