Blanchard Springs Caverns in Arkansas
On our way home from Oklahoma, we took a detour to the Ozark Mountains in Arkansas. A good friend lent us his family cabin for a few nights of off-the-grid relaxation. Country roads, sweet pups, and swimming holes comprise this slice of paradise.
Mountain View is in the north central region of Arkansas, about 2 hours north of Little Rock, AR. Over the past two years, we’ve visited three times and easily fell in love with the quaint town, complete with old timey general store and finger lickin’ bar-b-que. If Mountain View was a cartoon character, it would be good ‘ole country boy playing folk music as he fishes from his canoe.
Our entire purpose was to unplug and enjoy nature. Just minutes from the cabin we found Blanchard Creek recreation area, which is a collection of natural hiking trails, camping sites, & swimming holes with pebble shores. The water is clear for snorkeling with the freshwater fish or find a current and ride in your innertube. If you’re a land lover, the pebbles on shore contain hundreds of fossils. Kate & I love to comb the banks for unique impressions or the illusive perfect skipping stone.
Old Mill Waterfall Hike
One of our all-time favorite hikes resides here. It’s an easy hike starting by Mirror Lake, which is phenomenal in its own right. Take a moment to see the dam and waterfall from above. Our girls recommend a quick flex pic or try your hand at catching minnows.
Then follow the boardwalk parallel to the stream and see the old mill.
After the boardwalk ends, hop onto the short trail for ~1/3 mile and you’ll be rewarded with a natural playground. Explore the old mill close up and hop from stone to stone near the waterfall. There’s an abundance of tiny snails and DJ even caught a small crawfish. (Water shoes are highly recommended since stones are always under foot.)
Dripstone Cave Tour
The main attraction of Blanchard Springs is their substantial underground cave system. During the pandemic, the cave tours were temporarily closed. To our delight, this time we were able explore them.
There is truly no way to capture the magnitude of the caverns. My initial anxiety about being 200+ feet underground was eased a bit when our guide shared that these caves were 350 million years old and had withstood every major earthquake thrown its way.
We wandered around the man-made paths for about an hour learning about everything from cave decorations to bat guano (& seeing huge volumes of both). I’ll keep it classy and focus on the cave decorations – we saw stalagmites, stalactites, columns, and curtains that began forming before the dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Experts recreating their growth in the lab estimate stalactites grow about 1 inch per 100 years. Standing beside a cave column several stories high put our quick lifespans into a new perspective. It’s awe inspiring to see the magnificent space that was created with drops of mineral rich water and plenty of patience.
Fast forward… We’re also seeing similar cave decorations in the cenotes of the Yucatan peninsula. Here’s a cross section of one. Can you see the mineral layers resembling tree rings?
I wonder where we’ll notice similarities as we travel. I certainly see it as a little gift when it appears.
Speaking of gifts, I feel like I’m a having a conversation with you each time I write. Thanks for following us & sending messages our way. Traveling gets a little lonely & your encouragement lifts our spirits!
10 Comments
Gwen
Wow! It looks like you are having a marvelous time! Thanks for sharing the photos!
With much love and many prayers for continued safe travel!
Martha
Mrs. Gwen – Thank you so much! It’s so peaceful and relaxing here. Much to love. Miss you & our MCA family. Warm wishes to you all.
Hannah
What a beautiful location, I’m jealous over this stop on your trip! Love those muscles, do it girls! Praying for continued safety and fun. Hannah
Martha
Thank you, Hannah. Keep ’em coming. Sending you lots of love, too. You’re in an adventure, too. <3
Becca
Absolutely gorgeous! I look forward to each adventure! Love you all❤️ Happy trails!
Martha
Hey Becca – Thank you! It’s a great place for getting off grid…there’s so many more outdoor adventures I didn’t mention. Your crew would love it!
Deborah Gugel
Hi Martha and family
It is so wonderful to be able to share your adventures with you! I am in awe of your strength to do this with your family. You and DJ are the most fun parents!!
Martha
Thank you for your kind words & vote of confidence. I promise we have our boring laundry & grocery shopping days, too. 😉
Sara Cat
Looks like an amazing time!
Martha
Hi Sara Cat! Thanks for checking us out.