Mark Twain National Forest is in Southeast Missouri . The Ozark Trail runs through the forest and connected public lands for 225 miles.
Mark Twain National Forest’s 1.5 million acres through 29 southern and central Missouri counties is known for its rivers and trails.
In the 1870s, citizens of southern Missouri began an era of extensive logging of the state's native oak, hickory, and pine forests. Lumber mills were commonplace, but by the 1920s they had disappeared, along with much of the state's native forests. Thus, in 1939 President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the MTNF into existence. In March 1933, he also created the Emergency Conservation Work Act, better known as the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). In the area that would later become Mark Twain National Forest, hundreds of young men at over fifty CCC sites worked at building roads and planting hundreds of acres of pine to preserve and enhance the natural resources of southern Missouri. Many of their contributions can still be visited and enjoyed today.
White tail deer and wild turkey.
Missouri has unpredictable weather.
Swimming, fishing and canoeing are popular activities. The Blue Ribbon Trout Area is a noted fishing spot.
Canoe rental is available from several companies:
Many campgrounds in the forest.
Deer camps are free camping.
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