Spend The Day Exploring Caves In Missouri’s Mark Twain National Forest
Beth Price-Williams
Author
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 caves.
Editor’s Note: Since the time of publication, the Mark Twain National Forest caves have been closed to the public or anyone without an authorized permit.
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While exploring caves on national park land inside the Mark Twain National Forest is currently prohibited, the Meramec Caverns are privately owned and thus still open to group tours. Here is a video tour of Meramec Caverns:
Even though we aren’t allowed inside some of the caves at the moment, the area is so very fun to explore. Plus, there are plenty of smaller caves that you can peek into and pretend you are an expert spelunker going on an adventure. Have you been to Missouri’s Mark Twain’s National Forest caves? 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.
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More to Explore
More fun things to do in Missouri
What are some things to do in Mark Twain National Forest?
If you have been prepping your Mark Twain National Forest things-to-do list here are a few more things to add:
- Go on a scenic drive: The Blue Buck Knob Forest Scenic Byway twists and turns through the Mark Twain National Forest with scenic overlooks and small hiking trails right off of the roadway you are in for an adventurous day of exploring.
- Go on a hobbit adventure: If you are a Lord of the Rings fan you'll love this hobbit adventure we have laid out for you in the Mark Twain National Forest.
- Visit the highest point in Missouri: Taum Sauk Mountain State Park in Ironton, MO is a wonderful place to camp, hike, and enjoy unlimited scenic views. It just so happens that you can take the Mina Sauk Falls Trail to find the highest point in Missouri. And you can top off your journey with a waterfall that tumbles over 132 feet of rock to finish in Taum Sauk Creek.
- Capture a photo of Missouri's second largest natural spring: Greer Spring Trail is a short hike, a bit under two miles, that leads to an impressive natural spring. As tempting as it is to take a dip, swimming, wading, fishing, floating, and bubble baths are strictly forbidden.
- Discover a hidden waterfall: The Hercules Glades Wilderness Area in Mark Twain National Forest is absolutely breathtaking - if you are a nature nerd like we are. And there is nothing more fun than discovering a secret waterfall that you have all to yourself. The Coy Bald Trail is about seven miles of peace and quiet. About three miles into the hike you'll come face to face with a dangerously delightful waterfall.