Blanchard Springs Caverns Marks 40th Anniversary This Year
By: KARK 4 News
Updated: February 8, 2013
A north Arkansas landmark is set to celebrate its 40th anniversary as a tourist destination this year.
Blanchard Springs Caverns is located on the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest.
An anniversary celebration is planned for June 15th in Fifty-Six (Stone County).
"The 40th anniversary of the Blanchard Springs Caverns is a great opportunity to acknowledge our past achievements and to recognize the contributions the caverns have made, not only to the local community, but to Arkansas in general. It is not just a commemoration, but recognition of 40 years of conservation leadership and sustained operation of Blanchard Springs Caverns," said Sylamore District Ranger Jim McCoy.
A special part of the celebration will be recognition of employees who have worked at the Caverns during the 40-year span. Past employees or family members who can attend the celebration on June 15th are asked to call the Visitor Information Center at (870) 757- 2211. Special name badges will be provided to former employees who worked during the initial 1973 season.
In addition to the June 15th celebration, Blanchard Springs Caverns will host "40 days of Celebration," beginning May 29 through July 7, 2013. These 40 days will focus on topics including Stone County Day; Natural Resources Week; photo and poster contests; walking/running events; and many more.
Blanchard Springs Caverns, located about two miles off Highway 14 near Mountain View, has been offering one of the most spectacular and carefully developed caves in the United States since it opened on July 7, 1973. Visitors enter a "living" cave where glistening stalactites, stalagmites, columns, and flowstones are still changing. These crystalline formations are the result of minerals deposited by dripping water.
The Caverns consist of a three-level cave system, two of which are open for guided tours by Forest Service employees.
Blanchard Springs Caverns is located on the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest.
An anniversary celebration is planned for June 15th in Fifty-Six (Stone County).
"The 40th anniversary of the Blanchard Springs Caverns is a great opportunity to acknowledge our past achievements and to recognize the contributions the caverns have made, not only to the local community, but to Arkansas in general. It is not just a commemoration, but recognition of 40 years of conservation leadership and sustained operation of Blanchard Springs Caverns," said Sylamore District Ranger Jim McCoy.
A special part of the celebration will be recognition of employees who have worked at the Caverns during the 40-year span. Past employees or family members who can attend the celebration on June 15th are asked to call the Visitor Information Center at (870) 757- 2211. Special name badges will be provided to former employees who worked during the initial 1973 season.
In addition to the June 15th celebration, Blanchard Springs Caverns will host "40 days of Celebration," beginning May 29 through July 7, 2013. These 40 days will focus on topics including Stone County Day; Natural Resources Week; photo and poster contests; walking/running events; and many more.
Blanchard Springs Caverns, located about two miles off Highway 14 near Mountain View, has been offering one of the most spectacular and carefully developed caves in the United States since it opened on July 7, 1973. Visitors enter a "living" cave where glistening stalactites, stalagmites, columns, and flowstones are still changing. These crystalline formations are the result of minerals deposited by dripping water.
The Caverns consist of a three-level cave system, two of which are open for guided tours by Forest Service employees.
- Dripstone Trail - This half-mile trail offers a shorter, easier way through the caverns. Stairs can be avoided, making trails accessible for wheelchairs and strollers (with an assistant).
- Discovery Trail - The longer, more strenuous of the trails (1.2 miles with nearly 700 stairs) explores the middle level of the Caverns system. Discovery in the Dark Headlamp tours are conducted in the last part of the Discovery Trail, September through May. Visitors are supplied with helmets and headlamps, and tours are conducted by Forest Service guides with the cave lights off.
- Wild Cave Tour - This tour offers an introduction to off trail caving in a structured environment. The newest of the Caverns tours takes visitors to the undeveloped sections of the middle level.
