Exploring the best caves in Arkansas is a great year-round activity, especially during the summer heat and cold winter months. They offer a unique and educational experience that you can’t find anywhere else. Stalactites, stalagmites, columns, and other formations are in every imaginable shape and size.
Table of Contents
Tips for Visiting Caves
Cave temperatures generally stay in the 50s or 60s year-round. The cave formations are created by water, so expect the trail to be wet and slippery. For these reasons, I recommend that you wear a jacket and sturdy footwear.
Best Caves in Arkansas
Arkansas has a few caves that you can tour. Most of these caves are privately owned and operated. They offer tours that allow you to explore what is unique about each one.
1. Blanchard Springs Caverns
Blanchard Springs Caverns is a popular destination in Arkansas, and for good reason. With its stunning formations and crystal-clear water, the cave system is a natural wonder. The cave stays at 58 degrees year-round.
Blanchard Springs Cave Tour Options
There are three tours available at the cave: Dripstone Trail, Discovery Trail, and the Wild Cave Tour.
Dripstone Trail
The Dripstone Trail is 0.5 miles and takes about an hour. This tour is the easiest and is stroller and wheelchair accessible with strong assistance. There are some stairs but these can be avoided on this one-way trip through the cave.
This tour takes you through two huge rooms and allows you to see a variety of cave formations.
Discovery Trail
Discovery Trail is longer and more difficult than the Dripstone Trail. It is 1.2 miles long and has around 700 stairs. This trail explores the middle level of the cave and will take you through water-carved passageways, along the cave stream, and through large rooms with amazing formations.
This tour is only offered Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Wild Cave Tour
The Wild Cave Tour is a trek through the undeveloped sections of the cave and is not for the faint of heart. This tour will require you to climb, crawl, and get dirty. Advance reservations are required and participants must be at least 10 years old.
Advanced tickets for these cave tours are sold on recreation.gov. The schedule and availability vary depending on the time of year. Check the schedule for the most up-to-date information.
Things to Do Near Blanchard Springs Caverns
Mountain View, the “Folk Music Capital of the World”, is the closest town to the caverns. Other attractions in the area include the Sylamore Ranger District which provides swimming and fishing opportunities as well as the Ozark Folk Center State Park which preserves Ozark heritage.
Click here for accommodation options near Mountain View.
2. Cosmic Cavern (Berryville)
Cosmic Cavern, Arkansas’ largest privately owned show cave, is a beautiful cave and well worth a visit for anyone interested in caves or geology. The cave was discovered in 1845 by John Moore and his sons. But, tours did not begin until 1927 when the first staircase was built into the cave.
The 1/3 mile Cosmic Cavern tour, with its impressive formations, lasts about 1 hour and 15 minutes. It features the longest soda straw known in the Ozarks at an impressive 9 feet long. The cave is a comfortable 64 degrees and the tour is on mostly level ground besides a few stairs.
Tours are available daily from 9 am to 5 pm. But, it is closed for part of December, all of January, and all of February. Check their website for the latest hours.
Adults are $20, children are $10, and kids ages 4 and under are free. Reservations are not necessary.
Berryville is the closest town to the caverns. It has all of the necessities including hotels and grocery stores. The Memory Lane Museum and Saunders Museum are worth checking out if you are into memorabilia and antiques.
Eureka Springs is a great nearby town to visit while you are in this part of Arkansas. There is Onyx Cave, the historic downtown, and other attractions in the area.
Click here for accommodation options near Berryville.
3. Onyx Cave (Eureka Springs)
Most of the caves on this list offer guided tours. Onyx Cave, however, offers a self-guided tour that includes a headset so you can stay and explore the cave as long as you like. Plan to spend at least 30 minutes in the cave.
This cave stays 57 degrees year-round. The price for adults is $14.75, children are $9.75, and children 3 and under are free.
Other popular attractions in Eureka Springs include the historic downtown and the supposedly haunted Crescent Hotel.
Click here for accommodation options in Eureka Springs.
4. War Eagle Cavern (Rogers)
War Eagle Cavern is a cave located in Rogers, Arkansas. The cavern was first discovered hundreds of years ago by Native Americans but has been open to the public since 1978. It is known for its impressive formations, including stalactites, stalagmites, and Arkansas crystals.
War Eagle Cavern Tour Options
War Eagle Cavern offers 3 cave tour options.
Traditional Tour
The 1-hour traditional tour starts at the gift shop. It is about 0.5 miles long and offers views of Beaver Lake on the way to the cave entrance. The tour follows an easy path along the stream that runs through the cavern.
The tour costs $23.00 for adults, $14.00 for kids ages 4-12, and children 3 and under are free.
After Hours Bat Tour
Take a After Hours Bat Tour for your best chance to see the flying cave residents exiting for the evening. This tour through the cavern includes handheld oil lamps and features stories and history not shared on the normal tour.
This tour is available for ages 13 and up and costs $30 per person. It is available the 2nd and 4th Saturday each month from Memorial Day until Labor Day.
Wild Cavern Tour
For those looking for a unique and challenging experience, look no further than the Wild Cavern Tour. Pick up where the normal tour leaves off and explore the unconditioned passages of the cavern.
This tour lasts about 3 hours and requires reservations at least 48 hours in advance. Participants must be at least 12 years old and the cost is $75 per person. This tour is available from mid-July through October.
War Eagle Cavern Info
The cavern is not the only attraction. There is more fun to be had with the Moonshiners’ Mystery Shack, the Lost in the Woods Maze, and Gemstone Panning.
War Eagle Cavern is open early March through Thanksgiving Weekend daily from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm. They are closed in December, January, and February. Hours in November can vary. Check their website for the latest information.
Things to Do Near War Eagle Cavern
Rogers and Bentonville have a ton of things to do to turn this into a little getaway. The Walmart Museum, Museum of Native American History, and the Crystal Bridges Museum of Art are all free. Kids will love the Scott Family Amazeum.
The Daisy Airgun Museum, War Eagle Mill, Pea Ridge National Military Park, and Hobbs State Park Conservation Area are also worth checking out.
Click here for accommodation options near Rogers.
5. Old Spanish Treasure Cave (Sulphur Springs)
Old Spanish Treasure Cave, located in northwest Arkansas, is a bit of a mystery. It has its name because Spanish Conquistadors are rumored to have hidden their treasure in the cave.
Old Spanish Treasure Cave offers a one-hour guided tour that tells all about the history and takes you through the cave. We had a great visit on a cold December day.
The cave stays at a constant 58 degrees. Tours are offered throughout the year. Check their schedule for available days and hours.
If you can’t get enough of caves, drive just 6.5 miles north to take a tour of Bluff Dwellers Cave in Noel, Missouri.
6. Bull Shoals Caverns (Bull Shoals)
Bull Shoals Caverns offers visitors a chance to see some of the most beautiful underground scenery in the state.
The tour lasts about 45 minutes, traverses concrete walkways, and is 59 degrees year-round. The admission price for adults is $19.95, children ages 5-11 are $9.95, and children 4 and under are free.
The caverns are open Wednesday through Sunday from mid-March through October, 7 days a week in July, and Friday through Sunday in November. They are closed from December through mid-March. Hours can vary. Check their website for the latest information.
You can also enjoy hiking, fishing, and camping in the area around the caverns. Bull Shoals-White River State Park and the restored Mountain Village 1890 are both very close.
Click here for accommodation options near Bull Shoals.
Final Thoughts: Best Caves in Arkansas
Arkansas is a great state to explore. With its pristine rivers, outdoor opportunities, and unique towns, there is something for everyone to enjoy.
The caves in the state, however, are often overlooked. All of the caves offer something different for visitors. Whether you are taking a short tour or getting dirty on a wild cave tour, you are sure to learn something and have a memorable experience at one of Arkansas’ best caves!
