Onondaga Cave State Park

We went today to take our two year old on the Cathedral Cave tour for Mother’s Day. It was perfect for him and not too boring for adults either. We saw a few salamanders and given such a hot day, the cave was the perfect temperature. We went to the visitor center first and hit the gift shop....wow, best park gift shop I’ve ever been to....really, I’ve been to a lot of state and national parks, too. Everything was really interesting, they had a small section of Missouri made items, cool patches, shirts, toys, so many semi-precious stones and fossils and everything was very reasonably priced. We actually bought several items because it wasn’t overpriced by 25% or more. After the cave we went straight to the river for a swim and lunch. Gravel bar was okay, plenty of wading and swimming areas, but not the best water access area I’ve seen. We didn’t camp, but the sites we drove by were pretty open and not in the woods. Facilities were in okay condition. Only hiked the trail to the cave and we found a speckled king snake on the way back. Overall good day out for only 1.5 hrs away from STL
5 7 years ago (13-05-2018)

Great place for a day of hiking. Lots of great views on the trails. I will at some point come back there and do the cave tours. I didn't camp there, but the campgrounds, from what I saw, were clean there just wasn't a lot of shade around them.
5 7 years ago (30-04-2018)

Really enjoyed the park and the scenery on a cold day, but the cave tour was by far the most enjoyable part. Its about a 90 minute tour, and although some parts are steep, wet and not made for my 6'4 height, the entire family enjoyed the sights inside a truly mammoth cavern. This is a great example of a dolomite Missouri cavern.
5 7 years ago (19-04-2018)

Great place to camp. Cleanest bathrooms i have encountered in a state park in a lo g time. The kids had a great time camping amd exploring the caves
5 7 years ago (28-05-2018)

Great place. Worth a weekend trip. Take a day float on Courtoise Creek if the water is high enough. Also - Do not follow Google Maps directions to the campground! Stay on H. Don't take Nixon School Road!
5 7 years ago (03-06-2018)