This is general information for scout leaders seeking to provide a cave experience for their troop.
It is important to understand that caving can be a hazardous activity and not to be attempted without
adequate preparation. The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) views wild caving as "high adventure" and
discourages the participation of scouts under age 14. The Kansas City Area Grotto (KCAG) has adopted
this age restriction as its policy for leading scout groups. There are cave experiences available
from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) which should help satisfy the younger groups.
The following state parks offer guided tours of caves where the participants carry a hand held
lantern supplied by the park. Call the parks for more information or visit the DNR website at www.mostateparks.com.
- Ozark Caverns - Lake of the Ozarks State Park
- Route 1, Box 371
Linn Creek, MO 65052
(573) 346-2500
Eight miles east of Linn Creek, off Route A, on county road A-33.
- Fisher Cave - Meramec State Park
- 115 Meramec Park Drive
Sullivan, MO 63080
(573) 468-6072
(573) 468-6519/1-888-Meramec (cabin, motel and canoe reservations)
3 miles east of Sullivan on Hwy. 185 in Franklin, Washington and Crawford counties
- Cathedral Cave - Onandaga State Park (Saturdays only)
- 7556 Hwy. H
Leasburg, MO 65535
(573) 245-6576
7 miles southeast of the I-44 Leasburg exit, on Route H in Crawford County
Note: Onandaga Cave is the most scenic cave tour offered by DNR. It is a lighted and guided tour
well worth taking.
The following State Parks have wild caves which can be toured by self guided groups. Some are open
and others are gated, requiring a reservation through the park. Contact the park for information.
We recommend that someone in the group has caving experience to make the trip safe for you and the cave.
- Ha Ha Tonka State Park
- RR 1, Box 113M
Camdenton, MO 65020
(573) 346-2986
5 miles southwest of Camdenton, off U.S. Hwy. 54, on Route D in Camden County
Offers two wild caves, River and Island, by reservation.
- Meramec and Onandaga Cave State Parks (listed previously). Each of these parks have numerous wild caves.
- Rock Bridge Memorial State Park
- 5901 South Hwy. 163
Columbia, MO 65203
(573) 449-7402
7 miles south of Columbia on Hwy. 163 in Boone County
RBM has two caves sharing the same entrance. Conner's is short, easy, and open without restrictions
to anyone with a flashlight. Devil's Ice Box is a cave with seven miles of passage. It can be toured
by groups (up to ten people, age 14 and up), who make arrangements through the park. The first half
mile is a canoe trip. A true wild cave experience and the park supplies the guide and equipment. A good
trip for older scouts. Available September - November, February - March.
- Talking Rocks Caverns
- This is a commercial cave located near Branson. I mention it because they have a contraption
called "Speleo-box" outside the entrance. It's a multi-level simulation of crawling through tight and
contorted cave passage. It's lots of fun for kids (and adults who dare). Someone will come and get you out
if you have a problem.
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) also has caves on many of its sites. Some caves are open
and unrestricted, while others are gated and may or may not be available by reservation. Contact KCAG
for advice on these caves. Generally, it is better to take novices to the state park (DNR) caves because
there are staff who can help with advice and rescue if necessary. MDC areas have no staff on site.
For more information, please visit their website at http://www.conservation.state.mo.us.
For groups who would like our assistance, KCAG is willing to help in the following areas. We will
provide a speaker for your group, display equipment, and show slides of cave trips. If you would like
us to help your group take a wild cave trip, we prefer to take a smaller group of leaders and older
scouts at first. That group, after training, should feel competent to take the entire troop on a trip
to the same cave or one of similar difficulty. KCAG may be able to send someone along on this trip, if
asked. KCAG does not have equipment to loan to larger groups, but will offer advice on how the group
can outfit itself inexpensively. It is recommended to divide a large group into smaller ones as large
groups are unmanageable underground.
For further discussion of caving with KCAG, please contact
Jeff Page (info (at) kcgrotto (dot) org).
- Helmet with chinstrap and helmet light.
- Coveralls or jeans with sweatshirt or heavy work shirt.
- Boots with deep lug soles. No expensive boots such as Gore-Tex.
- Wool socks or equivalent.
- Knee pads essential, elbow pads optional.
- Work gloves.
- Day pack or fanny pack with:
- water bottle (pint or quart)
- spare batteries and bulbs for headlamp
- Power Bars or other energy food.
- two spare flashlights.
- Swiss Army knife or pocket tool.
Waterproof whatever needs it!
- Two large trash bags (to cover car seats and hold dirty clothes).
- Each group should have at least one first aid kit.
- Underwear will depend on different factors. Ozark cave temps are about 58F. If you are planning to get wet, it's probably a good idea to have a layer of poly propylene or equivalent next to your skin. If the cave is relatively dry, that's usually not necessary. There is no clothing that will be ideal at all times. Sometimes you're too warm and other times you're cold. It's always a compromise.
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