Why TNC Selected This Site
Bear Hollow Cave is a karst solution tube with approximately 2,000 feet of passage, most of which is traversed by a cave stream. The cave includes both aquatic and dry habitats.
Bear Hollow Cave is one of only three caves in the world known to harbor the endangered cave crayfish (Cambarus aculabrum), making it a very high priority for conservation.
Bear Hollow Cave was donated to TNC in 1998 by Pat and John Cooper, Jr., and Cooper Communities.
What TNC Has Done/Is Doing
Neighbors and volunteers have shown their support for the protection of this ecological treasure by keeping watch over the cave site and participating in cleanups.
In spring 2000, a cooperative effort by The Nature Conservancy, Bella Vista Property Owners Association, Bella Vista/Benton County Sheriff Department, and Benton County Jail, resulted in the removal of 100 tons of garbage from the most critical portions of the Bear Hollow Cave recharge area. These illegal dumps included paint and other hazardous materials that leach into the groundwater, affecting not only cave creatures but everyone living downstream.
TNC staff and volunteers have also cleared trash and removed graffiti from the cave's interior, repaired the entrance gate, and improved the area around the cave entrance to prevent vehicle trespass.