Meremac Caverns
Rate this placeLast Updated: December 5, 2025
Meramec Caverns is a popular tourist destination in Missouri due to its stunning natural beauty and interesting history.
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Summary
The caves are part of a larger complex that includes guided tours, zip lining, and riverboat rides.
Some good reasons to visit Meramec Caverns include the chance to explore an underground wonderland filled with unique rock formations and underground lakes. Visitors can also learn about the history of the caves, including their use by outlaws during the Civil War.
Specific points of interest within the caverns include the "Wine Room," which features a variety of colorful mineral deposits, and the "Stage Curtain," a massive drapery of mineral deposits that resembles a theater curtain. The "Frozen Waterfall" is another popular attraction, with its cascading mineral formations that look like a frozen waterfall.
Interesting facts about the area include the fact that it was used as a hideout by the infamous outlaw Jesse James, and that it was once used as a venue for concerts and other events. The caves also feature a number of unusual rock formations, including stalactites, stalagmites, and draperies.
The best time of year to visit Meramec Caverns is during the spring and fall, when the weather is mild and the crowds are smaller. However, the caves are open year-round and offer a unique experience in any season.
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Park & Land Designation Reference
Large protected natural areas managed by the federal government to preserve significant landscapes, ecosystems, and cultural resources; recreation is allowed but conservation is the priority.
State Park
Public natural or recreational areas managed by a state government, typically smaller than national parks and focused on regional natural features, recreation, and education.
Local Park
Community-level parks managed by cities or counties, emphasizing recreation, playgrounds, sports, and green space close to populated areas.
Wilderness Area
The highest level of land protection in the U.S.; designated areas where nature is left essentially untouched, with no roads, structures, or motorized access permitted.
National Recreation Area
Areas set aside primarily for outdoor recreation (boating, hiking, fishing), often around reservoirs, rivers, or scenic landscapes; may allow more development.
National Conservation Area (BLM)
BLM-managed areas with special ecological, cultural, or scientific value; more protection than typical BLM land but less strict than Wilderness Areas.
State Forest
State-managed forests focused on habitat, watershed, recreation, and sustainable timber harvest.
National Forest
Federally managed lands focused on multiple use—recreation, wildlife habitat, watershed protection, and resource extraction (like timber)—unlike the stricter protections of national parks.
Wilderness
A protected area set aside to conserve specific resources—such as wildlife, habitats, or scientific features—with regulations varying widely depending on the managing agency and purpose.
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Land
Vast federal lands managed for mixed use—recreation, grazing, mining, conservation—with fewer restrictions than national parks or forests.
Related References
Area Campgrounds
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Backpack Camp 7
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Backpack Camp 6
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Backpack Camp 5
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Backpack Camp 8
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Backpack Camp 4
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Backpack Camp 3
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Conservation Area Meramec
International Friendship Park
Jim Bottomly Park
Long Ridge Conservation Area
Meramec State Park