Missouri’s Ozark National Scenic Riverways was the first national park area in the U.S. specifically created to protect a river system, so it’s no surprise that its waterways—The Current and Jacks Fork Rivers—are something special. Spring-fed, cold, and clear, they attract paddlers, swimmers, and anglers from all over. But Blue Spring, tucked just off the Current River, somehow manages to outshine even the park’s most celebrated natural wonders.
Not to be confused with the smaller Blue Spring on the Jacks Fork River, this is the one long revered for centuries. Indigenous peoples called it “Spring of the Summer Sky,” and it’s easy to see why. Its surface glow with an intense, almost surreal shade of blue so vivid it seems borrowed from the sky itself. (Some can only describe the color as “Caribbean blue” and parallels have been drawn to The Bahamas’ Blue Holes.)
But the color isn’t just for show. Blue Spring is over 310 feet deep, making it one of the deepest springs in the United States. To visualize that, imagine lowering the Statue of Liberty into its depths—Lady Liberty’s torch would still be five feet underwater. The striking hue and clarity are due to that extreme depth and the purity of its spring-fed water, drawing photographers, nature lovers, and more than a few speechless visitors.
Blue Spring is accessed via a quiet, 0.25-mile trail (0.5 miles roundtrip), which is lined with wildflowers in spring and vivid foliage in the fall. For a longer trek, hikers can reach it from the Powder Mill Campground, about 3 miles roundtrip.
It is important to note: swimming and wading in Blue Spring are strictly prohibited to help preserve its fragile ecosystem. Luckily, there are plenty of other swimming spots within Ozark National Scenic Riverways. A local favorite is Rocky Falls, where a cascading waterfall flows into a natural swimming hole that ranks among the state’s best. It is a particularly popular place to be in spring and summer.
Beyond clearwater rivers and swimming holes, the park has over 300 documented caves, including the Round Spring Cave, which can be explored on ranger-led tours. Nearby is the spring that gives it its name: Round Spring, a nearly perfect turquoise pool shaped like a circle.
Blue Spring is located less than 30 minutes from both Ellington and Eminence, Missouri, just off Route 106. Rocky Falls is about 30 minutes south of Blue Spring, while the Round Spring and its cave lie roughly 45 minutes to the northeast.
Entrance to Ozark National Scenic Riverways is free year-round, making it an accessible destination for anyone seeking the wild beauty of one of Missouri’s most remarkable waterways.
