Onondaga Cave State Park on Missouri’s Meramec River grew from a riverside settlement and mill site into a major cave destination shaped by discovery, tourism, ownership disputes, and conservation. After Charles Christopher and others explored the cave in 1886, promoters developed it for visitors while others considered mining its cave onyx. Rival claims split the cave for decades, even producing separate operations and entrances, until unified control came in 1945. Later, opposition to the Meramec Park Lake Project helped save the cave from flooding. Established as a state park in 1982, it preserves the cave, recreation areas, and notable natural features including Vilander Bluff and a heron rookery.

Leasburg, Missouri · USA