Devils Well facts for kids

Devils Well is a really cool sinkhole cave located near Akers, Missouri. It's special because it has the biggest underground lake in the whole state! This amazing cave is part of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, which means you can visit it during the day. The park has even added a metal staircase and a light to help you see, but it's a good idea to bring your own flashlight too!

Exploring Devils Well: A Look at Its History

Devils Well has been explored by brave people over the years. Here's a quick look at some of those adventures:

Early Explorations: 1950s Discoveries

• 1954: Two brothers, Bill and Bob Wallace, were among the first to explore Devils Well. They used a special seat called a "bosun's chair" to go down into the cave. It was attached to a steel cable and a hand crank.
• They found that the entrance drops about 100 feet straight down to the lake's surface.
• The brothers measured the underground lake chamber. It was huge, about 400 feet long and 100 feet wide! They also saw several waterfalls inside the cave.
• 1956: A geologist named Jerry Vineyard visited the cave. He discovered two types of blind cave fish and a sculpin fish living in the lake.

Modern Exploration: 2015 Expedition

• On June 24 and 25, 2015, five members of the Cave Research Foundation explored Devils Well.
• Their main goals were to check if the viewing platform was safe, see how the lake and cave creatures were doing, and test new equipment for future explorations.
• They learned that waterproof two-way radios didn't work well deep inside the cave.
• During this trip, they also found two new kinds of cave crayfish: the southern cave crayfish (Orconectes australis) and the Salem cave crayfish (Cambarus hubrichti).

How Devils Well Was Formed: Its Geology

Devils Well is an important part of the natural water system that feeds Cave Spring, which flows into the Current River.

• It was created over a very long time. Water slowly wore away the underground dolomite rock layers. This process formed the large sinkhole and cave we see today.

Finding Devils Well: Location and Trail

Devils Well is located about seven miles southeast of Akers, Missouri. You can reach it by hiking the Cave Spring Trail.

• Most of the land around the trail is owned by the L-A-D Foundation/Pioneer Forest.
• The trail is about 4.6-mile-round-trip (7.4 km) long. It goes through low-lying areas near the river, over rocky ridges, and into deep dips in the land called swales.
• Volunteers started building the trail in 1994. They received help from a grant by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
• The complete loop trail was finished in 2007, making it easier for visitors to explore this amazing natural wonder.