An area tourist attraction is set to reopen this week, and officials are celebrating a milestone. Ozark-St. Francis National Forests’ officials have announced Blanchard Springs Caverns near Mountain View will open Thursday to begin its 50th anniversary season.
According to the U.S. Forest Service, July 7 will mark 50 years of the national forests hosting public tours in the local show cave. The 2023 season will conclude in November.
The Dripstone Tour reopens Thursday. The hour-long, half-mile tour takes visitors through the upper level of the caverns. It was designed to accommodate strollers and wheelchairs with a strong assistant.
The Discovery Tour will open Memorial Day weekend and continue through Labor Day. The 1.2-mile, more arduous, non-accessible tour is hosted in one of the lower levels of the caverns.
The Wild Cave Tour is currently not being offered.
Tickets should be purchased in advance at recreation.gov, and onsite purchasing of tour tickets is not always available. Forest officials say advanced ticketing for tours allows the caverns to staff guided tours and provide a more enhanced visitor experience. Prices range from $16 for ages 16-and-older, $11 for children ages six-to-15 and $1 for children ages five-and-under.
The Visitor Center and Eastern National gift shop will be open Thursdays through Mondays from 9:30 to 6 and closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Eastern National is a non-profit association “supporting the interpretive, educational and scientific programs and services of the National Park Service and other public trust partners.”
For general information about Blanchard Springs Caverns, visit fs.usda.gov, or call 870-757-2211.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI