Missouri Ozarks - The Most Scenic Drives in America: 120 Spectacular Road Trips - page 695

Water filtering through the semi porous stone leached out calcium carbonate and de-
posited it on the walls, floors, and ceilings of Onondaga Cave. The water carrying these
minerals evaporated, creating the intricate calcite deposits that decorate the cave today. As
youtourthissilentwonderland,lightscastaneerieglowonwallsencrustedwithcavecoral
ordrapedwithsilky-smoothflowstone.Ceilingsarefestoonedwithdripping“sodastraws,”
and lily pad-shaped stones seem to float on the water pools.
2. Meramec Spring Park
Once back in the light of day, you can swim, hike, and picnic along the shores of the
Meramec River, which flows through Onondaga Cave State Park. Drive to a privately op-
erated park a few miles away that shelters the Meramec's pristine water source; the fifth
largest spring in Missouri, averaging 100 million gallons of water daily.
To get there, follow the gravel road out of Onondaga Cave State Park for three miles,
through the Huzzah Wildlife Area, heading south on Rte. E to the junction with Rte. 8.
ThenveerwestandcontinuethroughSteelvilletotheruggedhillsofMaramecSpringPark.
Oncethesiteofa19th-centuryminingcommunity,the1,800-acreparkiscrisscrossedwith
nature trails and home to one of the best trout fishing streams in Missouri.
Scotch-Irish farmers from the Appalachians began trickling into the Ozarks in the late
1700s, but it was Shawnee Indians who led keen-eyed Ohio businessmen to this area. The
Indians had pointed out the “red earth” they used as body paint, and the white men cor-
rectlysuspectedthepresenceofironore.In1826,thefirstsuccessfulironworkswestofthe
Mississippi was established here, and it continued to operate for 50 years. The glory days
of the ironworks are recalled at the park's museum.
3. Mark Twain National Forest
The rough-hewn yet city-polished, Mark Twain probably never set foot in the 1.5-million-
acre forest that bears his name, but you can: Turn south on Rte. 19, which dominates much
of this drive and serves as the scenic backbone of the Missouri Ozarks. Once you reach
Cherryville, continue south on Rte. 49, which snakes into Mark Twain National Forest.
Itsrockyslopesanddeep,shadyhollows—wherewhite-taildeerforageandrabbitsdart
about—are at their most captivating in spring, when redbuds and dogwoods blossom into
pink-and-white clouds beside babbling springs and frothing rivers.