Onondaga Cave State Park
- Status
- Status not posted
- Entrance fee
- Statewide rule — see below
- Day-use reservations
- None mentioned
- Dogs
- Dogs allowed, with restrictions10-ft leash
- Camping
- Yes
- Official site
- mostateparks.com(573) 245-6576
Official page last checked Oct 29, 2026. How we keep this current
Overview
In Crawford County, about 11 miles south of Sullivan, Onondaga Cave State Park covers about 1,386 acres.
Visitors come for cave tours, mountain biking, historic sites, boating, and swimming. Facilities for water recreation include a swimming beach. For overnight stays there are campsites (tent sites).
Hours
Park, gate, office and facility hours are listed separately because they often differ. Alerts above override normal hours.
| Facility | Days | Hours | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office | Daily | 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. | — |
| Visitor center | Daily | 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Apr 1 – Oct 31 |
Official wording
Park Hours: The park is open year-round for camping and day use.
Park Office - Onondaga Cave: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, year-round
Visitor Center, April through October: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily November through March: Closed
2025-2026 State Holidays: On the following days (actual or observed), staff will not be available and park buildings will be closed: Thanksgiving Day; Nov. 28, 2025; Christmas Eve; Christmas Day; New Year’s Eve; New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King Jr. Day; Lincoln’s Birthday; and Washington's Birthday.
Source: official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Times are local to the park (America/Chicago).
Fees and passes
Fees apply to camping, lodging and some tours (e.g. cave tours).
Statewide fee rule from Missouri's park system; this park’s page doesn’t list its own fees.
Reservations
- Day use
- No day-use reservation requirement mentioned
- Booking system
- Missouri State Parks reservation system (UseDirect / Tyler, 'ICampMO')
- Phone
- 877-422-6766 (877-ICampMO)
We link to the official booking system rather than showing live availability, which changes minute to minute.
Pets
Dogs allowed, with restrictions · leash up to 10 feet
Not allowed in or on: any building that is not part of the cabins for canines program.
We recommend no more than two dogs per campsite. Pets must be supervised and kept on leashes no longer than 10 feet at all times. Pet waste bags are available in most locations. Other than service animals, pets are not allowed inside any building that is not part of the Cabins for Canines program, or in public swimming areas or waters reserved for fishing.
Service animals are generally permitted where pets are not. Check with the park for specific areas.
Camping
| Campground or site type | Sites | Hookups / features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campground Season: Year-round Reservations: Apr 1-Oct 31 | — | Basic, Electric/Water*, Family*Showers | — |
Camping details from the park
Onondaga Cave State Park campground offers basic and electric/water campsites and a special-use camping area. For a little extra space, try one of the park's family campsites.
The campground also contains a playground and an amphitheater, where nature programs are presented during the on-season. Camping supplies are available at the park store.
A printable campground map is available for your reference by clicking the "Campground Map" link.
Campground Information
CampgroundsAvailable DatesShowers/Water AvailableReservationsTypes of Sites
Campground Map
Year-roundApr 1-Oct 31Apr 1-Oct 31Basic, Electric/Water*, Family*
For a $5 fee, non-campers may use a vacant electric campsite for the purpose of charging their electric vehicle for a period not to exceed one hour.
- The campground is fully reservable.
- Park staff are not able to make any changes to camping reservations prior to arrival. Contact the reservation call center or log into your account online to modify or cancel a reservation.
- Firewood is available for purchase from the campground host.
- Frost free spigots are available at several locations through-out the park. They can be found at the day-use area, near each launch area, dump station at the shelter area and near the visitor center in the front center garden.
Park Gate Information
Park gates may be closed after 11 p.m. during the on-season. Campers need to be sure to arrive prior to this time.
Other Types of Camping Areas Available in the Park:
Special-use camping area
From the official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Site counts and prices can change; confirm when booking.
Things to do
Cave toursHistoric sites and toursCampingHikingFishingBoatingRanger and interpretive programsPicnickingBikingMountain bikingSwimming
Trails
| Trail | Length | Difficulty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amphitheater Trail | — | — | Trail information: https://mostateparks.com/media/pdf/trail-details-amphitheater |
| Blue Heron Trail | — | — | Trail information: https://mostateparks.com/media/pdf/trail-details-blue-heron |
| Deer Run Trail | — | — | Trail information: https://mostateparks.com/media/pdf/trail-details-deer-run-0 |
| Oak Ridge Trail | — | — | Trail information: https://mostateparks.com/media/pdf/trail-details-oak-ridge |
| Vilander Bluff Trail | — | — | Trail information: https://mostateparks.com/media/pdf/trail-details-vilander-bluff |
Trail descriptions from the park
Amphitheater TrailBlue Heron TrailDeer Run TrailOak Ridge TrailVilander Bluff Trail
- Trail Map
- Trail Information
- Trail Map
- Trail Information
- Trail Map
- Trail Information
- Trail Map
- Trail Information
- Trail Map
- Trail Information
Fishing
Commonly caught fish: bass, catfish, perch
A state fishing license is usually required.
Amenities
Facilities
- Picnic areas
- Picnic shelters
- Playground
Water
- Swimming beach
Camping
- Tent camping
✓ listed by the park · ✕ the park says it is not available. Anything not shown here isn’t mentioned by the official source — that means unknown, not unavailable.
Accessibility
Visitor Center
- Onondaga Cave's beautiful visitor center greets you with three accessible parking spaces adjacent to the entrance. Inside is a spacious lobby with area information, an accessible water fountain and accessible restrooms. Off to one side is the interpretive room where exhibits of local animals, rocks and minerals may be enjoyed.
- The park store, located across from the entrance, provides gifts, mementos, books, T-shirts and some camping supplies. It is here where you purchase your cave tour tickets.
- To the right of the lobby is the park's museum with a cave diorama and exhibits interpreting this area's history.
Shelter Day-Use Area
The picnic shelter overlooks the Blue Heron Millpond, which is home to beaver, geese and many other types of wildlife. This mostly level area is sunny and provides two accessible parking spaces adjacent to the shelter's pathway. Nearby are accessible vault toilets. The shelter accommodates 72 people and may be reserved.
Read more from the park
Boat Launch Area
The two-lane boat ramp has a slope of 9.6% and is of concrete. The mostly level asphalt parking lot has one accessible parking space near an accessible vault toilet. The pathway to the toilet contains a slope of 9% for 5 feet.
Trails
Scenic Blue Heron Trail is one-half mile long and runs from the visitor center to the campground past the millpond. It has a base of packed gravel fines. This trail is considered accessible.
THE AREAS BELOW ARE NOT CONSIDERED FULLY ACCESSIBLE
Onondaga Cave
- The cave itself has excessive slopes, and accessibility is left to the judgment of the individual. The length of the tour is 1 mile and takes one hour and 15 minutes to complete. Flip-books are available for visitors who can't access the cave.
- Seating is available in the lobby, or you may relax at tables on the outside deck while waiting for, or resting after, your tour.
- An accessible public telephone is located on the outside deck.
Campground
- The 2004 camping season saw a new campground that includes two accessible electric and two accessible basic campsites. The campground provides accessible water hydrants and a modified dump station is easier to use for many.
- The centrally located showerhouse provides one accessible parking space in a mostly level parking lot. Paved pathways provide access to the building, where a park information board is located. The entrances into the building require turning in a 4-foot-by-5-foot space. The showerhouse offers front-transfer toilets, push-action faucets and shower rooms with clothes hooks, a shelf, grab bars and lever-handled faucets. These are wheelchair accessible. This building is not labeled as accessible due to the turning space restriction at the entrance.
- The laundry has top-operated machines and a table for folding. Maneuvering room is limited to 4-foot aisles. Benches are available in the breezeway for your comfort.
- The amphitheater has not been modified for accessibility as of yet. The pathway is of 1-inch gravel with an excessive slope of 8.5%. The seating area has a wood-chip base and space is available in front for wheelchairs.
Special-Use Area
This remote camping area is located on the side of a hill and provides a vault toilet, fire rings and picnic tables. This area has not been modified for accessibility.
Day-Use Area
This shady picnic area overlooking the Meramec River has two accessible parking spaces and sites with extended-end tables. However, travel is across natural turf and a barrier may result from the table pad being above ground level. An accessible vault toilet is located at the end of this area and has two accessible parking spaces.
Onondaga Cave State Park
7556 Highway H
Leasburg, MO 65535
573-245-6576
1-800-334-6946
1-800-379-2419 TDD
Last updated: February 2017
Official accessibility information
Conditions change. Contact the park to confirm specific accessible features before your visit.
Getting there
- Address
- 7556 Highway H
Leasburg, MO 65535-9136 - Nearest town
- Sullivan — about 11 mi south (straight line)
- Coordinates
- 38.0607, -91.2362
- Phone
- (573) 245-6576
Nearby state parks
Sources and freshness
- Missouri State Parks — park page — last checked Oct 29, 2026
- Quick List of Parks and Historic Sites (HTML) + MoDNR ArcGIS boundary layer for coordinates
- Wikidata
“Last checked” is when our system last read the official source. No change has been detected since this page was first published. Hours, fees and rules can change without notice — confirm with the park before you go. Methodology