Due to the discovery of this disease in the area of the park, all park caves are now closed with the exception of guided tours of Round Spring Caverns. Please respect these closures.Ī serious disease of bats called White Nose Syndrome has been killing bats, including the Federally Endangered gray bat. This includes all caves along the Current and Jacks Fork Rivers. All park caves are now closed to visitation. Several caves serve as habitat for the endangered Indiana and gray bats. Caves may contain unsuspected hazards to visitors unfamiliar to such alien environments, and the threat of serious injury or death from falls or drowning is always present. Some Ozark caves, which are better known or more easily reached, have received considerable visitation, and more damage and site deterioration have occurred. Some caves have been used by man and animals since prehistoric times, and evidence of this use and artifacts may be easily obliterated. Their formation is extremely slow, and physical damage may remain in evidence for generations. Geologic formations in some caves are quite fragile, easily damaged by vandalism or visitor overuse. Due to the porous nature of the ground, and the movement of water underground over sometimes great distances, groundwater in karst areas is particularly vulnerable to pollution.Ĭave ecosystems are unique and delicately balanced, with major changes possibly occurring from relatively slight disturbances. A karst landscape is one in which caves, springs, sinkholes and losing streams are found. Water has been at work underground wearing away passages- waterfilled ones we call springs and formerly water-filled ones we call caves.
The Ozarks is an area typified by what is called "Karst Topography." This means that the geologic structures underneath the earth are made of soluble limestone and dolomite. Eight caves, including an open sinkhole, have been designated as outstanding natural features. Over 300 caves have been identified within the boundaries of Ozark National Scenic Riverways, ranging from not much more than a rock overhang to one cave with almost seven miles of identified passages. While every cave will NOT have a gate on it, all caves are closed to entry, except for guided tours of Round Spring Cave. People are not affected by the disease, which is 90% fatal to bats, but people may carry the disease spores on clothing, shoes, eyeglasses, hair, etc. Please respect these closed caves for the protection of the bats. This is due to the discovery of White Nose Syndrome, a disease that kills bats, in Shannon County. IMPORTANT! ALL CAVES IN THE OZARK RIVERWAYS ARE NOW CLOSED TO VISITATION (Except for Guided Tours of Round Spring Cave). These falls come out of the cave opening as you can see in the photo below.Photo by Patty Wheatley-Bishop/copyright Caves & Karst Below I have added a few other things we were able to visit on this second hike.Īfter visiting Big Creek Cave Falls we set out to find Wolf Creek Cave Falls. It was warm and sunny on our second visit, and we were determined to see some of the sights we missed out on when we hiked it in 2020. We hiked this trail again on Christmas Eve 2021. You can click on any photos in this article to see a larger version. You will encounter an old homestead here, and you’ll see a collapsed building and the remains of an old rock wall and cellar. Walk around the gate here and begin down the old logging road that is still fairly visible. Once at the parking area it was time to don our backpacks and head out to see if we could find the falls. It is about 2.8 miles from the highway to the parking area. I’m sure it could become slick after a heavy rain, so keep that in mind. The road was dry when we visited in early March 2021, so it wasn’t slick. Rocks jut from the roadbed and I would recommend an SUV to get down there. From the highway to the parking area there is about a 1000′ elevation change. The road down to the parking area for Big Creek Cave Falls is quite steep and rough in places. If you look on Google Earth for the road it is still marked as County Road 59. If coming up from the south, take Highway 7 about 1.6 miles north from the Highway 16 junction, and the sign will be on your right. After a few hundred feet the road will open up. The road looks more like the turn onto a farm road that would be private property, but it is a county road. The sign will be on the left side of the road. About 1.6 miles north of the junction with Highway 16 look for the sign for Newton County 6840. To get to Big Creek Cave Falls from the north take Highway 7 South from Harrison through Jasper.
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