Huzzah Creek () is a clear-flowing stream in the southern part of 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 territori ...

state of

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

. According to the information in the Ramsay Place Names File at the University of Missouri, the creek's name "is evidently derived from" ''Huzzaus'', one of the early French versions of the name of the Osage people. The Huzzah's headwaters are in the

Mark Twain National Forest Mark Twain National Forest (MTNF) is a U.S. 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 covers of which is public owned, ...

in northern Reynolds County. It flows northward through 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 ...

, roughly paralleling the course of Courtois Creek to its east, until it enters 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 ...

shortly after passing under the

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 Count ...

Highway E bridge. Along its course it flows through the

Dillard Mill State Historic Site The Dillard Mill State Historic Site is a privately owned, state-administered property on Huzzah Creek in Crawford County, Missouri, that preserves a water-powered gristmill. The site has been operated as a state historic site A historic sit ...

and, near its confluence with the Meramec, the Huzzah Conservation Area. The creek is popular for

camping Camping is an outdoor activity involving overnight stays away from home, either without shelter or using basic shelter such as a tent, or a recreational vehicle. Typically, participants leave developed areas to spend time outdoors in more na ...

, canoeing, kayaking, and

rafting Rafting and whitewater rafting are recreational outdoor activities which use an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other body of water. This is often done on whitewater or different degrees of rough water. Dealing with risk is often a ...

. It is surrounded by

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

bluffs and stands of native pine, oak, and hickory trees; and at normal water levels it has no sections of difficulty greater than grades I and II. 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 gall ...

'' cited the creek as the "Best River for Float Trips" in 2011.

References

External links

Southwest Paddler: Huzzah Creek

Missouri Canoe and Floater's Association: Huzzah Creek & Courtois Creek
{{authority control Rivers of Missouri Rivers of Reynolds County, Missouri Rivers of Crawford County, Missouri Tributaries of the Meramec River