War Eagle Cavern

One of the largest cave entrances in Arkansas opens at the end of a Beaver Lake inlet. A dramatic bluff, covered in trees and ferns, leads to two chambers. This living cave still forms as mild acid rainwater pushes through limestone planes. A stream cuts down the cavern, low waterfalls puncturing its flow throughout. Though the water is crystal clear, the heaps of bat guano gathered in the back of the cave make it undrinkable. 

The bats are not the only beings that have taken shelter at War Eagle. Like most caves of the Ozarks, it has seen native Americans, moonshiners, outlaws, and naughty young explorers. One being the son of the man who built War Eagle Mill up the road. Hollywood’s even made it to the cave. The 1990’s blockbuster Frank and Jesse filmed scenes at War Eagle.

In the 1970s the cavern was opened for public tours. One tour follows the easy wide pathway of the entry chambers, about a quarter of a mile back. This cave is stroller and wheelchair friendly, a rarity in the spelunking world.