Driving time from the DragonFly-In Bed
and Breakfast: 5 minutes
Visitors to this park truly stand above the
rest, because it includes the highest mountain in the state
at 1,772 feet above sea level. An overlook provides
views of other nearby peaks in this ancient granite range of
the St. Francois Mountains. However, the principal
attraction of this park is for those who want to enjoy
wilderness hiking in a spectacular scenic setting. The
park contains 7,448 acres of Missouri’s most primitive
backcountry.
A short walk from the parking lot leads to the
highest point. A three mile hiking loop leads to the
state’s tallest waterfall, Mina Sauk Falls, where waters
cascade 132 feet down a series of rocky volcanic
ledges. The Ozark Trail, the state’s longest hiking
route, branches from the loop trail at the falls. One
mile below the falls, it encounters the Devil’s Tollgate
with its eight-foot-wide breach in a massive granite
outcrop, which was a major impediment on an old wagon
road.
All along these trails, ancient granite glades
and balds create openings in the forest cover that support a
biodiverse community of flora and fauna. This part of
the park is included in the 7,028-acre St. Francois
Mountains Natural Area, the state’s largest.
