How many caves are in Missouri?
Missouri has about 7,500 to 8,000 known caves as of March 2026, and 4,670 of them are mapped. Lower counts of around 6,400 exist too, depending on who counts. The totals shift as people find new caves and correct old records. Known, mapped and open to visitors are three different numbers.
Only about 20 of Missouri's caves run regular tours, which is why the Cave State nickname rarely means you can walk into a cave on your own. If you want to go inside one, start with the Missouri cave tours and compare the types, prices and seasons.
Missouri cave tours and tickets
Guided cave tours, Branson tickets and day trips from St. Louis and Springfield, with live prices and availability.
How Missouri's caves formed
Much of Missouri sits on limestone and dolomite, rocks that dissolve in water. Slightly acidic water seeps through cracks and widens them over a very long time. Where water later drips into an open cave, it leaves minerals behind, and those deposits grow into the formations on a tour.
The Ozarks hold thick carbonate rock and a network of underground drainage, which explains why caves are so common there. Ha Ha Tonka shows the same process at the surface, with sinkholes, steep bluffs and a large spring. The spring is ranked as the 12th largest in Missouri, with an average flow of 48 million US gallons a day.
Show caves, wild caves and closed caves
What you can walk into, and what you cannot.
Show caves
Most show caves are private businesses, and four are run by the state: Onondaga, Cathedral Cave, Ozark Caverns and Fisher Cave. Each has its own season. Onondaga runs daily from 1 April to 31 October 2026, and Fisher Cave is closed from 14 September 2026 to 14 May 2027.
Onondaga Cave State Park →Wild caves
Many wild caves in state parks are closed to protect bats. Educational groups may enter by arrangement with the park. A free park is not a free cave: Ha Ha Tonka admits visitors for free, but its caves are closed except Island Cave, which opens from 15 June to 15 September with a permit from the park office.
Ha Ha Tonka →Closed for now
Jacob's Cave is closed for renovation and offers private tours with at least 48 hours' notice. Round Spring Cave has no tours in the 2026 season after a flood destroyed the access bridge, and a replacement is in progress. The Meramec Caverns zipline is closed for 2026.
Lake of the Ozarks caves →Cave temperatures in Missouri
Each cave has its own steady temperature. There is no single figure for all of Missouri.
| Cave | Temperature | In °C |
|---|---|---|
| Mark Twain Cave | 52°F | 11.1°C |
| Jacob's Cave | 53°F | 11.7°C |
| Cameron Cave | 56°F | 13.3°C |
| Ozark Caverns | 56°F | 13.3°C |
| Onondaga and Cathedral Cave | 57°F | 13 to 14°C |
| Meramec Caverns | 58 to 60°F | 14.4 to 15.6°C |
| Crystal Cave | 59°F | 15.0°C |
| Bridal Cave | 60°F | 15.6°C |
For most visitors, plan for 52 to 60°F (11 to 16°C). That feels cool in summer and mild in winter. Wet paths are common, so wear shoes with grip. The best time to visit page adds the weather above ground.
Legends and history of Missouri's caves
Jesse James at Meramec Caverns. The cave tells the story that the outlaw Jesse James used it as a hideout, and it presents finds as links to that tale. Treat it as a local legend that is part of the tour story, not as settled history. See the Meramec Caverns page.
Tom Sawyer at Mark Twain Cave. The cave in Hannibal is billed as an inspiration for the setting of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. The link between the book and the cave is part of the tour, and visitors enjoy it as a story.
Smallin Civil War Cave. The property was entered in the National Register as a Historic District on 8 March 2018. The tour blends history, folklore and geology, so listen for which parts are story and which are fact.
Route 66. Route 66 State Park in Eureka has its visitor center in the former Bridgehead Inn, a roadhouse built in 1935. It is a stop for the road, with an exhibit and trails, and not a cave tour. Meramec Caverns sits along the same road.
Marvel Cave. Its Cathedral Room is billed as the largest cave entrance room in the United States, which is a fair reason to go in. See the Marvel Cave page.
Bats and white-nose syndrome
Why Missouri caves have gear rules.
White-nose syndrome is a fungal disease of hibernating bats. People can carry the fungus on clothing and boots that are not properly cleaned, so the state parks have a clear rule. At the four state show caves, do not use clothing, shoes or gear that has been in another cave. Ordinary washing does not reliably kill the fungus, and rules at individual caves can be stricter. Do not enter winter roosts, never touch a sick or dead bat, and tell a ranger if you see one.
Cave State: frequently asked questions
How many caves are in Missouri?
About 7,500 to 8,000 known caves as of March 2026, 4,670 of them mapped. Counts change with new discoveries.
Why is Missouri called the Cave State?
Because the state has so many caves. The limestone and dolomite under the Ozarks dissolve in water and leave open voids, and thousands of them are known.
Can I explore wild caves in Missouri?
Not freely in state parks, where many wild caves are closed to protect bats. Some private caves offer wild tours with a helmet and headlamp, such as Smallin Civil War Cave. See cave tours for the types.
Is every Missouri cave the same temperature?
No. Temperatures run from 52°F (11°C) in Mark Twain Cave to 60°F (16°C) in Bridal Cave.
Did Jesse James really hide in Meramec Caverns?
It is a legend that the cave tells and sells. Enjoy it as a story. The tour itself is about 80 minutes of rock formations.
Is this an official Missouri state website?
No. missouricaves.org is an independent guide with no link to Missouri State Parks, the Department of Natural Resources, Visit Missouri or any cave.