Taum Sauk Mountain State Park

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Taum Sauk Mountain State Park
Mina Sauk Falls 2011-01-01 vpano.jpg
Mina Sauk Falls during wet weather
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Location in Missouri
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Taum Sauk Mountain State Park (the United States)
Location Iron and Reynolds counties, Missouri, United
Coordinates 37°34′17″N90°43′45″W / 37.57139°N 90.72917°W / 37.57139; -90.72917 [1]
Area8,395.07 acres (3,397.36 ha) [2]
Elevation1,772 ft (540 m) [1]
Established1991 [3]
Administered by Missouri Department of Natural Resources
Visitors42,042(in 2023) [2]
Website Official website OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Taum Sauk Mountain State Park is a Missouri state park located in the St. Francois Mountains in the Ozarks. The park encompasses Taum Sauk Mountain, the highest point in the state. [4] The Taum Sauk portion of the Ozark Trail connects the park with nearby Johnson's Shut-ins State Park [5] and the Bell Mountain Wilderness Area, which together are part of a large wilderness area popular with hikers and backpackers.

Contents

History

In 2005, a mountain top reservoir burst, sending a billion gallons of water through parts of the park and other nearby areas including Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park. [6]

Activities and amenities

The park has a rustic campground, a paved trail to the highpoint, picnic facilities, and a lookout tower providing a view of the dense mountain forest obscured from other vantage points.

Mina Sauk Falls

Mina Sauk Falls, the highest waterfall in Missouri, [7] is reached via a rugged trail that makes a three-mile (5 km) loop from the highpoint parking area. [8] The falls have cascading waters only during times of wet weather; at other times they are reduced to a trickle or less.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Taum Sauk Mountain". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. 1 2 "Data Sheet: Taum Sauk Mountain State Park" (PDF). Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved January 5, 2025.
  3. ↑ "State Park Land Acquisition Summary". Missouri State Parks. August 25, 2011. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Taum Sauk Mountain State Park". Missouri Department of Natural Resources. December 10, 2010. Retrieved September 8, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Taum Sauk Section". The Ozark Trail. Ozark Trail Association. Retrieved January 5, 2025.
  6. ↑ "10 years since Taum Sauk dam gave way". KFVS 12. December 14, 2015. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  7. ↑ "St. Francois Mountains Natural Area". Missouri Department of Conservation. Retrieved January 5, 2025.
  8. ↑ "Taum Sauk Mountain State Park Trails". Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved January 5, 2025.
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