Ozark National Scenic Riverways park map

The Ozark National Scenic Riverways is a recreational unit of the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...

the Ozarks The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Highlands or Ozark Plateau, is a physiographic region in the U.S. states of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and the extreme southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover a significant porti ...

of southern

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

in the

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...

The park was created by an

Act of Congress An Act of Congress is a statute enacted by the United States Congress. Acts may apply only to individual entities (called private laws), or to the general public ( public laws). For a bill to become an act, the text must pass through both hous ...

in 1964 to protect the

Current Currents, Current or The Current may refer to: Science and technology * Current (fluid), the flow of a liquid or a gas ** Air current, a flow of air ** Ocean current, a current in the ocean *** Rip current, a kind of water current ** Current (stre ...

and

Jacks Fork Jacks Fork is one of two rivers in Missouri that are part of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways system. Starting in Texas County, Missouri, this spring-fed river flows in a general east to northeasterly direction through the heart of the geolog ...

rivers, and it was formally dedicated in 1971. The park's are used for many forms of recreation and are home to abundant animal and plant species. 1.3 million recreational visits are estimated annually. Canoeing is one of the most popular activities. Kayaking and inflatable rafts and tubes add to the volume of river floaters. Motorized boating with jonboats is also a popular activity of locals and nearby Missourians. Other activities include horseback riding, hunting, hiking, fishing, camping, birdwatching,

nature photography Nature photography is a wide range of photography taken outdoors and devoted to displaying natural elements such as landscapes, wildlife, plants, and close-ups of natural scenes and textures. Nature photography tends to put a stronger emphasis o ...

, and sightseeing. The park service promotes the Current River as one of the

midwest The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. I ...

's best float streams, in part due to the contributions of some of the nation's largest springs. The headwaters of the Current River begin at the confluence of Pigeon Creek and Montauk Springs in Montauk State Park. Other notable springs along its course include Welch Spring, Cave Spring, Pulltite Spring, Round Spring, Fire Hydrant Spring, Ebb and Flow Spring, Blue Spring, Big Spring, and Gravel Spring. The park contains the United States' largest concentration of first magnitude springs (which are defined as having average flow of more than ) in dolomite rock. The only comparable spring collections are the limestone springs of

North Florida North Florida is a region of the U.S. state of Florida comprising the northernmost part of the state. Along with South Florida and Central Florida, it is one of Florida's three most common "directional" regions. It includes Jacksonville and near ...

near Gainesville and the igneous-based springs of

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyomi ...

Snake River The Snake River is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest region in the United States. At long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, in turn, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean. The Snake ...

. The park includes many

cave A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as se ...

s, including Round Spring Caverns, which offers ranger-led tours in the summer. Other notable caves include the Devils Well sink and Jam-Up Cave. The park is traversed by the Ozark Trail, a popular long-distance hiking trail that passes Rocky Falls and crosses the Current River on Highway 106 at Powder Mill. The park has resident feral horses and elk have been reintroduced on state lands nearby and are expected to eventually populate the park. Historic sites include Alley Spring and Alley Spring Roller Mill, Buttin Rock School, Walter Klepzig Mill and Farm, Reed Log House, Welch Hospital and many CCC structures at Big Spring. Facilities include campgrounds along the two rivers at Alley Spring, Round Spring, Pulltite, Two Rivers and Big Spring. There are also a number of less developed primitive campsites, and there are group sites at Akers, Round Spring, Alley and Pulltite. Park rangers present campfire programs and nature hikes at the bigger campgrounds during the summer. There are also traditional craft demonstrations and free bluegrass concerts. The park is located mostly in Shannon County with parts extending into

Carter Carter(s), or Carter's, Tha Carter, or The Carter(s), may refer to: Geography United States * Carter, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Carter, Mississippi, an unincorporated community * Carter, Montana, a census-designated place * Car ...

, Dent, and

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by b ...

counties. Communities surrounding the Ozark National Scenic Riverways include Eminence,

Licking Licking is the action of passing the tongue over a surface, typically either to deposit saliva onto the surface, or to collect liquid, food or minerals onto the tongue for ingestion, or to communicate with other animals. Many animals both gr ...

, Salem,

Van Buren Martin Van Buren ( ; nl, Maarten van Buren; ; December 5, 1782 – July 24, 1862) was an American lawyer and statesman who served as the eighth president of the United States from 1837 to 1841. A primary founder of the Democratic Party (Uni ...

, Ellington,

Bunker A bunker is a defensive military fortification designed to protect people and valued materials from falling bombs, artillery, or other attacks. Bunkers are almost always underground, in contrast to blockhouses which are mostly above ground. T ...

, and Mountain View, Missouri. Administrative offices are located in Van Buren. The Big Spring Historic District in Carter County was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1981.

History

Current River MO 2009-06-15 n65 below Welch Spring crop2

Sarvis (2002, 2000) traces the controversy over the creation of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways (ONSR) in southeastern Missouri. Boasting clear rivers and spectacular landscape, the area saw a political contest for control of river recreational development between two federal agencies, the

(NPS) and the Forest Service. Local residents opposed NPS plans that included eminent domain acquisition of private property. Both agencies presented rival bills in Congress, and in 1964 the NPS plan was selected by Congress. In the long run the NPS has successfully accommodated and supervised OSNR recreation for two million visitors a year. By contrast, the Forest Service's nearby recreational activities have handled no more than 16,000 visitors yearly.

America the Beautiful Coin Series

In 2017, the park was featured in the U.S. Mint America the Beautiful Quarters series.
America the Beautiful Quarter Series Accessed October 14, 2010 The design is an image of Alley Spring Roller Mill, Alley Mill that was created by Renata Gordon and sculpted by Ron Sanders.

References

External links

Official National Park Service homepage for Ozark National Scenic Riverways
*For more history of the are

{{authority control National Scenic Riverways Parks in Missouri Protected areas of the U.S. Interior Highlands Protected areas established in 1964 National Park Service areas in Missouri National Park Service Wild and Scenic Rivers Protected areas of Shannon County, Missouri Protected areas of Carter County, Missouri Protected areas of Dent County, Missouri Protected areas of Texas County, Missouri 1964 establishments in Missouri

History

America the Beautiful Coin Series

See also

References

Further reading

External links