Big Spring Campground in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, is one of Missouri′s First State Parks

The campground is located on the Currant river, in in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways which is easily located four miles south of Van Buren, Missouri at the end of State Route 103.

The Big Spring campground contains the Big Spring, an amphitheater, a campground, a dining lodge, housekeeping cabins, a picnic area and trails.

There is also biking, birding, boat ramp, campfire programs, canoeing, cold springs access, firewood, fishing, group camping, hiking, horseback riding, hunting, kayaking, picnic shelters, swimming, tubing.

From underground the spring rises about a foot above the water surface of the lake that the spring forms, then is flows downstream about 1000 feet to the Current river.

The Big Spring is purported to be the fifth largest spring in the world

Big Spring has an average daily flow of 286 million gallons of water, making it an awesome sight and a geologic wonder. Underground passages carry water from as far as 45 miles away to emerge at the spring, carrying dissolved limestone equivalent to 70 tons a day!

This dissolved rock gives the spring its color and is also carving out a huge conduit underground. Should the spring ever go dry, a huge cave will be the result.

Ozark National Scenic Riverways is home to both the Current river and Jacks Fork river, but the park is also home to hundreds of freshwater springs, caves, trails and historic sites such as Alley Mill.

The rain began during the early predawn hours and continue into the daylight. I drive into Van Buren for coffee and breakfast, then drive to the visitors center to find it closed today, so drive to the river to sit and work on the computer for a short while. I like this campground and the water from Big Springs has a pH of 8.0 making it alkaline. I update my Living Water list of springs and bottled water before leaving for places north at ten am.