Blanchard Springs Caverns

Blanchard Springs Caverns is one of the most spectacular show caves in the United States, set in the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest about fifteen miles north of Mountain View. The cave is on three levels and is still actively forming — water still flows through the lower chambers, stalactites and flowstone still grow. The Forest Service runs two main guided tours: the easier Dripstone Trail (about 700 feet of well-lit walkways) and the longer Discovery Trail (closer to a mile and a half, with stairs).

Above ground, the recreation area is a small Forest Service complex with a swimming hole, a campground, and a short trail to the spring itself — a turquoise pool that emerges from the limestone cliff face and is the source of Mirror Lake. Buy timed tour tickets at the visitor centre. Bring a light jacket — the cave is in the mid-50s Fahrenheit year-round.

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The Forest Service began surveying the cave in the 1960s and spent more than a decade installing the elevators, trails, and lighting before opening any of it to the public. The Dripstone Trail, the easier of the two main tours, takes visitors through the upper level. The Discovery Trail, longer and harder, goes down into chambers that were still untouched when the surveyors first reached them.