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Tumbling Creek Cave is an educational and research cave in Missouri. As such it is not a “tourist cave”, but it is "developed" to a certain extent (researchers built paths in the cave to protect it from damage), and the cave is semi-public in that it is accessible for educational tours by appointment. Low-impact educational tours for college and professional groups are lead by the owners, Tom and Cathy Aley, who also run the privately owned Ozark Underground Laboratory (OUL), the only such underground hydrogeology laboratory in the United States.
Tumbling Creek Cave is home to a rich diversity of cave fauna. It has the highest cave biodiversity west of the Mississippi River, with 111 species, including the famous Tumbling Creek Snail, which is an endemic, endangered species. Other endangered species found here include the Gray Bat and the Indiana bat). It has a Natural National Landmark and a significant cave. |
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