![]() ![]() Soluble dolomite underlies much of the area which has led to the creation of sinkholes, caves, and springs – a prime example of karst topography. The park is neighbored by the Rocky Creek Conservation Area and Current River Conservation Area. ![]() Although some are closed off to protect habitat for cave-dwelling wildlife, many of them can be explored. The miles of waterways offer great opportunities for johnboating, canoeing, swimming, fishing, tubing, hiking, and bird watching. In fact, the establishment of the park protecting these invaluable river systems was a precursor to the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act that passed four years later. The national park is the nation’s first “scenic riverways”. Several springs within the park are classified as “first magnitude” – springs that have over 65 million gallons (295 million liters) of water flowing through them daily. Big Spring is one of the largest springs in the country and it flows an average of 276 million gallons (1,255 million liters) of water per day. More than 60% of the river flow comes from seven major springs and hundreds of smaller springs. It is located near the Ozark Highlands of southeastern Missouri. Ozark National Scenic Riverways was established in 1964 and protects 134 mi (216 km) of Current and Jacks Fork Rivers and around 80,000 acres (32,375 hectares) of river, forest, open field, and glade habitats.
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