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We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment. ~ Hilaire Belloc
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Blanchard
Springs Caverns
Make Sure to check out the
gallery for many pictures of this beautiful area. Rolling through the Ozark mountains of Northern Arkansas on a rainy May afternoon, we were trying to decide what to do with ourselves when Cindy saw a sign for Cave Tours. So we turned off of HWY 5, and headed straight up the side of a mountain towards Blanchard Springs. I went in and introduced myself to the Park Rangers asking if I could bring a Camera and Tripod in for the tour? I was introduced to Toni, the PR representative for the park. We sat and talked for a few minutes and although they don't normally allow people to bring in tripods, she said since they were pretty slow today, (Summers are their busy time) she would make an exception and allow me to bring it in.
Blanchard Springs Caverns is one of the largest cave systems in the United States and the largest in Arkansas. It consists of 3 different caves with each having their own unique features. You can tour the Dripstone Trail, which is an hour long and the easiest of the three sections of the cave. This is the tour we went on, which brings you 240 feet below ground or the equivalent of 21 floors under the top of the mountain. We really wanted to go on the Discovery Trail which is the middle section of the cave, but Toni told us this time of year, they have that section of the cave closed because of the mating Bat population!
There is one more section of cave that you can explore, but you have to make reservations for this section. This Wild Cave Tour will give you a glimpse of what its like to crawl your way through an undeveloped cave, with just the light of your helmet guiding you. The only real way to describe the views we saw is to tell you to watch Lord of the Rings, where the scene is set in Middle Earth. I felt like we were on a movie set and couldn't believe how cool this was. I'd think if I was a little kid in here, I would have had nightmares with all the crazy monsters my mind was imagining would live in a place like this. You walk into a room that reminded me of a large auditorium, only the walls look like hardened magma and the cave's chilly 58 degrees kept you nice and cool with the warm muggy weather outside. I remembered touring the Mammoth Caves in Kentucky as a child, but for some reason I don't think it sunk in how cool it was until you see it as an adult. Toni told us this is one of the reasons they are so busy in the summer time. Tourists find the chilly temperatures of the caves a great way to escape the summer time heat and humidity.
Once we downloaded them, be both realized that the pictures don't do what we saw justice. Although the pictures look cool, seeing it in person is the only way to really understand the immense size of the cave! I was actually very disappointed once I saw the pictures!? Being in the dark, damp cave, hearing the dripping water and the amazing acoustics is something that no picture can duplicate. Blanchard Springs Caverns is something I'd drive across the country to see. We both plan on coming back at a later date so we can take the Discovery Tour. If the Dripstone Trail was the smaller of the two, I cant imagine how magnificent the larger one must be!
I'd like to say "Thank You" to Toni who allowed us to bring our camera set-up on the tour. For any of you photographers out there, she guides a Photographers Tour twice a year where they allow extra time for us slow moving photographers and those long exposures we need to get the shot in the dark caves. I'd love to try and make it back for one of these special tours. For now, you can check out the Blanchard Springs Caverns Gallery in the Gallery Section for tons of great shots! If you'd like to visit, please contact the Arkansas Forest Service at:
Blanchard Springs Caverns In this area, there are numerous full service campgrounds all with breathtaking views. The cave entrance is at the top of a giant hill, so it might be wise to park the RV at the bottom in one of the campgrounds, and drive up the Tow Vehicle or a motorcycle if you carry one along. The White River is just down the road a few miles in Calico Springs, and is stocked for World Class trout fishing. Mirror Lake and Cindy's First Trout
You can leave the Caverns and drive down the mountain side to a secluded turquoise pool with a beautiful waterfall. This is Mirror Lake; just up from there is a little trail that follows along a stream to a large hole in the side of the mountain. Water gushing out of this hole creates a beautiful waterfall that we had all to ourselves. I thought the caverns were cool, but the day just kept getting better. Who knew a rainy day in the Ozarks could be so entertaining? We climbed around the waterfall taking some pictures before going to check out the 2nd water fall down at Mirror Lake.
While I was wading knee deep through the rushing water, trying to get that perfect shot, Cindy was learning valuable trout fishing tips from the local fella's who were fishing up on the lake. I thought to myself that I had better get back up there before she learned a few tricks and became that expert fisherman she's been trying to become.
When I told her she had to grab ahold of it to take it off the hook, I think her excitement turned into fear. Luckily I was holding the camera, so one of the kind gentleman who had been giving her lessons this whole time finished up by teaching her how to unhook and release her first Rainbow.
She let me try her new lure one of the locals had given her, and what do ya' know, within a few casts, I had caught myself my first Rainbow Trout. We were now even in Cindy's little competition.
Make Sure to check out the
gallery for many pictures of this beautiful area.
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The Discovery Trial will
bring you 366 feet into Mother Earth, and is 1.2 miles long. This
section of the caverns was discovered in 1963 by two locals cavers, and
is the largest of the 3 different sections. Toni told us the very
bottom section is still filled with water and is not accessible.
Now imagine how mad I was when
she threw it back into the water before I could even get a picture of
her holding it up. When I yelled, "I never even got the shot!" She
said "I don't care, did you think I was going to hold onto that thing
long enough for you to take a picture?" From the time the hook
came out of it's mouth, you'd have thunk she had a bomb in her hand!
I'm talking maybe 1.2 seconds from the hook coming out of its lip, and
she just threw it over the edge back into the water!! Some
Fisherman we have here.