Natural Areas & State Parks
Pickle Springs Natural Area – Pickle Springs Natural Area is a geological wonderland with scenic waterfalls and cool box canyons that harbor unusual plants and animals. Enjoy the blossoms of rose azalea along the sandstone valley in the spring. Besides the geology, this site supports over 250 vascular plant species including many uncommon species that are considered glacial relicts. These relict species are those that were more common thousands of the years ago when Missouri’s climate was cold and wet because of glaciation. Click here and here for more area info.
Missouri Mines State Historic Site – Lead has been big business in the eastern Ozarks since about 1720. Come explore its history – and see the processing plant of the former St. Joe Lead Company – in the heart of the Old Lead Belt at Missouri Mines State Historic Site. The mine’s former powerhouse has been turned into a museum that interprets the area’s lead mining history, displays actual machinery from the mines and houses one of the Midwest’s finest mineral collections. Click here and here for more area info.
John J. Audobon – This is a 12-mile, circular, wilderness trail established as a memorial pilgrimage through the area which the great naturalist/artist visited on his wide-ranging bird collecting trips while living in Ste. Genevieve. Click here and here for more area info.
Knob Lick Tower Site – Knob Lick Towersite is an 80-acre towersite purchased from the U.S. Forest Service for use as a fire detection tower to locate wildfires in southern St. Francois and northern Madison counties. Although used regularly in the past, the tower is only seldom used now because few wild areas exist within the tower’s viewing range. However, the tower continues to provide a commanding view of the area. The view of the flatwoods valley from the tower is beautiful. A small granite glade provides a panoramic view of the same area for those who prefer to sightsee from the ground. This rocky, granite glade is the open area just south of the lookout tower. A view of the Butler Hill Caldera can be seen from the rocky glade as well. For more info about the geology, click here. Click here for more general info about the area.
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