Cave-in-Rock State Park

Cave-in-Rock State Park is a scenic and storied park on the bluffs above the Ohio River in far southern Illinois, named for the dramatic riverside cave that gives it both its name and its colorful, notorious history. The great cave — a 55-foot-wide opening carved into the limestone bluff by the river over thousands of years — gapes at the water’s edge, easily explored and offering a memorable window onto the broad, slow Ohio.

Long a landmark for river travelers, the cave became infamous in the late 18th and early 19th centuries as a notorious haunt of river pirates, counterfeiters, horse thieves and outlaws, who preyed on flatboats and travelers on the frontier highway of the Ohio River. Today the cave’s dark past is matched by the park’s peaceful beauty — forested bluffs, river views, trails, a lodge and campground. With its dramatic cave, sweeping Ohio River vistas and rich frontier lore, Cave-in-Rock is a treasured and atmospheric destination in southern Illinois.

Cave-in-Rock State Park centers on its namesake riverside cave, which visitors can walk into and explore, along with trails along the forested Ohio River bluffs offering scenic overlooks, plus a lodge and restaurant, campground, picnic areas and fishing on the Ohio River. A nearby ferry crosses the river to Kentucky. Hiking, exploring the storied cave, taking in the river views and soaking up the frontier history are the draws, making Cave-in-Rock a scenic, atmospheric and historically rich destination in far southern Illinois.

Spring and fall are ideal — spring for wildflowers and mild weather along the bluffs, and fall for beautiful color over the Ohio River valley and crisp days for exploring. Summer is lush and warm, popular for the lodge, river and camping, and winter offers quiet, bare-bluff river views. The cave and river vistas reward visits year-round; fall color over the Ohio River and the mild days of spring are highlights at this scenic and historic riverside park in southern Illinois.

Cave-in-Rock is steeped in frontier history and notoriety: in the late 1700s and early 1800s, when the Ohio River was the highway west, the great cave became a notorious den of river pirates, counterfeiters, outlaws and murderers — figures like Samuel Mason and the brutal Harpe brothers — who preyed on passing flatboats and travelers. The cave had earlier been a landmark for Native Americans and explorers. Long a famous river landmark, the cave and bluffs became an Illinois state park, preserving both the natural feature and its colorful, dark history.

The cave at Cave-in-Rock is a large opening — about 55 feet wide — carved into the limestone bluff above the Ohio River, formed over thousands of years as water dissolved and eroded the soluble limestone, a classic example of the karst processes that shape caves in limestone country. The Ohio River, cutting and shaping the bluff, exposed and enlarged the cave at the water’s edge. The limestone bluffs, the river-carved cave and the broad Ohio River valley reflect the geology of southern Illinois’s river country.

The forested bluffs, cave and Ohio River of Cave-in-Rock State Park host white-tailed deer, foxes, wild turkey, and a rich community of birds, including woodland songbirds, hawks, vultures and waterfowl along the Ohio River corridor, while the cave and crevices may shelter bats and the river supports fish. The varied habitat of bluff forest, cave and river supports diverse wildlife. The park is a pleasant place for wildlife watching and birding along the Ohio River in far southern Illinois.

Cave-in-Rock State Park protects forested Ohio River bluffs, the limestone cave and the river corridor in the biodiverse hill country of far southern Illinois, near the Shawnee National Forest. The bluff forest, the cave habitat and the great river support diverse plant and animal life, including cave-associated species such as bats, and the river is an important corridor. Protecting the bluffs, the cave, the forest and the river’s water quality sustains both the ecology and the scenic and historic character of this riverside park in southern Illinois.

Cave-in-Rock holds a uniquely storied place in American and Illinois culture as one of the most notorious landmarks of the early frontier — the river-pirate cave of the Ohio, haunt of outlaws who preyed on travelers heading west. Its dark, colorful history, immortalized in legend, books and film, combines with its natural drama and scenic river setting to make the park a fascinating and atmospheric destination, a place where the wild and lawless history of the frontier river meets the peaceful beauty of the Ohio River bluffs.

Cave-in-Rock State Park is in far southern Illinois at the village of Cave-in-Rock, on the Ohio River off State Route 1, in Hardin County near the Kentucky border, in a remote part of the state. The park is free to enter. It offers the riverside cave, bluff trails and overlooks, a lodge and restaurant, a campground and picnic areas, with a ferry crossing the Ohio River to Kentucky nearby. The cave is reached by a short walk. Check the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for access, lodge and conditions before visiting.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources protects the cave, the Ohio River bluffs, the forest and the river corridor of Cave-in-Rock State Park. Visitors help by treating the historic cave with care (not carving, marking or damaging it), staying on trails and back from the bluff and river edges, protecting any bats and cave life, packing out everything, protecting the river’s water quality, and respecting wildlife. Protecting the cave, the bluffs and the river corridor sustains both the ecology and the natural and historic significance of this storied southern Illinois park.

At Cave-in-Rock, take care near the Ohio River and on the bluffs — the river’s currents are dangerous, the bluff edges have drop-offs, and the cave floor and rocks can be slippery and uneven, so supervise children closely, keep back from the river and cliff edges, and watch footing in the cave. Do not swim in the river’s dangerous currents. Wear sturdy footwear, carry a light if exploring the cave’s depths, and take care on the wet, uneven rock and along the bluffs above the river.

The park is free to enter; treat the historic cave with care — carving, marking or damaging it is prohibited. Stay on trails and back from the bluff and river edges. Follow Illinois fishing regulations on the Ohio River. Camp only in the designated campground; the lodge requires reservations. Protect any cave wildlife such as bats. Pets must be leashed. Drones generally require authorization. Pack out all trash. Check the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for current rules and conditions before visiting.

The village of Cave-in-Rock and the ferry across the Ohio River to Kentucky lie at the park, with the Shawnee National Forest and its landmarks — Garden of the Gods, Rim Rock and the Ohio River bluffs — nearby, and the towns of Elizabethtown and Golconda along the river. The wild hill country of far southern Illinois and the Ohio River valley define the region. Cave-in-Rock anchors a scenic and historic tour of the Ohio River bluffs and the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois.

Walk down to explore the famous riverside cave and imagine its notorious river-pirate past, then take in the sweeping Ohio River views from the forested bluff trails and overlooks. Bring a light to explore the cave’s depths, wear sturdy footwear on the uneven rock, keep back from the river and bluff edges, and supervise children. Stay at the lodge or campground, ride the ferry across to Kentucky for fun, and combine Cave-in-Rock with the nearby Shawnee National Forest and Garden of the Gods.