Blanchard Springs Caverns Winter Schedule
- Ongoing: until Saturday, March 31, 2012
- Sunday:
- Wednesday:
- Thursday:
- Friday:
- Saturday:
- Where: Blanchard Springs Caverns, 15 miles northwest of Mountain View, AR
- Cost: $0.50 - $75.50
- Age limit: Not available
Blanchard Winter Schedule and “Caroling in the Caverns”
Mtn. View, AR -- Blanchard Springs Caverns, which is operated by the U.S. Forest Service, is a place of awesome beauty year round. Although some visitor attractions close for the winter, the spectacular Blanchard Springs Caverns stays open five days per week, Wednesdays through Sundays. This schedule begins on November 2, 2011 and runs through March 31, 2012. Located 15 miles northwest of Mountain View, Blanchard is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, as well as Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. Outside of special program days, set tour times for the Dripstone Trail are 10:30, 12:30, 2:30 and 4:30.
During the winter, cavern tours travel on the Dripstone Trail. Led by a knowledgeable Forest Service guide, the tour winds through two huge rooms that form the uppermost level of Blanchard. The rooms are filled with the awesome beauty of crystalline formations - towering columns, sparkling flowstones, and tiny delicate soda straw stalactites. The formations are still changing as water continues to enter this "living" cave.
For the past nine Decembers, Blanchard Springs Caverns has been the site for the wonderful sounds of “Caroling in the Caverns”. This annual program is hosted by the Forest Service and presented by the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce; it features local musicians singing in the resonance of the Caverns’ Cathedral Room. Because the “Caroling” programs are presented on the Saturdays and Sundays from Thanksgiving until Christmas, Caverns tour times are changed to accommodate the programs. On November 26 and 27, the last public tour will be at 3:30 pm. On December 3rd and 4th, 10th and 11th, and 17th and 18th, the last public tour through the Caverns will be at 12:30 pm.
The “Caroling in the Caverns” concerts have been very popular, so visitors are encouraged to call the Chamber as early as possible for reservations. There are a limited number of seats available - generally about 100 seats per show - and there are sold-out dates already. “Caroling” programs in November are at 4:30 pm. December “Caroling” programs are at 2:30 and 4:30 pm. Special “Early Bird” tours for “Caroling” patrons are also available. For “Caroling in the Caverns” information or reservations, call the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce at 870-269-8068, or look on the web at www.yourplaceinthemountains.com.
The full Discovery Trail is closed this time of year, but visitors can still see part of the Discovery Trail on the “Discovery in the Dark” tour. Discovery in the Dark Headlamp Tours are conducted on Saturdays at 12:45 in the last rooms of the Discovery Trail. Visitors are supplied with helmets and headlamps, and tours are conducted by Forest Service guides with the cave lights off. This allows visitors an experience closer to that of the early Caverns explorers.
The Wild Cave Tour also stays open year round. This is a strenuous 4-hour tour through undeveloped portions of the middle level. Participants need to be in good physical condition and be prepared to climb and crawl over rock and red clay. This tour is limited to at least three but no more than twelve people. Participants must be at least ten years old, and ten to twelve year olds must be accompanied by a responsible adult. The Wild Cave Tour is available by reservation only.
All Caverns tours begin at the Visitor Information Center. Winter tours tend to be small and customized to your group, especially on weekdays. With few cave interpreters on the winter staff, there may be a wait between cave tours. However, the wait provides time for the movie, "The Amazing World Below", and a refurbished exhibit hall which explains the wonders underground.
Current prices for the Dripstone Trail Tour and the Discovery in the Dark Headlamp Tour are $10.50 per adult and $5.50 for children ages six through fifteen. Children aged five and under may go on tour for $.50. If you are coming to Blanchard with a group of 15 or more people (over 6 years of age) be sure to make reservations at least a day in advance in order to receive the group rate.
Reservations are available at www.recreation.gov. Half-price discounts are also offered to senior citizens (over 62) with an Interagency Senior or Access Passport. The Interagency Passports are available at the Visitor Center for $10.00 each, and are usable across the country. For a visitor in a wheelchair, two strong assistants are recommended to help negotiate the steep ramps on the Dripstone Trail. The Wild Cave Tour is available by reservation only. The price is $75.50 per person, which includes a $25.00 non-refundable deposit.
Near the Visitor Center you can see where the water gushes out of the caverns at Blanchard Springs. Hiking trails, picnic area, mountain bike trails,
and campgrounds remain open year-round as long as the access roads are safe. The roads may become slick and dangerous for short periods of time in the winter. If in doubt, call the Caverns at 1-888-757-2246 or (870) 757-2211, ahead of your planned visit. We’re online at www.blanchardcavetours.com. For additional information, please call the Caverns at the number above, or contact the U.S. Forest Service, 1001 East Main, Mountain View, AR 72560; phone 870-269-3228.
This event was posted Oct. 26, 2011 and last updated Oct. 27, 2011
