Blue Spring drops 310 feet into limestone darkness. The water stays 58 degrees in February while snow dusts the Ozark bluffs above. No entry fee. No reservation system. Just cold spring water bubbling up at 90 million gallons daily into a pool so clear you can see 50 feet down.
Colorado hot springs charge $40 and fill fast. Missouri’s eight major springs in Ozark National Scenic Riverways cost nothing and stay empty all winter. The Current and Jacks Fork rivers flow through 134 miles of protected land where more than 300 springs emerge from karst caves. Most visitors come for summer canoe trips. February belongs to the few who bring wetsuits.
Eight springs where 58-degree water flows year-round
Eminence sits at the center of spring country. Population 600. Four restaurants. Two outfitters renting wetsuits for $20 daily. The town works as base camp for spring visits ranging 6 to 40 miles out on paved and gravel roads that stay passable through winter.
Each spring delivers different geology. Blue Spring’s 310-foot shaft creates sky-blue color from depth refraction. Big Spring pushes 276 million gallons daily over limestone boulders in the largest single-outlet flow in the US. Alley Spring frames an 1890s red mill against emerald water. Round Spring emerges from a cave you can walk into while water flows out past your feet.
The constant: 58-degree water that shocks your system awake. Safe swim time runs 20 to 30 minutes in a 5mm wetsuit before core temperature drops. Steam rises off the pools when February air hits 35 degrees. The mist creates eerie quiet broken only by spring discharge churning over rocks.
Blue Spring swallows light at 310 feet
Twenty miles east of Eminence on paved roads. Park and walk 200 feet to the pool edge. The spring opens like a vertical cave shaft filled with water so blue it looks artificial. Native Americans called it Spring of Summer Sky. Divers measured 310 feet before hitting restrictions. The Statue of Liberty stands 305 feet tall.
What depth does to color
Light penetrates maybe 100 feet before blue wavelengths dominate. Below that: darkness. The pool averages 100 feet across. A wooden platform lets you wade at the edge where depth drops fast. No swimming allowed in the main pool but the spring branch downstream stays open. Water clarity exceeds 50 feet on calm days.
Winter swimming logistics
Wetsuit required November through March. The 58-degree constant feels tolerable for 10 minutes without protection. After 20 minutes your fingers stop working right. After 30 your core temperature drops enough to matter. Locals swim year-round. Visitors rent gear in Eminence and test their tolerance. The shock when you first enter stays memorable.
Alley Spring reflects a red mill in green water
Fifteen miles west on Highway 106. The 1890s roller mill sits on the National Register. Red wooden frame. Water wheel. The spring pools behind a small dam creating swimming depth. Discharge unknown but flow stays strong. The mill stopped grinding decades ago but the building frames every photo.
Mill backdrop swimming
Shallow wading at pool edges. Deeper center section for actual swimming. Winter ice forms on the wheel and building eaves while spring water keeps flowing. Golden hour hits late afternoon when low sun lights the red paint. Most visitors shoot photos and leave. Swimmers have the pool mostly alone.
Access and facilities
Paved parking. Visitor center. Restrooms. Picnic tables. The mill offers tours in summer but grounds stay open all year. Six miles from Eminence makes this the closest major spring. Weekday mornings in February you might see two other cars. Similar karst formations in Texas draw bigger crowds for less water.
Big Spring pushes 276 million gallons but no swimming
Thirty miles southeast near Van Buren. The largest flow in the park. Water boils up over boulders in a pool 200 feet across. Depth hits 256 feet in the main vent. A 1930s CCC lodge overlooks the spring but closed after the park formed in 1964. Swimming banned in the pool itself. The Current River 100 yards downstream offers spring-fed swimming at the same 58 degrees.
Volume and geology
Groundwater traces 39 miles through limestone before emerging here. The 276 million gallon daily discharge equals 382 Olympic pools. Flow stays constant year-round. Water clarity exceptional. The turquoise color comes from limestone minerals. Caribbean water shows similar blue from different geology.
River swimming alternative
Walk downstream to where spring water mixes with river current. Depth varies. Rocky bottom requires water shoes. The cold stays intense. Most swimmers last 15 minutes. The empty winter landscape makes the effort worth it. Paved access. Short walk. No facilities beyond parking.
Round Spring flows from a cave you can enter
Twelve miles from Eminence on paved roads. The spring emerges from under a natural limestone bridge. Cave mouth stays open. Water flows out at 26 million gallons daily from 55-foot depths. You can wade into the cave entrance while discharge pushes past. The circular pool below offers swimming. Campground sits 100 yards away.
Cave entrance experience
The unique angle: walking toward the source while water flows against you. Cold intensifies near the cave mouth. Visibility stays high. The limestone formations inside catch light from the entrance. No swimming inside the cave itself. The pool below provides actual swimming depth. Winter steam creates fog that fills the hollow.
Camping and access
Campground sites run $20 nightly. Vault toilets. Water pumps. The spring trail starts from parking. Short walk. February camping means cold nights but empty sites. Winter water activities elsewhere cost more and draw crowds. Here: silence and springs.
Greer Spring hides 214 million gallons in a hollow
Forty miles from Eminence via gravel roads. The second-largest Missouri spring. Water emerges from a bluff wall into a pool dammed by log jams. The 1.1-mile trail drops through a hollow with rare microclimate plants. Moderate difficulty. Rocky. Steep sections. Most remote major spring in the system.
The 214 million gallon discharge creates a substantial pool. Deep cold water. Total solitude. Winter frost coats the hollow trees. The hike takes 30 minutes down. Longer coming back up. Gravel roads stay passable in dry February weather. No facilities. Pack everything out. The isolation delivers what the accessible springs cannot.
Welch and Pulltite offer campground convenience
Welch Spring sits 14 miles upstream on the Current. Flow estimated around 53 million gallons daily. A bluff overlook rises 100 feet above the spring basin. Civil War history markers tell hospital-cave stories. Free primitive camping nearby. The spring-fed pool offers swimming below the cave entrance. Quiet. Less visited than Alley or Blue.
Pulltite Spring flows past a campground on Jacks Fork River. Eighteen million gallons daily. The spring branch runs 0.2 miles from campsites. Dawn swimming from your tent. Twenty dollars per night. Vault toilets. Water pumps. The smaller scale creates intimate experience. Shallow wading edges. Deeper center. Sunrise mist when air temperature drops below water temperature. Mountain town winter activities cost double for half the solitude.
Your questions about Missouri springs answered
When should I visit for empty springs?
November through March delivers lowest crowds. February averages under 100 daily visitors across all springs. Summer float season runs May through September with thousands daily. Weekday mornings stay quietest. Blue and Big Springs see most traffic even in winter. Greer and Welch stay nearly empty. Dawn visits guarantee solitude at any spring.
What gear do I actually need?
Five to seven millimeter wetsuit for February swimming. Water shoes for rocky bottoms. Towels and dry clothes. Eminence outfitters rent wetsuits for $20 daily. Without wetsuit: 10-minute tolerance maximum. With wetsuit: 20 to 30 minutes before core temperature concerns. Hypothermia risk real in 58-degree water. Know your limits. Exit when fingers stop working properly.
How does this compare to hot springs?
Colorado hot springs charge $40 to $50 daily. Require reservations. Draw crowds year-round. Missouri springs cost nothing beyond $25 weekly park entry. No reservations. Empty in winter. The trade: cold shock versus warm soak. Both deliver mineral water and geological wonder. Missouri offers more solitude and less cost. The 58-degree constant creates different experience than 104-degree hot springs. Both valid. Different appeal.
Eight springs. One temperature. Zero crowds in February. Blue Spring’s 310-foot depths stay as clear in winter as summer. Alley’s red mill reflects in green water while snow dusts the roof. Greer’s hollow keeps frost on trees surrounding the pool. The 58-degree shock wakes you completely. The silence stays with you after. And the cost proves the best water in America does not require warmth or fees or reservations. Just a wetsuit and willingness to swim when everyone else stays home.