Ozark Underground Lab (OUL) is located in Taney County, Missouri off a long dirt road. If you go to their website you will get the impression that this is just a company that does water testing and the like. Don't let that fool you in the slightest... OUL is the best-kept secret in the world!
Located on some the most heavily karsted terrain anywhere, this is, as far as I know, the largest cave system in the US. But lets talk about the above ground stuff first. OUL is used my many colleges for field trips. I initially discovered this gem with a biology class on caving. We rented some vans and went up for the weekend and ooooh how amazing this trip was! Yes, I've been back since then... but I'm going to write on my first experience.
When we arrived we were greeted by the owner, Tom Aley... OUL is solely owned and operated by him and his wife. This is not a public tourist trap, and all the better for that. He gave us a tour of the land above the main part of the cave so he could explain in depth just what the term karst terrain meant.
Once thought to exist only sporadically, we now recognize that 40% of the US land mass east of Tulsa, Oklahoma is underlain by karstic aquifers. OUL is the most unique natural karst laboratory in the world, consisting of more than 800 acres of land underlain by 2 miles of accessible caves with who knows how many more miles of the system that they haven't yet explored. I know of at least another 2 miles they are exploring but will not let anyone else into yet.
Oh yeah, I was gonna explain just what Karst Terrain is, huh? Well, it is "Terrain with special landforms and drainage characteristics due to greater solubility of certain rocks in natural waters than is common. Name derived from a province in Slovenia, where this type of landform was first described." (from the Glossary of Speleological and Caving Terms, Australian Speleological Federation Inc.) In other words, groundwater flows much differently in karst areas, and faster. Pollutants can spread easier, and the offshoot of this faster flowing water is sink holes and cave systems.
The largest sinkhole recorded can also be seen at OUL. This thing is huge! A sinkhole is just that, a hole in the ground formed by the flowing groundwater. These have been known to suck in cattle in the Midwest. Seriously! The danger lies in the fact that you can't always see them... tread carefully in those areas!
One other neat aspect (there are many) of the above-ground area at OUL is the little riverbed... well, sometimes it's a riverbed. but other times it is a free flowing creek...what is rare about is that you can see where it disappears! You walk along and it just...ends. I mean, there is no bank there, but the water goes no further. Wassup with that? Well... it's flowing down into the cave at that spot, creating one of the most gorgeous water falls you will ever see!
Also up top is a small campsite with picnic tables and huge pit for bonfires, along with two cabins for students and other visitors to stay in. Very rustic. I loved it! There are bunks set up in both cabins and a very small kitchen. On the walls are pictures of various parts of the cave and fliers explaining things. I spent quite awhile pouring over this stuff. Fascinating!
Lets go on down to the cave, shall we? You have to tread thru foresty area going down some fairly steep inclines to get to the designated entrance. Tom has it so it's like you are entering a mine with the wooden building at the opening and you go down a bunch of wooden steps into the cave itself. Here is starts getting dark and you can already see evidence of cave life, i.e. cave salamanders and the like. When first discovered, they had to repel into the cave here. That woulda been fun!
So you are at the bottom of the steps and have your flashlights lit (or better have!)... now look off to your right. *gasp* So That's where that water was disappearing to! I'm telling you, this had us all awestruck. Now, most in caves that haven't been commercialized, you can find a few forms of cave life here and there... OUL is unique in that it is home to most of the nearly 100 species of rare cave fauna. You can even, further in, see the extremely rare blind cavefish. Now, I'm not going to walk you thru the entire 2 miles of cave. But I will give ya some more highlights...
OUL is home to the maternal colony of the Gray Bat. I had heard this, but we were told that area was off limits because if you disturb the colony, the babies will fall and the mothers will abandon them. So, imagine my horror when I actually accidentally did stumble into this cavern! OH man! What a site it was though! We are talking millions of bats. Just unfathomable amounts...a few were flying about, but most had the ceiling completely covered. Some folks will be very angry with me now, but I stopped at the entrance long enough to snap a picture. I DO feel guilty about that...but I would never see something as amazing as this again in my life. I'm weak. The temptation was just too huge. I'm sorry!! Alas, I no longer have the picture, and that pains me.
There are various cave pools throughout this system, and the typical stalactites and stalagmites... but some of the biggest you will ever see! Then there's an abundance of hollow 'icicles' and flowstone full of a rainbow of colors...there is one area we were lead through that had an extremely high concentration of carbon monoxide... many of the group got dizzy. Hey, we were warned and volunteered... because this lead to the areas they were just starting to explore, and you know how much trouble I can be...I'm far too inquisitive at times! Yes, they headed back out into the main cave after oohing and ahhing a bit...while me and a cohort went deeper in for a bit. Tom, if you are reading this, I'm sorry again! Damn man, just too tempting! It was worth it too... we almost got stuck because we had no ropes on us to get back up that grade we kinda slid down (DOH) but oh man... that new cavern that had been just discovered was just an amazing site! So pristine still! Worth the danger and breaking the rules.
So. I cannot stress enough that if you ever have the opportunity to visit OUL, you must go! Even if you are not into caving, you have to see this! Yes, there are various bats flying around and nesting throughout the cave other than greys, but they will not harm you! This is just one amazing experience. Going through commercialized caves will not prepare you for all the wonders you will find in a real cave system like OUL. Go. Enroll in college for one caving class if you have to...but do find a way to see this!
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Comments: 13
I enjoyed this article and it was very well written. Thanks!
This is very informative! I'd never heard of OUL....wow! I've been caving before, but this sounds like the best place ever!
I've featured this article in batsinthebelfry.gather.com!!
Thanks again, Lori!
Man. I suddenly feel the urge to go buy a bunch of caving equipment again...
I'd love to see some pictures, and I like bats, but the irrational terror of being trapped underground would probably overwhelm any curiousity I might have.
HA!