Lake of the Ozarks Caves
The Lake of the Ozarks caves are arguably the most spectacular of Missouri’s 300+ caves, and a significant portion of the 3 Million people who tour the Lake of the Ozarks annually visit at least one of the caves.
The Lake of the Ozarks caves fall into two major categories, the wild caves and the show caves.
Visiting the wild caves would be a tall order, and something of an adventure. These wild caves are those which remain in the natural state without any viewing modifications such as paved walkways, bridges and hand rails that have been constructed and lights that have been installed. These wild caves are also termed as ‘untamed’ and navigating them can be tricky, meaning that the caves that most of the people who visit the Lake of the Ozarks get into are the show caves.
The show caves on the other hand are those on which viewing modifications have been done, to make it convenient and safe for visitors to walk through it. The Lake of the Ozarks has three show caves within 30 minutes of each other, making it probably the only area in the United to have that number of show caves so close together. If you have always wondered what lies under the earth, a visit to the Lake of the Ozarks show caves can offer you the opportunities to explore these mysteries of the underground safely.
One of the most popular of these Lake of the Ozarks caves is the state-owned Ozark Cavern. Located along road A, this cave is the one that has managed to maintain most of its natural look in spite of the viewing modifications made to make it accessible to the public.
Jacob’s Cave, is the biggest of the three show caves at Lake of the Ozarks and probably among all of the caves at Lake of the Ozarks, including the wild ones. Home to the world’s largest Geode, the Jacob’s cave on North Highway 5 is the place to enjoy some remarkable natural beauty. It has remarkable pools that are so clear you can see your reflection. It has bones that are said to belong to animas that lived in pre-historic times, which were discovered in the cave. It has all sorts of cave interesting formations. If you can only visit one cave at the Lake of the Ozarks, let it be Jacob’s cave.
The last of the three show caves at the Lake of the Ozarks is Bridal cave located on Road 5-88, and which is also accessible by boat. It gets its name because it is a popular area for weddings and is even equipped with a chapel. This cave houses the most amazing formations of the three show caves. Geologists put its age at more than 40 million years. A visit to this cave can be a great experience too.
Other notable Lake of the Ozark caves includes the Robber’s Cave and Counterfeiter’s Cave, which are untamed, and the Fantasy World Caverns quite nearby.
Clearly, Lake of the Ozarks is the place to head if you are looking to explore the ‘wonders of the underground.’
