JEFFERSON CITY, MO. – 2024 marked the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Wilderness Act of 1964, establishing the National Wilderness Preservation System and authorizing Congress to designate wilderness areas across the nation. To celebrate that anniversary, on Dec. 31, 2024, Bryant Creek Hills Wild Area became the 13th designated wild area in the Missouri State Parks system.
Bryant Creek Hills Wild Area, located in Bryant Creek State Park near Ava, Missouri, is in the park’s northeast quadrant, spanning the forested hills and hollows that lie between Bryant Creek and Highway N. This scenic, undeveloped portion of the park is characterized by mature oak-pine forests, deep fern-lined hollows, weathered sandstone outcrops and overhangs, small spring runs, wet-weather waterfalls, cane breaks and tall bluffs overlooking Bryant Creek’s clear waters.
Another wild area highlight concerns Goggins Mountain Wild Area, located within Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park. This 5,000-acre wild area was expanded by another 800 acres and now bridges the gap between Goggins Mountain Wilderness Area and Bell Mountain Wilderness Area (9,143 acres) in the Mark Twain National Forest. With the state park and national forest lands combined, there is now a total of nearly 15,000 acres of continuous wilderness. This makes the area second only to the 16,277-acre Irish Wilderness Area, located near the southern portion of the Eleven Point River.
“The addition to Goggins Mountain Wilderness Area and connection to Bell Mountain Wilderness Area make a great through-hike on the Ozark Trail, consisting of rugged topography, igneous glades and spectacular vistas for wilderness users,” said Allison Vaughn, natural resource ecologist with Missouri State Parks. “This connection has long been a wish-list item for the wilderness community in Missouri.”
The Wilderness Act defines wilderness, in part, as “ … where the earth and its community of life … appear to have been affected primarily by the forces of nature, with the imprint of man’s work substantially unnoticeable … .” Missouri State Parks is proud to manage these areas in accordance with Missouri State Park’s Wild Area Policy to preserve their wild quality, natural condition and opportunities for solitude and unconfined recreation for future generations, according to the official Wild Area Designation Form.
For more information on state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.