Tavern Cave

[CliffCaver]

Second time here this time I brought rope lol last time I didn’t bring rope and it was very very difficult to get up, it’s never to hard to get down. Video is here https://youtu.be/wZTbCLMG9dM

[Chris]

Never heard of this one. Super cool.

[PANIC! on the Titanic]

Chris, this cave is a very interesting historical cave. It was one of the major landmarks of the Lewis and Clark expedition. At the time, the river was way closer to the bluff there, and Lewis apparently almost fell off the cliff and died here had he not stabbed his knife into the ground and caught himself. Definitely acted as a shelter for generations of aboriginal inhabitants, and has a bunch of petroglyphs that Cliff Caver got some pics of.

Glad you could see it CliffCaver!

[SubLunar]

very fucking rad

[Nicotti]

On May 23, 1804, Captain Clark made the
following entry in the journals of the Lewis
and Clark Expedition (Thwaites, 1904, p. 27):
"We Set out early ran on a Log and
detained one hour, proceeded the Course of
Last night 2 miles to the mouth of Creek (R)
ontheStbd Side called Osage Womans R,
about 30yds Wide, opposit a large Island and
a (American) Settlement. (on this Creek 30 or
40 famlys are Settled, crossed to the Setlemt
and took in R & Jos Fields who had been
Sent to purchase Corn & Butter &c Many
Bluffs
people Came to See us, we passed a large
Cave on the Lbd Side (Called by the trench the
Tavern' . about 120 feet wide 40 feet Deep
& 20 feet high many different immages are
Painted on the Rock at this place the Ind. &
French pay omage. Many names are wrote on
the rock, Sloped about one mile above for
Cap' Lewis who had assended the Clifts
which is at the Said Cava 300 fee(t) high
hanging over the waters, the water excessively Swift to day, We incamped below a
Small lsld. in the Middle of the river, Sent out
two hunters, one Killed a Deer.
Course & Distance 23rd May
S. 75 W 2 mils to Osage WomQ R the Course
of Last Night
S. 52 W 7 mi~ to a p! on S! Side.
This evening we examined the arms and
ammunition found. those mens arms in the perogue in bad order. a fair evening. Capt.
Lewis near falling from the Pinecles of rocks
300 feet, he caught at 20 foot."

A footnote in the Lewis and Clark Journals(p.
27) states that Tavern Rock Cave was so named
because it was a popular stopping place for
voyagers on the Missouri River (fig. 64). A
measurement of the dimensions shows Captain
Clark's description to be quite accurate. The
shelter is in the St. Peter Sandstone and exists as
a result of selective weathering along a system
of fractures which trend N 20° E or parallel tot he
bluff line. These fractures are obvious in the
shelter because they have been enlarged by
weathering to form narrow fissures in the walls
and roof.
Numerous pits in the earthen floor suggest
sufficient prehistoric occupancy has tempted
artifact hunters. A casual inspection of the
walls did not reveal any obvious Indian images.
White man has left his initials but not in the
expected profusion, probably because the
shelter is remote and requires a bit of searching
for the uninitiated.
Debris from the railroad cut was dumped in
front of the cave and has partly obscured it. As a
result, a photograph of the entire cave will not
be particularly satisfactory until the happy day
when this debris is removed to restore it to a
semblance of its original appearance. Even
though the site is not particularly rewarding to
the photographer. it is sufficiently intriguing to
justify a lengthy walk; no devotee of Lewis and
Clark should miss the opportunity to visit this
historic cave.