Caves
Missouri's nickname is the Cave State. With close to 8,000 known caves, Missouri is second in the United States to Tennessee when it comes to caves. Most of the show caves (caves where tours are given) in Missouri cost an admission price to enter. Most caves on public land have been gated off and are closed due to the dwindling and endangered bat populations. Here is a list of caves in Missouri that can be accessed via tour, their websites and info can be seen down below.
Wine Table at Meramec Caverns, the rarest cave formation in the world.
Cave along St. Francis River, with skinny and narrow passageway
Bridal Cave at the Lake of the Ozarks
Here are a few fun facts about Missouri Caves:
-Missouri is home to nearly 8,000 caves, second in the United States to Tennessee.
-Missouri's nickname is the "Cave State".
-The longest cave in Missouri is Crevice Cave in Perry County. It is 31.2 miles long, making it one of the top 10 longest caves in the United States. There are passageways still being discovered, meaning the length will continue to increase.
-Marvel Cave at Silver Dollar City is the deepest known cave in Missouri at 505 feet deep, although there are likely caves that are deeper.
-Missouri caves are home to rare species or organisms such as blind cavefish, blind cave salamanders, cave crawfish, and more.
-There are dozens of caves under St. Louis that were used for beer storage before refrigeration was invented.
-Meramec Caverns is home to the rarest cave formation in the world, the wine table (seen below). The bumper sticker was also invented as a way to promote the cave.
Marvel Cave, Silver Dollar City
Devil's Well, located within the Ozark National Scenic Riverways
Cliff Cave at Cliff Cave Park in St. Louis County. The cave has 4 entrances and is close to a mile long.
Onondaga Cave at Onondaga State Park