Rick’s guidebook
Food scene
The food here is delicious & a local favorite. You will not leave here hungry.
11 locals recommend
Tater Patch
103 Bridge School RdThe food here is delicious & a local favorite. You will not leave here hungry.
The food is delicious & a local favorite. You will not leave here hungry. You get free homemade chips and salsa when seated.
8 locals recommend
Bigos Mexican Restaurants
1100 MO-32The food is delicious & a local favorite. You will not leave here hungry. You get free homemade chips and salsa when seated.
The food is delicious & a local favorite. Another place you will not leave hungry.
9 locals recommend
Arandas Mexican Restaurant
1000 S Main StThe food is delicious & a local favorite. Another place you will not leave hungry.
They have delicious food and drinks! You will not leave here hungry!
8 locals recommend
JB Malone's Bar & Grill
1727 W Scenic Rivers BlvdThey have delicious food and drinks! You will not leave here hungry!
Sightseeing
The elephant-shaped boulders at Elephant Rocks State Park may not be the stars of a circus, but these giant granite boulders are the stars of this unusual park in southeast Missouri.
The elephant rocks, which were formed from 1.5-billion-year-old granite, are giant boulders that stand end-to-end like a train of circus elephants. The rocks have created formations that intrigue geologists, are popular with history buffs interested in the past quarrying, and fascinate children who love to climb on and between the boulders.
An easy way to see the rocks is from the Braille Trail, which was especially designed for people with visual and physical disabilities. The trail winds through the main area of rocks. An extension off the trail leads back to the ruins of an old railroad engine house, a remnant of the area’s quarrying and railroad history.
Picnic tables are scattered among the trees and provide inviting spots to have a picnic lunch or rest and enjoy the interesting geologic formations found throughout the park.
85 locals recommend
Elephant Rocks State Park
7406 MO-21The elephant-shaped boulders at Elephant Rocks State Park may not be the stars of a circus, but these giant granite boulders are the stars of this unusual park in southeast Missouri.
The elephant rocks, which were formed from 1.5-billion-year-old granite, are giant boulders that stand end-to-end like a train of circus elephants. The rocks have created formations that intrigue geologists, are popular with history buffs interested in the past quarrying, and fascinate children who love to climb on and between the boulders.
An easy way to see the rocks is from the Braille Trail, which was especially designed for people with visual and physical disabilities. The trail winds through the main area of rocks. An extension off the trail leads back to the ruins of an old railroad engine house, a remnant of the area’s quarrying and railroad history.
Picnic tables are scattered among the trees and provide inviting spots to have a picnic lunch or rest and enjoy the interesting geologic formations found throughout the park.
Looking for a unique destination? Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park offers ancient beauty!
The wilderness qualities and geology of Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park and the surrounding St. Francois Mountains make this park a special place to visit. Its rugged character provides the perfect backdrop for camping, hiking, picnicking, splashing in the shut-ins, exploring nature or just relaxing.
53 locals recommend
Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park
148 Taum Sauk TrailLooking for a unique destination? Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park offers ancient beauty!
The wilderness qualities and geology of Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park and the surrounding St. Francois Mountains make this park a special place to visit. Its rugged character provides the perfect backdrop for camping, hiking, picnicking, splashing in the shut-ins, exploring nature or just relaxing.
The Crown Jewel of Dent County, located in southern Dent County, offers excellent trout fishing and recreational opportunities. Hiking and bicycle trails, nature walks, picnic areas, trophy trout fishing, and the trout hatchery provide visitors with many fun things to see and do
28 locals recommend
Montauk State Park
345 County Rd 6670The Crown Jewel of Dent County, located in southern Dent County, offers excellent trout fishing and recreational opportunities. Hiking and bicycle trails, nature walks, picnic areas, trophy trout fishing, and the trout hatchery provide visitors with many fun things to see and do
U.S. Army Captain Peter Hildebrand lead a group of 1,766 Cherokee Indians through Dent County in late December 1838 (then Crawford County). Other groups took different routes, some of them through Missouri, as well.
The Captain Peter Hildebrand Cherokee group trekked through our part of Missouri along a trail called the White River Trace. This trail enters northeastern Dent County in what is now Indian Trails Conservation Area and travels southwest until it leaves the county just southwest of the White River Trace Conservation Area. According to Runner, the Trail “probably was first a series of game trails, then a foot path made by native Shawnee and Delaware Indians,” and then used by later Indian tribes and early pioneers heading west. In 1835 U.S. Army surveyors were tasked to identify a route prior to moving the Eastern Indians from east of the Mississippi to the reservations in Oklahoma (Indian Territory). The 1835 U.S. Army survey along with other sources was used to later generate the 1844 map of Missouri published in St. Louis, Missouri by Edward Hutawa (five years after the last Trail Of Tears forced transfer).
On August 3, 1854 the “Trace” became a post road (mail route) established by the U.S. Congress and is the site of Dent County’s first and oldest road.
Indian Trail Conservation Area
U.S. Army Captain Peter Hildebrand lead a group of 1,766 Cherokee Indians through Dent County in late December 1838 (then Crawford County). Other groups took different routes, some of them through Missouri, as well.
The Captain Peter Hildebrand Cherokee group trekked through our part of Missouri along a trail called the White River Trace. This trail enters northeastern Dent County in what is now Indian Trails Conservation Area and travels southwest until it leaves the county just southwest of the White River Trace Conservation Area. According to Runner, the Trail “probably was first a series of game trails, then a foot path made by native Shawnee and Delaware Indians,” and then used by later Indian tribes and early pioneers heading west. In 1835 U.S. Army surveyors were tasked to identify a route prior to moving the Eastern Indians from east of the Mississippi to the reservations in Oklahoma (Indian Territory). The 1835 U.S. Army survey along with other sources was used to later generate the 1844 map of Missouri published in St. Louis, Missouri by Edward Hutawa (five years after the last Trail Of Tears forced transfer).
On August 3, 1854 the “Trace” became a post road (mail route) established by the U.S. Congress and is the site of Dent County’s first and oldest road.
Ozark National Scenic Riverways was created by an Act of Congress on August 27, 1964, to protect 134 miles of the Current and Jacks Fork Rivers in the Ozark Highlands of southeastern Missouri. Ozark NSR was the nation's first "scenic riverways" - a forerunner to the Wild and Scenic River Act by four years.The clean, clear waters of the two beautiful rivers provide excellent opportunities for johnboating, canoeing, swimming, fishing, tubing, hiking and bird watching. Hunting is also allowed within the Riverways' boundaries, except around developed areas. The landscape is predominantly rural with oak-pine forests and occasional open fields.
The southeast Missouri Ozarks are typified by narrow steep-sided hollows, numerous streams, and bluffs. Much of the area is underlain by soluble dolomite, giving rise to sinkholes, caves and springs of classical Karst topography.
There are over 300 recorded caves within the boundaries. Several caves have been identified as having critical habitat for the endangered Indiana and Gray bats. Some caves are gated or signed to protect bat habitat.
Over sixty percent of the rivers' flow comes from seven major and hundreds of other smaller springs of various sizes within the park. Big Spring, one of the largest springs in the United States, has an average flow of 276 million gallons of water per day. The maximum recorded flow in one day was 840 million gallons in June 1928.
There are 112 species of fish, 197 species of birds, and 58 species of mammals found in the park. There are also 26 species of amphibians and 46 species of reptiles found in the park area, including four venomous snakes. The park is home to approximately 1,000 plant species.
Summers are hot and humid. Ticks, mosquitoes and gnats are the most prevalent insect problems. The area is subject to severe thunderstorms, torrential rains, and flooding at any time of the year. Winters are generally cool with variable precipitation.
About 1.5 million people a year visit Ozark NSR. Visitation is heaviest during the summer months, especially during weekends and holidays.
The rivers are considered to be Class 1 streams. Class 1 is the least difficult of the classifications used. Horsepower limitations on outboard motors are in effect above the Big Spring boat landing (Current River) and on the entire Jacks Fork River within the park.
Fishing, hunting, and johnboating continue to gain in popularity. However, camping, canoeing, floating in tubes and sightseeing are the most popular recreation activities at Ozark NSR. Horseback riding, picnicking and hiking are also popular activities. Most hiking is done in the spring and fall seasons.
There are 318 miles of roads within the park, most of which are secondary public roads and backcountry roads or traces. There are numerous road access points along both the Current and the Jacks Fork Rivers. State Highway 19 and US Highway 60 provide the primary road access into the area. There are 14 miles of designated horse trails and 48 miles of foot trails located within the park. Trail conditions may vary considerably. Short hikes in the Big Spring and Alley Spring areas are popular. The park contains an 8.5 mile section of the Ozark Trail, which is planned to some day go from St. Louis into Arkansas. Several long sections of this trail have already been completed.
11 locals recommend
Ozark National Scenic Riverways
404 Watercress RoadOzark National Scenic Riverways was created by an Act of Congress on August 27, 1964, to protect 134 miles of the Current and Jacks Fork Rivers in the Ozark Highlands of southeastern Missouri. Ozark NSR was the nation's first "scenic riverways" - a forerunner to the Wild and Scenic River Act by four years.The clean, clear waters of the two beautiful rivers provide excellent opportunities for johnboating, canoeing, swimming, fishing, tubing, hiking and bird watching. Hunting is also allowed within the Riverways' boundaries, except around developed areas. The landscape is predominantly rural with oak-pine forests and occasional open fields.
The southeast Missouri Ozarks are typified by narrow steep-sided hollows, numerous streams, and bluffs. Much of the area is underlain by soluble dolomite, giving rise to sinkholes, caves and springs of classical Karst topography.
There are over 300 recorded caves within the boundaries. Several caves have been identified as having critical habitat for the endangered Indiana and Gray bats. Some caves are gated or signed to protect bat habitat.
Over sixty percent of the rivers' flow comes from seven major and hundreds of other smaller springs of various sizes within the park. Big Spring, one of the largest springs in the United States, has an average flow of 276 million gallons of water per day. The maximum recorded flow in one day was 840 million gallons in June 1928.
There are 112 species of fish, 197 species of birds, and 58 species of mammals found in the park. There are also 26 species of amphibians and 46 species of reptiles found in the park area, including four venomous snakes. The park is home to approximately 1,000 plant species.
Summers are hot and humid. Ticks, mosquitoes and gnats are the most prevalent insect problems. The area is subject to severe thunderstorms, torrential rains, and flooding at any time of the year. Winters are generally cool with variable precipitation.
About 1.5 million people a year visit Ozark NSR. Visitation is heaviest during the summer months, especially during weekends and holidays.
The rivers are considered to be Class 1 streams. Class 1 is the least difficult of the classifications used. Horsepower limitations on outboard motors are in effect above the Big Spring boat landing (Current River) and on the entire Jacks Fork River within the park.
Fishing, hunting, and johnboating continue to gain in popularity. However, camping, canoeing, floating in tubes and sightseeing are the most popular recreation activities at Ozark NSR. Horseback riding, picnicking and hiking are also popular activities. Most hiking is done in the spring and fall seasons.
There are 318 miles of roads within the park, most of which are secondary public roads and backcountry roads or traces. There are numerous road access points along both the Current and the Jacks Fork Rivers. State Highway 19 and US Highway 60 provide the primary road access into the area. There are 14 miles of designated horse trails and 48 miles of foot trails located within the park. Trail conditions may vary considerably. Short hikes in the Big Spring and Alley Spring areas are popular. The park contains an 8.5 mile section of the Ozark Trail, which is planned to some day go from St. Louis into Arkansas. Several long sections of this trail have already been completed.
The rugged terrain and rushing rivers of the St. Francois Mountains once attracted Osage hunters, but did not appeal to most settlers from the East. They often preferred to settle first in the flatter, more fertile Mississippi and Missouri River valleys.
The Johnston family was among the early Scots-Irish settlers in this area that came west from the hilly countryside of Appalachia in search of better land. Here they found fertile valleys, vast uncut forests and plenty of room for homesteading. By 1829, they had established a farm. Three generations of Johnston (the “t” was later dropped) families once worked this land and 36 members of the family are buried in the small cemetery in the park. By 1900, many of the families that formed the self-sufficient community of Monterey moved away. Eventually, St. Louis resident Joseph Desloge bought much of the land, donating it for a state park in 1955.
In December 2005, the main use area in the East Fork of the Black River valley was changed dramatically. The nearby Taum Sauk Reservoir, a hydroelectric power station, breached, sending 1.3 billion gallons of water down Proffit Mountain. The water, carrying tons of trees, debris and boulders, scoured the mountainside and destroyed or extensively damaged facilities in the park, including the campground. It also altered the landscape of the valley and the East Fork of the Black River in the park. This event changed the park forever and has become part of the history of Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park. This area of the park has been redeveloped and many of the features and facilities in the main day-use area are the result of this redevelopment.
17 locals recommend
Johnson Shut-Ins State Park Campground
The rugged terrain and rushing rivers of the St. Francois Mountains once attracted Osage hunters, but did not appeal to most settlers from the East. They often preferred to settle first in the flatter, more fertile Mississippi and Missouri River valleys.
The Johnston family was among the early Scots-Irish settlers in this area that came west from the hilly countryside of Appalachia in search of better land. Here they found fertile valleys, vast uncut forests and plenty of room for homesteading. By 1829, they had established a farm. Three generations of Johnston (the “t” was later dropped) families once worked this land and 36 members of the family are buried in the small cemetery in the park. By 1900, many of the families that formed the self-sufficient community of Monterey moved away. Eventually, St. Louis resident Joseph Desloge bought much of the land, donating it for a state park in 1955.
In December 2005, the main use area in the East Fork of the Black River valley was changed dramatically. The nearby Taum Sauk Reservoir, a hydroelectric power station, breached, sending 1.3 billion gallons of water down Proffit Mountain. The water, carrying tons of trees, debris and boulders, scoured the mountainside and destroyed or extensively damaged facilities in the park, including the campground. It also altered the landscape of the valley and the East Fork of the Black River in the park. This event changed the park forever and has become part of the history of Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park. This area of the park has been redeveloped and many of the features and facilities in the main day-use area are the result of this redevelopment.
The new Echo Bluff State Park is the complete, quintessential Missouri Ozark destination. As your Basecamp for Ozark Adventures, Echo Bluff State Park is the perfect combination of a remote location and connected accessibility to the best of the Ozarks.
With the Current River a half-mile away, Echo Bluff State Park is set in a valley surrounded by towering bluffs, unsullied forest and cut by the Sinking Creek (the Current River’s second largest tributary).
Echo Bluff State Park and the surrounding areas are ideal for outdoor activities. Fill your days floating down cool, crystal waters. Tackle some of the best smallmouth bass fishing in the Midwest. Enjoy kayaking, mountain biking, and of course, hiking miles of scenic trails ideal for both serious backpackers longing to explore the rugged backcountry and families looking for a serene day hike.
Or you just may prefer to relax in the shadow of the park’s namesake, Echo Bluff. This sheer, monumental geologic wonder made of Eminence dolomite rises hundreds of feet above Sinking Creek. It is a stunning, one-of-a-kind panorama that amazes all park visitors and overnight guests.
26 locals recommend
Echo Bluff State Park
34489 Echo Bluff DriveThe new Echo Bluff State Park is the complete, quintessential Missouri Ozark destination. As your Basecamp for Ozark Adventures, Echo Bluff State Park is the perfect combination of a remote location and connected accessibility to the best of the Ozarks.
With the Current River a half-mile away, Echo Bluff State Park is set in a valley surrounded by towering bluffs, unsullied forest and cut by the Sinking Creek (the Current River’s second largest tributary).
Echo Bluff State Park and the surrounding areas are ideal for outdoor activities. Fill your days floating down cool, crystal waters. Tackle some of the best smallmouth bass fishing in the Midwest. Enjoy kayaking, mountain biking, and of course, hiking miles of scenic trails ideal for both serious backpackers longing to explore the rugged backcountry and families looking for a serene day hike.
Or you just may prefer to relax in the shadow of the park’s namesake, Echo Bluff. This sheer, monumental geologic wonder made of Eminence dolomite rises hundreds of feet above Sinking Creek. It is a stunning, one-of-a-kind panorama that amazes all park visitors and overnight guests.
Today, the Arcadia Valley in Iron County is a peaceful setting in one of Missouri’s most scenic areas. But in September 1864, the valley was the scene of one of the largest and most hard-fought battles waged on the state’s soil—the Battle of Pilot Knob. During the battle, Confederate Maj. Gen. Sterling Price led an army of 8,000 men against the Union post of Fort Davidson at Pilot Knob.
Battle of Pilot Knob State Historic Site preserves Fort Davidson and the battlefield where so many Confederate and Union soldiers lost their lives. A visitor center and museum interprets the conflict with exhibits, audiovisual presentations and a fiber optics diorama of the battle. The site’s playground, picnic area and hiking trail provide relaxing ways to spend the afternoon.
22 locals recommend
Battle of Pilot Knob State Historic Site
118 Maple StToday, the Arcadia Valley in Iron County is a peaceful setting in one of Missouri’s most scenic areas. But in September 1864, the valley was the scene of one of the largest and most hard-fought battles waged on the state’s soil—the Battle of Pilot Knob. During the battle, Confederate Maj. Gen. Sterling Price led an army of 8,000 men against the Union post of Fort Davidson at Pilot Knob.
Battle of Pilot Knob State Historic Site preserves Fort Davidson and the battlefield where so many Confederate and Union soldiers lost their lives. A visitor center and museum interprets the conflict with exhibits, audiovisual presentations and a fiber optics diorama of the battle. The site’s playground, picnic area and hiking trail provide relaxing ways to spend the afternoon.
A red mill set on the blue waters of Huzzah Creek is as pretty a picture as there is in Missouri, and that’s the setting for Dillard Mill State Historic Site. The site interprets one of the state’s best-preserved gristmills, completed in 1908. Most of the machinery in the mill is still intact and original to the building. If you like the outdoors, the site’s location on Huzzah Creek in the Ozarks provides plenty of opportunities to fish, hike, picnic or just dream about the past.
15 locals recommend
Dillard Mill State Historic Site
142 Dillard Mill RdA red mill set on the blue waters of Huzzah Creek is as pretty a picture as there is in Missouri, and that’s the setting for Dillard Mill State Historic Site. The site interprets one of the state’s best-preserved gristmills, completed in 1908. Most of the machinery in the mill is still intact and original to the building. If you like the outdoors, the site’s location on Huzzah Creek in the Ozarks provides plenty of opportunities to fish, hike, picnic or just dream about the past.
The Meramec River cut gently through its beautiful and mostly unexplored bluffs, as a small boat emerged from the fog carrying a few men, an Osage Indian guide, and French explorer Philipp Renault. The year was 1720 and Philipp Renault was drawn to this area by Osage Indian legends. The Osage told Renault of a gigantic hole in the earth they would use for refuge when they were caught in extreme weather. The 'natives' also claimed along the walls of the cave were 'veins of glittering yellow metal', which captured the Frenchman's attention.
As the boat reached the shore, Renault could immediately see what the Indians had told him. In front of the boat, just off the riverbank, the men of the Expedition party saw a gaping 50 feet wide and 20 feet high hole in the bluff. Philipp Renault had inadvertently discovered the largest cave west of the Mississippi, but, inside the cave, it wasn't gold he discovered as the Native Americans' legend had promised, it was saltpeter. Renault eventually named the cave, Saltpeter Cave, after the abundance of the mineral.
Saltpeter, or potassium nitrate, was a key ingredient for the manufacturing of gunpowder at that time, and Renault's discovery launched 144 years of saltpeter mining from the cave that would be known, years later, as Meramec Caverns. The history of saltpeter in Meramec Caverns ties directly to the history of the cave itself for years. Many disputes for control of the cave and its precious mineral would follow the 1720 discovery, all the way until the Civil War. In 1864, Confederate troops destroyed a Union-held gunpowder facility inside of the cave. In addition to bringing down the Union forces, the Southerners also brought an abrupt end to saltpeter mining in Meramec Caverns.
The 1890's brought a new era of human interaction to the cave. During that time, locals from Stanton, Missouri would hold 'cave parties' during summer months to avoid the extreme heat. Meramec Caverns was especially popular for these types of events, as a very large room lie just 300 feet inside the cave entrance. The room was large enough to accommodate big crowds, as well as a 50-foot by 50-foot dance floor in the center. This earned the room the nickname of the 'Ballroom'. In 1898 Charles Ruepple purchased Meramec Caverns, then known as Saltpeter Cave. He headed a dance committee along with other local men from Stanton. Dancing continued through the 1890's and spilled over into 1900, but it would be another 33 years before the most significant event in the cave's history…
Lester Benton Dill, born in 1898, spent the majority of his youth exploring caves in the Meramec River Valley. Les began his cave promotion days with a small cave in Meramec State Park, known as Fisher's Cave. Though Fisher's Cave was exciting to work with, Les wanted more, and in 1933 he approached Charles Ruepple about the prospect of purchasing his cave. Mr. Dill's sole interest in the cave was to develop it into a show cave and allow it to be entertainment for the public. Charles was reluctant at first, but soon agreed to sell the cave to Les. Les changed the name from Saltpeter Cave to Meramec Caverns and quickly began promoting and offering cave tours to the public.
In that same year, 1933, Les made a significant find. While inspecting the little portion of the cave he owned, Les noticed a small crevice in one of the cave walls. Climbing up to the crevice, he felt a small, cool breeze flowing through the opening. Les decided to shout into the hole in hopes of receiving his echo back from the other side. When the echoes of his shouts returned, he knew immediately there was more cave beyond the wall, but just how much he had no idea. After the wall had been removed, the additional cave found was ready to be explored.
Among the numerous formations found in what were dubbed the 'upper levels', Les stumbled across what would become the cave's most prized possession. The 'Stage Curtain', as it has became known, stood before him, tall and proud. Standing nearly 70 feet tall, the 'curtain' was an impressive sight, and the room it stood in quickly became what Les Dill would build his show cave around, thus the 'Theatre Room' was born. Les enjoyed success for another 8 years before his next significant finding, one that would launch Meramec Caverns to international fame.
In the summer of 1941, Missouri was in the midst of a rather severe drought. A drought so intense, it not only dropped the rivers and streams above ground, but the water table itself also depleted. At that time, the main level of Meramec Caverns seemed to 'dead end' at a wall with a small pool of water spilling out below. With the drop of the water table, the pool of water below the wall receded nearly six inches and allowed a cool breeze to push into the cave between the wall's bottom and top of the water. Les Dill was alerted to this change by his cave guides, and, being the adventurous man he was, Dill elected to go under the wall, through the water, and see what was on the other side. Once past the wall, Les happened upon yet another large area of branching networks... even more cave! It was here, too, Les found the artifacts traceable to the infamous Jesse James and the cave was dubbed 'Jesse James Hideout'.
After the discovery of 1941 and the addition of an opened lower level room in 1947, uncovering miles of new passages and spectacular views, Meramec Caverns was complete. Meramec Caverns soon became known far and wide through signs plastered along the roads to attract tourists to the Caverns. Advertisements for the Caverns were also painted on barns in 14 states. Dill also pioneered the use of bumper stickers, then called bumper signs because the vinyl and adhesive used to attach stickers to cars had not yet been developed. While visitors toured the cave, Dill would have "bumper sign boys" tie the Meramec Caverns bumper signs on their cars giving him free advertising and visitors a free souvenir.
Today, all seven levels have been transformed over the years by continued mineral deposits from water creating the unbelievable and remarkably impressive underground world young and old enjoy to this day. The legacy of Mr. Dill's dream and promotional strategies have inspired generations that have followed, making Meramec Caverns... Missouri's Buried Treasure.
55 locals recommend
Meramec Caverns
1135 Hwy WThe Meramec River cut gently through its beautiful and mostly unexplored bluffs, as a small boat emerged from the fog carrying a few men, an Osage Indian guide, and French explorer Philipp Renault. The year was 1720 and Philipp Renault was drawn to this area by Osage Indian legends. The Osage told Renault of a gigantic hole in the earth they would use for refuge when they were caught in extreme weather. The 'natives' also claimed along the walls of the cave were 'veins of glittering yellow metal', which captured the Frenchman's attention.
As the boat reached the shore, Renault could immediately see what the Indians had told him. In front of the boat, just off the riverbank, the men of the Expedition party saw a gaping 50 feet wide and 20 feet high hole in the bluff. Philipp Renault had inadvertently discovered the largest cave west of the Mississippi, but, inside the cave, it wasn't gold he discovered as the Native Americans' legend had promised, it was saltpeter. Renault eventually named the cave, Saltpeter Cave, after the abundance of the mineral.
Saltpeter, or potassium nitrate, was a key ingredient for the manufacturing of gunpowder at that time, and Renault's discovery launched 144 years of saltpeter mining from the cave that would be known, years later, as Meramec Caverns. The history of saltpeter in Meramec Caverns ties directly to the history of the cave itself for years. Many disputes for control of the cave and its precious mineral would follow the 1720 discovery, all the way until the Civil War. In 1864, Confederate troops destroyed a Union-held gunpowder facility inside of the cave. In addition to bringing down the Union forces, the Southerners also brought an abrupt end to saltpeter mining in Meramec Caverns.
The 1890's brought a new era of human interaction to the cave. During that time, locals from Stanton, Missouri would hold 'cave parties' during summer months to avoid the extreme heat. Meramec Caverns was especially popular for these types of events, as a very large room lie just 300 feet inside the cave entrance. The room was large enough to accommodate big crowds, as well as a 50-foot by 50-foot dance floor in the center. This earned the room the nickname of the 'Ballroom'. In 1898 Charles Ruepple purchased Meramec Caverns, then known as Saltpeter Cave. He headed a dance committee along with other local men from Stanton. Dancing continued through the 1890's and spilled over into 1900, but it would be another 33 years before the most significant event in the cave's history…
Lester Benton Dill, born in 1898, spent the majority of his youth exploring caves in the Meramec River Valley. Les began his cave promotion days with a small cave in Meramec State Park, known as Fisher's Cave. Though Fisher's Cave was exciting to work with, Les wanted more, and in 1933 he approached Charles Ruepple about the prospect of purchasing his cave. Mr. Dill's sole interest in the cave was to develop it into a show cave and allow it to be entertainment for the public. Charles was reluctant at first, but soon agreed to sell the cave to Les. Les changed the name from Saltpeter Cave to Meramec Caverns and quickly began promoting and offering cave tours to the public.
In that same year, 1933, Les made a significant find. While inspecting the little portion of the cave he owned, Les noticed a small crevice in one of the cave walls. Climbing up to the crevice, he felt a small, cool breeze flowing through the opening. Les decided to shout into the hole in hopes of receiving his echo back from the other side. When the echoes of his shouts returned, he knew immediately there was more cave beyond the wall, but just how much he had no idea. After the wall had been removed, the additional cave found was ready to be explored.
Among the numerous formations found in what were dubbed the 'upper levels', Les stumbled across what would become the cave's most prized possession. The 'Stage Curtain', as it has became known, stood before him, tall and proud. Standing nearly 70 feet tall, the 'curtain' was an impressive sight, and the room it stood in quickly became what Les Dill would build his show cave around, thus the 'Theatre Room' was born. Les enjoyed success for another 8 years before his next significant finding, one that would launch Meramec Caverns to international fame.
In the summer of 1941, Missouri was in the midst of a rather severe drought. A drought so intense, it not only dropped the rivers and streams above ground, but the water table itself also depleted. At that time, the main level of Meramec Caverns seemed to 'dead end' at a wall with a small pool of water spilling out below. With the drop of the water table, the pool of water below the wall receded nearly six inches and allowed a cool breeze to push into the cave between the wall's bottom and top of the water. Les Dill was alerted to this change by his cave guides, and, being the adventurous man he was, Dill elected to go under the wall, through the water, and see what was on the other side. Once past the wall, Les happened upon yet another large area of branching networks... even more cave! It was here, too, Les found the artifacts traceable to the infamous Jesse James and the cave was dubbed 'Jesse James Hideout'.
After the discovery of 1941 and the addition of an opened lower level room in 1947, uncovering miles of new passages and spectacular views, Meramec Caverns was complete. Meramec Caverns soon became known far and wide through signs plastered along the roads to attract tourists to the Caverns. Advertisements for the Caverns were also painted on barns in 14 states. Dill also pioneered the use of bumper stickers, then called bumper signs because the vinyl and adhesive used to attach stickers to cars had not yet been developed. While visitors toured the cave, Dill would have "bumper sign boys" tie the Meramec Caverns bumper signs on their cars giving him free advertising and visitors a free souvenir.
Today, all seven levels have been transformed over the years by continued mineral deposits from water creating the unbelievable and remarkably impressive underground world young and old enjoy to this day. The legacy of Mr. Dill's dream and promotional strategies have inspired generations that have followed, making Meramec Caverns... Missouri's Buried Treasure.
Missouri's natural beauty doesn't just lie above ground. Beneath its surface lies more than 5,500 caves and some of the state's most scenic natural wonders. Volcanic activity plus weather and water created a karst topography, which is characterized by sinkholes, underground streams and caverns. Some of the finest caverns in the state can be found at Onondaga Cave State Park.
Millions of years ago, shallow seas that covered much of the Ozarks deposited layers of sediments, forming the limestone and dolomite bedrock that dominate the region today. Over time, the dissolving action of water along underground cracks formed large water-filled passages. On the surface, erosion began to cut stream and river valleys and as they deepened, they intersected and drained some of the underground passages, creating air-filled caves. Water can decorate the caves with carbonate deposits or speleothems.
Onondaga Cave is one of America's most spectacular caves because of the great abundance and quality of its speleothems or deposits. Stalactites, stalagmites, rimstone dams, flowstones, draperies, soda straws and cave coral extensively decorate the cave. Because of this, Onondaga Cave was designated as a National Natural Landmark. Many of the deposits are still growing and a stream meanders through the cave in an entrenched canyon.
Around 1850, settlers began arriving in the Meramec River valley. The area's springs were used to power numerous gristmills, and the spring that flows from Onondaga Cave was dammed to power the Davis Mill. John Eaton and Charles Christopher first explored Onondaga Cave around 1886 by sinking a jonboat under the bluff at this mill site.
Onondaga Cave became popular as a tourist attraction during the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. Visitors from St. Louis were brought to Leasburg by the Frisco Railroad, and then transported by wagon to the cave. Onondaga's fame as a tourist attraction increased during the 1950s and 1960s under the ownership of Lester B. Dill. Careful to preserve the natural integrity of the cave, Dill expressed his wish that the cave be preserved as a state park. After Dill's death, the cave and surrounding acreage were purchased by The Nature Conservancy and subsequently transferred to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
A tour of Onondaga Cave should not be missed. Trained guides provide information about such geologic wonders as the Queen's Canopy, the Twins and the Lily Pad Room.
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Onondaga Cave State Park
7556 Hwy HMissouri's natural beauty doesn't just lie above ground. Beneath its surface lies more than 5,500 caves and some of the state's most scenic natural wonders. Volcanic activity plus weather and water created a karst topography, which is characterized by sinkholes, underground streams and caverns. Some of the finest caverns in the state can be found at Onondaga Cave State Park.
Millions of years ago, shallow seas that covered much of the Ozarks deposited layers of sediments, forming the limestone and dolomite bedrock that dominate the region today. Over time, the dissolving action of water along underground cracks formed large water-filled passages. On the surface, erosion began to cut stream and river valleys and as they deepened, they intersected and drained some of the underground passages, creating air-filled caves. Water can decorate the caves with carbonate deposits or speleothems.
Onondaga Cave is one of America's most spectacular caves because of the great abundance and quality of its speleothems or deposits. Stalactites, stalagmites, rimstone dams, flowstones, draperies, soda straws and cave coral extensively decorate the cave. Because of this, Onondaga Cave was designated as a National Natural Landmark. Many of the deposits are still growing and a stream meanders through the cave in an entrenched canyon.
Around 1850, settlers began arriving in the Meramec River valley. The area's springs were used to power numerous gristmills, and the spring that flows from Onondaga Cave was dammed to power the Davis Mill. John Eaton and Charles Christopher first explored Onondaga Cave around 1886 by sinking a jonboat under the bluff at this mill site.
Onondaga Cave became popular as a tourist attraction during the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. Visitors from St. Louis were brought to Leasburg by the Frisco Railroad, and then transported by wagon to the cave. Onondaga's fame as a tourist attraction increased during the 1950s and 1960s under the ownership of Lester B. Dill. Careful to preserve the natural integrity of the cave, Dill expressed his wish that the cave be preserved as a state park. After Dill's death, the cave and surrounding acreage were purchased by The Nature Conservancy and subsequently transferred to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
A tour of Onondaga Cave should not be missed. Trained guides provide information about such geologic wonders as the Queen's Canopy, the Twins and the Lily Pad Room.