Irish Wilderness was one of many Ozark tracts that became a part of the National Forest in the 1930's. Description Irish Wilderness has a Karst topography with features such as sinkholes, springs, and caves. Elevations range from around 500 feet near the Eleven Point River on the west to about 900 feet at Camp Five Pond. A major attraction, Whites Creek Cave, is approximately 1,600 feet long, containing numerous crystalline formations. Located on a slope above the stream, the cave has large black chambers and typical cave formations like stalactites, stalagmites, and columns.
Life forms adapted to cave conditions are unique and fragile.
Whites Creek runs cool and fresh in the spring, but during the long hot summer, much of the creek dries up, with only a few scattered pools remaining. Other small streams flow along the surface in short stretches to disappear underground, and emerge again at numerous small springs. The area is dominated by an oak-hickory forest, mixed with native shortleaf pine. Understory includes an abundance of smaller trees, such as flowering dogwood, persimmon, and sassafras. Ground vegetation consists of many kinds of shrubs, grasses, and herbaceous plants.