Missouri Ozarks
Escape to the wilderness in scenic southeastern Missouri

Although St. Louis is Missouri’s largest metropolis, you don’t have to drive far from it to find yourself on the banks of a swift mountain river or hiking along densely wooded pathways.

Just southwest of the city, you can find some of Missouri’s most unique and fascinating geologic wonders and historical time capsules. Scramble over rocks millions of years old, cool off in the crisp Black River, walk the ramparts of a Civil War fort, hike shaded mountain paths and stand at Missouri’s highest point.

The Missouri Ozarks encompass about 33,000 square miles of rugged hills, plateaus and deep valleys. The main uplift runs southwestward from St. Louis into Arkansas and Oklahoma, reaching its highest point in Missouri just 90 miles south of St. Louis. Tucked amid those mountains are several state parks and historic sites that help preserve and display Missouri’s rich cultural and natural heritage.

Geologic wonders

From St. Louis, take Interstate 270 south to Highway 21, which has been designated a Scenic Byway by AAA because of the natural beauty along the route. As you head south on Highway 21, the St. Francois Mountains rise in the distance and fewer signs of civilization can be found.

Approximately 75 miles from the St. Louis area, turn right on Route RA to Elephant Rocks State Park, a masterpiece of the elements’ natural sculpting ability. Giant pink granite rocks stand end-to-end like a train of circus elephants, giving the park its name. The largest of the rocks is 27 feet tall, 35 feet long, 17 feet wide and weighs about 680 tons. Geologists estimate the rock to be approximately 1.5 billion years old.

A one-mile trail, which is wheelchair accessible, encircles the massive rocks and features well-marked signs that contain Braille writing as well. You can reach the park’s summit by a short flight of stairs, and the top offers an inspiring panoramic view of the Ozark landscape amidst the herd of stony pachyderms. Also on the trail, you can see the oldest granite quarry in the state, which furnished cobbles for St. Louis’ streets and the stone blocks for the piers of Eads Bridge, the first to span the Mississippi River at St. Louis. The park also features picnic sites and a small fishing pond. For more details, call (573) 546-3454, or visit www.mostateparks.com.

For another geological marvel, return to Highway 21 and head south. Turn right on Route N and follow it for 12 miles to Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park. The swift waters of the Black River flow around some of the oldest exposed rocks in the nation, forming a series of canyonlike gorges, or shut-ins, in the park. The blue-gray, volcanic rocks that formed the shut-ins are nearly 1.5 billion years old.

The main use area of the park was severely damaged by flooding in 2005 when the nearby Taum Sauk Reservoir breached, sending 1.3 billion gallon of water raging through the park. The park has been closed for redevelopment since then, but it is expected to open during 2009. It will include an orientation center, retail stores, picnic areas and shelters, and a new boardwalk will provide access to the shut-ins. There will also be numerous areas to access the East Fork of the Black River for swimming and splashing. Caution is required when crawling around the rocks in the shut-ins areas because they are slippery, even when dry.

The park had been a hiker’s delight before the flooding damaged many trails, but the park is working to redevelop some of the existing trails and create some new ones. In addition, the park is moving the campground to the Goggins Mountain area of the park. The campground will include a store, showerhouses and laundry facilities. Contact the park before visiting to make sure it is open by calling (573) 546-2450, or visit the Web site www.mostateparks.com.

Civil War echoes

Although the region is scenic and peaceful today, it was once marred by the scars of Civil War battle. The Arcadia Valley was the site of one of the bloodiest skirmishes in Missouri history, the Battle of Pilot Knob.

The battle occurred on Sept. 27, 1864, at Fort Davidson, which was occupied by Union forces. Three desperate Confederate charges led by Maj. Gen. Sterling Price in the area and at the earthen fort were met by fierce fire from a garrison of 1,450 Union troops led by Gen. Thomas Ewing Jr. The battle ended when the federal forces quietly slipped out at night and joined a stronger Union force in Rolla, Mo. Yet one group stayed behind to blow up the fort’s powder magazine, destroying the fort’s remaining supplies.

Today, earthwork remnants of the fort are still visible at the 77-acre Fort Davidson State Historic Site. To get to the fort, return to Highway 21 and head south to Pilot Knob. Turn left on Route V to the site.

Visitors can walk along the earthen ramparts of the hexagonal fort and see the hole left by the explosion of the gunpowder. Also intact is a dry moat that surrounded the fort. At one point during the fierce battle, the Confederates got so close to the fort that the Yankees threw hand grenades down on them.

In addition to seeing the remains of the fort, a visitors center contains artifacts and exhibits that interpret the battle, including an excellent audio-visual program and a model of the valley that details the advance of the Confederate troops and the battles. The site is open 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Tuesday–Sunday from Dec. 1–April 15, and from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. daily from April 16–Nov. 30. For more details, call (573) 546-3454 or visit online at www.mostateparks.com.

Missouri’s highest point

Not far from the fort off Highway 21, you’ll reach the highest point in Missouri at Taum Sauk Mountain State Park. About nine miles south of Pilot Knob, turn right on Route CC to the park. Located in the rugged St. Francois Mountains, the 7,500-acre park is one of the state’s most outstanding wild areas with opportunities for hiking, backpacking, picnicking and camping in a wilderness setting.

A short walk on a paved path leads to a small monument designating the spot as the highest point in the state at 1,772 feet above sea level. Taum Sauk Mountain and several other igneous domelike mountains in the park are situated in the heart of the 5,000-square-mile St. Francois Mountains, the geologic core of the Ozark Highlands.

Hiking the park’s trails is one of the best ways to experience the wilderness character of the area. A three-mile loop trail guides hikers to Mina Sauk Falls, the highest waterfall in the state. The wet-season waterfall cascades 132 feet down a series of volcanic ledges into a clear pool. The best time to view the waterfall is after a heavy rainfall, particularly in the spring and fall seasons.

Although the path cuts through dense woodlands, interspersed along the route are rocky openings called glades. The glades are home to many unusual desert-adapted plants and animals, such as the sundrop flower and eastern collared lizard. And prairie plants, such as Indian grass, little bluestem and prairie blazing star flourish in the woodlands. However, care should be taken on the trail because it is uneven, rocky and slippery in sections. For details, call (573) 546-2450, or visit www.mostateparks.com.

For those who would like to spend several days exploring the wilderness of the region, the state offers a number of other parks in the area, including St. Joe and St. Francois state parks and the Missouri Mines State Historic Site, which helps trace Missouri’s mining heritage.

St. Louis-area dwellers anxious to escape city life have a variety of options at their doorstep. The history-rich and scenic countryside south of the city offers peaceful getaways that can revive the body and spirit.

From the St. Louis area, take Interstate 270 south about 11 miles to Highway 21 and head south. The approximate round-trip mileage, including visits to all the sites listed in the article, is about 260 miles.

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