The Rockpile Mountain Wilderness is a
wilderness area
Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plural), are natural environments on Earth that have not been significantly modified by human activity or any nonurbanized land not under extensive agricultural cultivation. The term has traditionally re ...
in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of
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
Mark Twain National Forest
Mark Twain National Forest (MTNF) is a U.S. United States National Forest, National Forest located in the southern half of Missouri. MTNF was established on September 11, 1939. It is named for author Mark Twain, a Missouri native. The MTNF cover ...
. It takes its name from an ancient circle of granite rock, piled by some earlier man on top of the mountain. The namesake rock pile most likely was an Indian
cairn
A cairn is a man-made pile (or stack) of stones raised for a purpose, usually as a marker or as a burial mound. The word ''cairn'' comes from the gd, càrn (plural ).
Cairns have been and are used for a broad variety of purposes. In prehis ...
. It is located in
Madison County, Missouri
Madison County is a county located in the Lead Belt region of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,626. Its county seat and largest city is Fredericktown. The county was officially organized on December 14, ...
, southeast of Bell Mountain and southwest of
Fredericktown, Missouri
Fredericktown is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Missouri, United States, in the northeastern foothills of the St. Francois Mountains. The population was 4,429 at the 2020 census. The city is surrounded on three sides (east, west ...
. The area is primarily a broken ridge, having steep rocky slopes running from Little Grass Mountain on the north to the National Forest boundary four miles to the south.
See also
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Bell Mountain Wilderness
The United States Congress designated the Bell Mountain Wilderness in 1980. The wilderness area now has a total of . Bell Mountain is located within the Potosi-Fredericktown Ranger District of the Mark Twain National Forest, south of Potosi, Mis ...
*
Devils Backbone Wilderness
The Devils Backbone Wilderness is one of eight wilderness areas protected and preserved in the U.S. State of Missouri. The United States Congress designated the wilderness area in 1980, and it now has a total of 6,595 acres (26 km2). Devil's ...
*
Hercules-Glades Wilderness
The Hercules Glades Wilderness is a wilderness area in Taney County, Missouri, Taney County in the Ozarks of southwest Missouri. The United States Congress designated it a wilderness in 1976, making it the oldest wilderness area in Missouri. It i ...
*
Irish Wilderness
The Irish Wilderness is a wilderness area in the U.S. State of Missouri. The U.S. Congress designated it a wilderness in 1984. The Irish Wilderness is located within the Eleven Point Ranger District of the Mark Twain National Forest, northeast ...
*
Paddy Creek Wilderness
The Paddy Creek Wilderness is a wilderness area in the U.S. state of Missouri, United States. The United States Congress designated it wilderness in 1983. Paddy Creek Wilderness is located within the Houston-Rolla Ranger District, of the Mark Twa ...
*
Piney Creek Wilderness
The Piney Creek Wilderness is an wilderness area in Missouri. The United States Congress designated it wilderness in 1980. The Piney Creek Wilderness is located within the Ava-Cassville-Willow Springs Ranger District of the Mark Twain National Fo ...
References
IUCN Category Ib
Protected areas established in 1980
Protected areas of Madison County, Missouri
Wilderness areas of Missouri
Mark Twain National Forest
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