Blanchard Springs Caverns
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Blanchard Springs Caverns is a cave system located in the Ozark National Forest in Stone County in northern Arkansas administered by the United States Forest Service.
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Blanchard Springs Caverns is a three-level cave system, two of which are open for guided tours by the U.S. Forest Service. The caverns were opened in 1973 after ten years of environmentally-conscious development on the Dripstone Trail. The Discovery Trail on the second level opened in 1977.
The cave is filled with speleothems such as the "Giant Column", a united stalagmite-stalactite which towers about seventy feet high. Practically every type of calcite formation found in limestone caves can be seen in these caverns, from delicate, hollow soda straws to massive flowstones, rimstone-dammed pools and stalagmites. The temperature is a constant, year-round 58 deg. F with a nearly 100% relative humidity.
The limestone rock from which the caves and their formations developed was laid down in an ancient sea more than 350 million years ago. It remains a "living" cave in part because of the care given by visitors and the U.S. Forest Service. Living caves are ones in which slow metamorphosis due to minerals deposited by seeping and dripping water is still in process.
Trails and tours
The Dripstone Trail is accessible to strollers and wheelchairs with strong assistance. The tour on this level travels in a one way direction and is approximately one hour long with a distance of 2/5 of a mile.
The Discovery Trail takes approximately 1.5 hours to complete and runs through the middle level of the caverns in a one-way direction. The trail has approximately 700 stair steps and is not recommended for those with health problems.
The Wild Cave Tour takes approximately 4 hours to complete and is available by reservation only. This trail is a strenuous tour where participants must crawl and climb.
Of note
Blanchard Springs Caverns has 30 scenic camping areas surrounding it. Beautiful Sylamore Creek is nearby as are the Ozark Folk Center and the Buffalo National River.
Jimmy Driftwood played a major role in preserving Blanchard Springs Caverns and wrote the song that is featured in the visitor's orientation film about the history of this cave system.
External links
- U.S. Forest Service Blanchard Springs Caverns website (http://www.fs.fed.us/oonf/ozark/recreation/caverns.html)
- Blanchard Springs Campground including Blanchard Springs Cavern (http://gorp.away.com/gorp/activity/camping/dow_blanchard.htm)