Caves In The Ozarks

For people that live in the Ozark Mountains, there may be nothing surprising about this. But coming from an area with very few caves--at least that are acknowledged and reported to the public--I found the following bit interesting. From the New York Post article "Caves and other mountain hideouts are being searched for fugitive known as ‘Devil in the Ozarks’."

    For the searchers, “caves have definitely been a source of concern and a point of emphasis,” said Champion.

    “That’s one of the challenges of this area — there are a lot of places to hide and take shelter, a lot of abandoned sheds, and there are a lot of caves in this area, so that’s been a priority for the search team,” Champion said.

    The area around the prison is “one of the most cave-dense regions of the state,” said Matt Covington, a University of Arkansas geology professor who studies caves.

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    There are nearly 2,000 documented caves in northern Arkansas, state officials say. 

    Many of them have entrances only a few feet wide that are not obvious to passersby, said Michael Ray Taylor, who has written multiple books on caves, including “Hidden Nature: Wild Southern Caves.”

    The key is finding the entrance, Taylor said.

    “The entrance may look like a rabbit hole, but if you wriggle through it, suddenly you find enormous passageways,” he said.

    It would be quite possible to hide out underground for an extended period, but “you have to go out for food, and you’re more likely to be discovered,” he said.