Courtois Creek () is a
[U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data]
The National Map
, accessed May 13, 2011 stream in 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 ...
, United States. It shares its name with the nearby town of
Courtois and is in the
Courtois Hills
The Courtois Hills region is an area of the Ozark Mountains in southeast Missouri. It is one of several mountainous regions that surround the Ozarks's Salem (or Central) Plateau.
Geography
Although it does not contain the highest peak, the Cour ...
region of the Missouri
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 port ...
. According to the information in the Ramsay Place Names File at the University of Missouri, the creek was "doubtless named for some French settler, but his identity has not been ascertained".
The stream arises in the
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 ...
in northern
Iron County, just north of
Missouri Route 32
Route 32 is a highway in Missouri. Its eastern terminus is at the Mississippi River near Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, Ste. Genevieve; its western terminus is at U.S. Route 54 (Missouri), U.S. Route 54 in El Dorado Springs, Missouri, El Dorado Sprin ...
about four miles east of
Bixby, and flows northward, passing about four miles east of
Viburnum
''Viburnum'' is a genus of about 150–175 species of flowering plants in the moschatel family Adoxaceae. Its current classification is based on molecular phylogeny. It was previously included in the honeysuckle family Caprifoliaceae.
The membe ...
. The stream enters the southwest corner of
Washington County, flows past Courtois and on north through the Mark Twain National Forest, entering
Crawford County Crawford County is the name of eleven counties in the United States:
* Crawford County, Arkansas
* Crawford County, Georgia
* Crawford County, Illinois
* Crawford County, Indiana
* Crawford County, Iowa
* Crawford County, Kansas
* Crawford County, ...
just south of
Berryman and passing under
Missouri Route 8
Route 8 is a state highway in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Missouri. It travels from Interstate 44 (I-44) in St. James to U.S. Route 67 (US 67) and US 67 Business in Desloge. It acts as a bypass, from I-44 in St. James, t ...
just west of that village. It flows on northwest through the Missouri Ozarks of Crawford County, roughly paralleling the course of
Huzzah Creek to its west. It flows into Huzzah Creek just before the latter's confluence with the
Meramec River
The Meramec River (), sometimes spelled Maramec River, is one of the longest free-flowing waterways in the U.S. state of Missouri, draining Blanc, Caldwell, and Hawk. "Location" while wandering Blanc, Caldwell, and Hawk. "Executive Summary" fr ...
, near the Crawford County Highway E bridge just east of
Scotia
Scotia is a Latin placename derived from ''Scoti'', a Latin name for the Gaels, first attested in the late 3rd century.Duffy, Seán. ''Medieval Ireland: An Encyclopedia''. Routledge, 2005. p.698 The Romans referred to Ireland as "Scotia" around ...
.
[
The creek is popular year-round for ]canoe
A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle.
In British English, the term ...
ing, kayak
A kayak is a small, narrow watercraft which is typically propelled by means of a double-bladed paddle. The word kayak originates from the Greenlandic word ''qajaq'' ().
The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each se ...
ing, and raft
A raft is any flat structure for support or transportation over water. It is usually of basic design, characterized by the absence of a hull. Rafts are usually kept afloat by using any combination of buoyant materials such as wood, sealed barrel ...
ing. It is surrounded by dense stands of trees and native vegetation, has abundant fish, turtles and waterfowl, and is the best-protected stream in the area against erosion
Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as water flow or wind) that removes soil, rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust, and then transports it to another location where it is deposited. Erosion is distin ...
. The St. Louis ''Riverfront Times
The ''Riverfront Times'' (''RFT'') is a free progressive weekly newspaper in St. Louis, in the U.S. state of Missouri, that consists of local politics, music, arts, and dining news in the print edition, and daily updates to blogs and photo galler ...
'' cited the creek as the best local float trip in 2007.
Variant names
According to the Geographic Names Information System
The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is a database of name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features throughout the United States and its territories, Antarctica, and the associated states of ...
, it has also been known historically as:
References
External links
Southwest Paddler: Courtois Creek
Missouri Canoe and Floater's Association: Huzzah Creek & Courtois Creek
{{authority control
Rivers of Missouri
Rivers of Iron County, Missouri
Rivers of Crawford County, Missouri
Rivers of Washington County, Missouri
Tributaries of the Meramec River