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CAVES
The rolling hills and rocky mountains of the Show-Me State are only half the story. Thanks to vast areas of karst geology covering over half the state, Missouri has another nickname: the Cave State. With over 6,000 caves—and more discovered each year—you’ll have no trouble finding a place to get down underground no matter where you are.
Round Spring Cave
13209 Round Spring Campground Road, Eminence, MO 65466; National Park Service (573) 858-3297
Round Spring Cave in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways is one of the most pristine wild caves open to the public in Missouri. Once you’ve entered beyond the iron gate, you’ll feel as if you truly took a step back in time. There are no floodlights or laser light shows like in so many modern cave tours. It’s just you, your lantern, and the spectacular formations on display as you experience the cave in much the same way that early explorers did a hundred years ago. Keep an eye out for rare salamanders (most visible during the early-morning tour), and marvel at the deep cuts left in the mud by the claws of massive cave bears who hibernated here thousands of years ago.
Jacob’s Cave
23114 Hwy Tt, Versailles, MO 65084; (573) 378-4374
The largest cave in the Lake of the Ozarks region, Jacob’s Cave offers a magnificent variety of beautiful formations. One of Missouri’s few fully accessible living caves, there are no slippery stairs but rather a fully paved walking path for tours. This is a living cave, with dripping stalactites, soda straws, flowing onyx, and more, so visitors can truly get a view of the natural forces that made these formations—and are still sculpting them today. A locally owned cave, there is still an intimate, friendly aspect to the tours that can sometimes get lost in the more commercialized show caves. Three times a year, Jacob’s Cave hosts thousands of visitors at a swap meet in their nearby campground. The event features animals and goods from all over the Ozarks.
