Bridal Cave & Thunder Mountain Park

The inside of our mid-Missouri scenic underground cave contains a very unique ecosystem. The animals and bugs that live in Bridal Cave have adapted to the climate of this cave system in some very interesting ways. Some of the creatures you are most likely aware of are the tricolor bats, salamanders, and even frogs. What you may not realize is that there is an entirely different ecosystem in addition to those that can only be seen under a microscope. For the first time in the history of Bridal Cave, we are conducting a survey to find out exactly what types of small creatures exist inside the cave.  One of our incredible tour guides, River Wise, has a wonderful fascination with all bugs and animals. When his Science Research Class at Camdenton High School discussed doing a biological inventory, River immediately brought up Bridal Cave as the perfect site to conduct this class project. We are thrilled that his teacher agreed!  With permission from general manager St...

Cave Salamander There is life inside of Bridal Cave , but much of it is rarely seen.  When you walk through one of mid-Missouri's most scenic cave tours , you are only viewing a small portion of the vast cave that lies beyond.   Biospeliology is the study of organisms that live in caves.  These scientist have provided us with lots of information about the living organisms that live both in and around caves in Missouri.   Biospeleologists seperate the things that live in caves into three categories:   Troglobites - Organisms that would not be able to survive for very long outside of the cave.  (white and blind cavefish, millipedes, crustaceans (crayfish, isopods, and amphipods) and planaria) Troglophiles - Those that live in caves, but are not restricted to them.  (pigmented amphipods, isopods living in cave streams and cave pools, fish that move up streams into caves and many insects) Trogloxenes - Anything that spends a large portion o...