Dirt Roads ~ High Heels: Down to Devils Well

Monday, September 24, 2018

Down to Devils Well

Up with the sun and the sounds of nature, the creek running cold and swift, we were about to start Day 2 of our long camping weekend. After breakfast and packing up camp, we headed East through Mark Twain National Forest. Not really knowing where we would end up, but knew soon we would need to fill up the truck with gas or we weren't going to make it far! We ended up in Roy, Missouri, a quick stop for some snacks and coffee and we were on our way to the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. There were many camping areas to choose from, but we ended up heading to Pulltite. As we drove through, we quickly realized how finding a spot was going to be a challenge. Most people have reservations, luckily there was one non-reservable spot left, Campsite #18. We looked at each other and said, we better take it! Even though we typically like areas a bit less crowded, we knew our selection would be limited so here we are, home for the next 2 nights!

We set up camp and headed to the Current river to cool off and let Lola swim around. It's busy this time of year; end of season canoeing and rafting make this a very popular spot to camp. We visited the General store for a few more goods; picked up some hiking info for the next day, and settled into camp before heading up the shelter house to listen to Ranger Jess talk about turtles. It's probably supposed to be for kids only, but I got a sweet sticker out of the deal so it was a win-win and very informational! Hot dogs over the fire for dinner and card games before calling it a night.

The next morning we made breakfast and prepared for the day. We took the short drive North to Devils Well near Akers. Devils Well was formed when the roof on a cavern which contained an underground lake collapsed, resulting in a sinkhole with an opening where you can view the lake, 100 feet down and 80 feet deep. Hence the name, Devils Well. There is a spiraling staircase that directs you for viewing and as you make your way down, the temperature drops drastically, and the cute little fall located at the bottom is ice cold. Take a flashlight, it's a small space and rather dark! Devils Well has been explored since the 1950's and in 1956, two species of blind cave fish were observed. In 2015, the Cave Research Foundation identified two more species; cave crayfish. It holds up to 22 million gallons of water and is part of the water supply system filling Cave Spring on the Current River, which can only be accessed by canoe or hiking.

On the next blog, I'll share more about our adventure on the Cave Spring Loop Trail, a 4.6 mile hike leading to Cave Springs and Overlook Junction.