Swimming in the Meramec River and hiking to an old cave entrance was our “Sunday Funday” as a family at Onondaga Cave State Park.

The cave is back open this year, but with limitations due to the coronavirus. It was closed the day we were there so we went hiking!

Blue Heron Trail

You can enter this trail by the Onondaga Cave Visitor’s Center, but we opted to enter it from the parking and campground area. David found a parking spot that was under the tree to keep the SUV cool.

Chewie our dog came with us and it was easy to handle her since the trail was paved.

First, we had to walk back towards the trailhead along the main road for the campground.

We crossed a bridge over a dry creek bed and came across a large weathered, dolomite boulder.

Keep an eye on the cliffs on your left there are small holes and crevices that Andrew enjoyed looking into.

On the right is an oxbow lake that once had been part of the nearby Meramec River. Here we saw ducks and turtles in the water. The lake is filled with water plants and is clearer towards the end of the trail.

Finding Ruins and a Dam

As we came closer to a bend in the trail towards the bluff and away from the lake I heard water flowing and I raced Andrew to an old dam.

Here you come across a pond that the Onondaga Spring flows into.

Heading up a small side trail led to the ruins of a stone building with an area of picnic tables in front.

Andrew enjoyed running out and through the ruins over and over. It was pretty easy to walk around. He found another small trail that led down to a bridge by the dam and liked exploring the area on his own.

The dam still has a spillway that creates a waterfall into the oxbow lake which had one time been part of the Meramec River.

As we headed back towards the spring from the ruins we came across an area that had the remains of a building that housed a kitchen with a stove.

Checking Out the Spring and Old Cave Entrance

Back by the spring is an old cave entrance that is closed off with a metal grate. If you stand close to it you can fill the cold air coming from the cave.

I read one time they used to lead cave tours from the small pond and through this entrance, you would enter the cave on a johnboat and then walk out where the visitor’s center is now.

After walking back from the cave we went to the spring which flows below a lichen-filled cliff. Andrew put his hand in the water and said, “Really cold, dad.”

“Crouch down next to me,” I said.

Both of us felt the cold air mass that came from the opening feeling refreshed on a hot day.

After spending some time here we walked around the other side of the spring before heading towards the visitor’s center entrance.

The walk here allows for better views of the lake as you walk around the bluff. You can also gain a view of the waterfall although during summer it is obscured by the plant life.

We could have walked back along the other side of the lake, but since the trail was so pleasant we opted to walk it back to the SUV.

Lunch

David brought salami, provolone, and chips for lunch today along with some potato salad.

We sat in the hatchback, which is Andrew’s favorite place to hang out after hiking, and relaxed a bit looking over the possibilities for the area.

Two Other Trails

There are more trails in the park, Oak Ridge Trail goes way into the woods, and Deer Run Trail which goes to Cathedral Cave and up into the bluffs for lookouts along the Meramec River.

I asked Andrew if he was up for more hiking and he said no.

Swimming Here

So we decided to instead drive to the parking lot along the river in front of the campground area for some time to swim and wade in the Meramec River.

The beach area has a surface made up of pebbles and the river is rocky so I would recommend wearing water shoes or sandals.

David was nice and walked around Chewie while Andrew and I explored the river.

The water was flowing, but not swiftly and we walked out to a pebble island. Here we used rocks to make dams. A family on the other side of the island had four kids and created quite the dam. Ours was good considering it was just the two of us.

After dam working, I went back to where David had put down a towel on the shoreline and Andrew played in the water near us. He was enjoying the current much like I did when I was his age playing in this river on canoe trips with my dad.

The place was becoming busy and we had been here a while and it was time to head out.

I had David take the long way home and head back through Huzzah Conservation Area.

Canoehenge

I first had him stop at Canoehenge, which is an area where canoes are propped up to look like Stonehenge. It was hard to gain a good photo of it since it was in the trees. The canoes were all in a circle and the middle was a sitting area. It looks like it is a good place to congregate for a group. I thought it was a fun idea and probably had something to do with the nearby resort and canoe launch.

Huzzah Conservation Area

There is hiking, caves, and a swimming area in this nearby conservation area. The Huzzah Conservation Area River Access was packed with people. I am glad we didn’t go here to swim. Kids were everywhere running back and forth across the low-water bridge. I am not sure when it is a good time to swim here, it was really busy this weekend day.

Originally, I was going to have us stop at the access by the swimming and hiking area by the Bat Cave at Huzzah Conservation Area but we might check this area out during the week sometime in the future when it is less busy.

Visiting the Cave When My Son Was One

When Andrew was little we went to Onondaga Cave at the state park. It is an underground realm of towering stalagmites, dripping stalactites, and active flowstones, which help make the cave a National Natural Landmark.

I acquired a backpack carrier and thought a one-year-old Andrew would enjoy a cave with us.

The Marvels of the Cave

The strange rock formations include what the tour guide called the Twins, King’s Canopy, Rock of Ages, Cathedral Bell, and most intriguing the delicate Lily Pad Room, which is best seen in person. You can also see pencil-thin soda straws and huge columns of stalactites and stalagmites.

Be on the lookout for the grotto and spotted cave salamanders, as some of the wildlife you can find in it.

The tour lasted a bit over an hour and the walk was without many steps, railings, and electric lighting, which helped in walking with the toddler on my back.

Note On Backpacking in the Cave

The most important point in having a kid in the carrier in a cave watch your head and most of all your kid’s head. Luckily it was a really wide cave.

We did an awesome watching out for each other and the kid.

He was happy and content to stare at all the strange lighted rock formations all around us.

Cathedral Cave

The Cathedral Cave you have to explore using lanterns. It is more set up for older kids and parents and much more difficult than Onondaga Cave. Check the website for more information.

Onondaga Cave Tour Details

Onondaga Cave Tours will be provided Thursday through Sunday, with the first tour beginning at 11 a.m. and the last tour at 3 p.m., through June. Face coverings are highly recommended. There will be a limit of 15 guests on each tour. Please call 573-245-6576 for a definitive tour time schedule. Go to the website for more information.

Admission: $15 adults to teenagers, $9 (ages 6-12), under age 6 free

The Drive

The state park is about an hour and 20 minutes from St. Louis down Interstate 44 to exit 214 going south on Highway H following signs for the state park.

Details:

Hours: Sunrise to Sunset with camping available.

Admission: Free, but there is an admission to the caves on the property.

Address: 7556 Hwy H, Leasburg, MO 65535

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Dad Hikes is a new feature on my blog. Many times I will do these hikes alone to learn the lay of the land before we do it as a family. Feel free to share suggestions for hikes to do. Also, share any questions you might have on the hikes!