Logan Cave National Wildlife Refuge

About Logan Cave National Wildlife Refuge

There are only two known entry points for the cave: the sinkhole and spring. The sinkhole consists of a steep-sided, funnel-shaped depression about 50 feet in diameter located on a forested hillside. The spring entrance is located on a hillside under an overhang rock bluff. Most of the refuge consists of hillsides which support a mature climax community of oak and hickory. Groundwater surfacing within the cave forms a stream which flows throughout the cave and at the outfall forms Logan Spring, which drains to Osage Creek just south of the refuge. Osage Creek is a major tributary of the Illinois River, which is the main drainage in southwestern Benton County, and their confluence is about 1.2 miles south of the refuge. In past years, spring water from the cave had a measured flow of approximately 5 million gallons per day and supplied the Logan community, a fish hatchery, and 49 fish ponds.

How to Get There

Because of intolerable disturbances to the gray bats and the cave's other protected species, public use of Logan Cave NWR is prohibited. Entrance into the cave by Fish and Wildife Service personnel is restricted and all entry is prohibited from March through September to protect the gray bat maternity colony from disturbance.

Plan Your Visit to Logan Cave National Wildlife Refuge

Heading to Logan Cave National Wildlife Refuge? A few things to know before you go:

• Reservations: popular sites fill up fast — check Recreation.gov 6 months in advance
• Fees: day-use and camping fees vary; check current rates on the official park page
• Trash & pack-out: follow Leave No Trace principles
• Wildlife: store food in bear boxes where provided; never feed wildlife
• Weather: the 5-day forecast above is updated every 6 hours; verify just before you go

References & Official Resources

• Official Recreation.gov page
• View on OpenStreetMap
• Driving directions (Google Maps)