Columbia, Missouri
If you find yourself in the middle of the continental United States,
there's an unexpected place to visit outside of a quiet college town.
Missouri has the Ozarks, Kansas City, and St. Louis, but there's also
more to the Show-Me-State than meets the eye, although it may take a
drive or a long biking trip.
In the middle of the Rock Bridge Memorial State Park just south of
Columbia, Missouri, the Devil's Icebox is a curious cave connected by
delicate wooden bridges and pathways. Why "devil's icebox"? It stays a
cool 56 degrees all year long. Students used to travel from Columbia to
visit the cave to hang out around its cool temperatures. The Icebox,
with a rushing river flowing within it, hosts tours for spelunkers in
levels A through D, "A" being relatively easy, and "D" requiring a
strong physique and ability to "crawl" your boat through tight spots.
The tours are held from April to May and August to October.
The cave and the surrounding park are an example of karst topography,
which is characterized by sinkholes, water flowing through these
sinkholes, and soil slumping. In order to not completely delve
scientifically into the cave, it was basically formed by a slightly
acidic water flow that collapses bedrock to create a canal-esque cave.
During your tour you'll crawl, stoop, climb, and wade through water, so
it's definitely a good trip for one with a rugged heart and enduring
stamina.
There are also some nice trips in the summer to see the bats of the
cave - to the faint of heart or someone who dislikes creatures, this may
not be the best way to spend some time. Overall, though, it's a great
place for anyone to get in tune with their inner environmentalist.
The walk to the cave is beautiful, and the environment is peaceful
and quiet. The day after a rainy day reveals the power of the cave, with
rushing waterfalls that rush into the river. It's an intimidating piece
of geography, but it's fantastically intriguing. The state park itself
is just as interesting - you can hike, explore, or just take a day off
to see Connor's Cave or the Gans Creek Wild Area. It's a beautiful place
in the middle of nowhere, and if you manage to make your way out to the
frontier-land, the Devil's Icebox is a natural wonder worth seeing.
