Arkansans who enjoy exploring the caves along the Buffalo National River won't be able to visit many of them, at least for a while.
The National Park Service is shutting down access to some areas to protect bats from a fungus that is spreading in the region. The Geomyces sp. fungus is suspected to be the cause behind White Nose Syndrome which kills bats.
Because of the situation, all Buffalo National River caves are closed to recreational caving until further notice with the exception of the following:
* The caves in Lost Valley from Eden Falls Cave to the Lost Valley Campground parking area are open to unrestricted recreational caving. This list of open caves consists of Eden Falls Cave, Lost Valley Natural Bridge, Cob Cave, and Natural Bridge Cave.
* The caves along the trail system at Buffalo Point are open to unrestricted recreational caving except for Bat Cave
