Located within Rockbridge State Park, just south of Columbia in Boone County, Missouri lies the Devil’s Icebox. This name generally refers to a collapsed section, or sinkhole of this cave system. One of the largest caves in Missouri, there is an estimated seven miles of caverns, tunnels and sinkhole surface connections. The geologic features found here were carved of the same Burlington limestone that formed The Pinnacles found a few miles to the north. This is also one of the most biologically active and diverse cavern systems in Missouri, being home to two endangered species of bat and a very cool species of pink planaria (flat worm) that is found nowhere else on the planet! I’ve only had the pleasure of two brief visits to this location, but when water levels are low, like we have now, the underground streams and pools drop and allow for relatively easy access to exploring the caves. Apparently a good sized section is considered easy to explore and a couple of good headlamps are all that is required. A summertime visit is the perfect time of year to find out first hand why this place got its name. The temperature seemed to drop about 40 degrees F during our visit this past weekend. I can’t wait to get back here and explore some more!
A Thousand Acres of Silphiums 