big spring

"At an average daily flow of 286 million gallons of water, Big Spring is an awesome sight and a geologic wonder. Underground passages carry water from as far as 45 miles away to emerge at the spring. Studies have shown that the water is carrying a load of dissolved limestone equivalent to 70 tons a day! This dissolved rock gives the spring its color and is also carving out a huge conduit underground. Should the spring ever go dry, a huge cave will be the result." [wikipedia article]Only Idaho and Florida have anything equivalent, so imagine my wonder when my wife and I visited this in the course of our return from visiting the Grand Canyon and so many of the justly famous sites on the Colorado Plateau. Carole and I spent two nights in West Plains MO because of fatigue and impending storms. During the full day in between, we toured around on scenic roads in the Mark Twain National Forest and the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. Here at Big Spring I got an education in something I thought I knew: at Mt. St. Mary's, Emmitsburg MD, we had seasonal springs coming out of the mountain for the months of spring thaw behind the seminary building. We soon realized that there was much more to learn! Big Spring is the largest spring in Missouri and one of the largest in the world. Traveling through the nooks and crannies of the karst underground the water can take more than 130 days to reach the spring's outlet. The water boils from the base of a dolomite bluff and travels nearly 1000 feet before feeding into the Current River. The stream from Big Spring to the Current River was dug by the CCC to control the flow of the spring.The spring remains between 55 and 58 degrees year round and has a glorious aquamarine hue thanks to minerals dissolved in the water. Watercress abounds in the cold water, providing shelter for a large number of aquatic life forms including periwinkle snails, insect larvae and a variety of fish. Burrowing crayfish leave their mounded tunnel openings along the bank. Birds, deer and mammals such as squirrel and woodchucks also visit the spring.This photo completely encircles the mouth of the spring. From the other photograph, you know that to the right of this picture is the bluff below which the stream has its outlet. It simply BOILS UP AND OUT within this very small circle! I stared at it for some time but simply couldn't take this phenomenon inside my head. 286 MILLION gallons. 40 miles. 130 days from the time the water rains on the ground until it reemerges at this spot. Awesome. We only stopped to see the Spring. There's a whole park to explore!!

Thankfully, area citizens recommended seeing this natural wonder. Being November, there were few other tourists, so we had the tour to ourselves. The natural beauty of The Spring, tree colored mountains, rivers, creeks & with no guard rails, limited blacktopping & road lines; it's like "primitive" travel. I look forward to returning to see the "SPRING FLOWERS."

We stayed in one of the historic stone cabins, built by the CCC in the 1930's using stone quarried in the area as well as local lumber. What a treat! We were in #403, which also has a huge stone fireplace and screened in porch. The cabins are on the hillside above the spring and river, very secluded and quiet. We sat on the screened porch and watched deer roam the area. The cabins are also pet-friendly, and our dogs loved it as well. A couple things to remember - the cabins only come with towels and bed linens, so bring your own dishes and soap. Also, the National Park Service is going to be shutting them down in November, 2014 to begin a long renovation project, so if you want to stay in one now, call right away. This was one of, if not the, most incredible cabins my husband and I have ever stayed in.

One of the largest springs in the United States! Beautiful cold blue water boiling out of the ground. Great for viewing deer late in the evenings. Great park for kids.

Beautiful area next to the Current River. The campground roads are not paved. We did not get rain during our stay. If it had rained, it would have been a mess. All the pads are gravel. Some very nice views on the riverside. We did take the float trip offered at the campsite and it was an awesome experience. The staff was very friendly. The campground was well maintained. The bathhouse was outdated but clean. Make sure you take time to visit the Big Spring Park and relax and enjoy a home cooked meal at the restaurant.

We just got back from a week in the Ozarks and spent 3 nights camping here. A very nice campground with good facilities and being on the Current River as well as Big Spring made for some great nature viewing. If you do camp here be ready to see the fields full of deer of all sorts. They are very relaxed for the most part and arent scared of people. Was a sight to see 50+ in the field about sunset.

We had been staying at Big Spring RV Campground in Van Buren, Missouri on the way to Branson, Missouri to visit family. We just went over to Big Spring for just an hour. The water is very cold and clear and the history regarding this attraction is amazing. We were late going over to Branson so our visit was cut short. The park is very well manicured and we saw deer everywhere.

Wrapped this into a 2-day trip with grandkids, staying at Big Spring Lodge and Cabins for the evening. One of Missouri's first parks (now under the National Park Service), thus, old cabins, but for this group of six, it worked out fine. Understand they are closing the Lodge and Cabins in 2015 for a multi-million dollar upgrade. The Spring, park and area was all great fun as we hiked (saw lots of deer), ate at the Lodge, and just had a great bonding time with the little ones. If not overnight, worth the short trip off US-60 to see this historical spring, Missouri's largest. The next day, a short hop up to Johnson Shut-Ins State Park, and Elephant Rocks State Park, both well worth including. A beautiful part of Missouri.

Lots of beautiful sights to see worth seeing. Nice little walk, and a park for the kids. Take a camera, good place for some photos. Wish I had of taken more.

Clear,clean cold water and a nice ecology around the spring and the area. Big Spring is a tourist attraction for the area but it wasn't busy or crowed which made it more enjoyable

I'm already married, but if my husband asked me to do anything at this beautiful site I can't imagine saying anything but, "Yes!" Gorgeous, inspiring, and no one around in the morning. Isn't this the kind of place we all dream about?

It's so beautiful here. I visit frequently. Camping, cabins, hiking, and swimming. The restaurant is our favorite place to eat. It's only open in the summer though. The dinning hall was built by CCC and is beautifully rustic with a view of the spring. Don't miss the onion straws. Delicious!!

When I was a very young boy my parents owned the old Rose Cliff Hotel in Van Buren. So I grew up with that part of my history. I've gone for years after my parents sold the hotel and it was taken down. If I want to impress out of state friends since it's only 45 minutes from where I live I take them there. The walk around the spring is easy and stunning. The best time to go is in the fall as the leaves change. It's easy to get lost in the beauty of the spring. Just sit on a ledge and let yourself go. It's worth the drive and it's free.

I have been to the springs twice. Once when it was flooded over and once when it was simply a pretty walk through. The hike around it is great and the water is fun to watch. There are rocks to carefully climb and take pictures around the spring. The whole place is just nice to get away and be outside.

went to big springs last week cant believe all the natural spring water that comes out of the earth at this spot so blue and deep, the water is so cold you cant hardly stand in it, when we were children my father use to bring us to Big Springs and dare us to stand in the water, This is the largest spring in Missouri, the park is a very nice place to bring the family for a nice day out in nature