Missouri/Natural Areas System
The Natural Areas Committee (MoNAC) of the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is tasked with listing, and very occasionally delisting, tracts of land in the Missouri Natural Areas System[1]. These natural areas comprise "remnant prairies, old-growth forests and woodlands, rare wetlands, caves, and many other kinds of native habitat"[2] that preserve Missouri's pre-settlement natural landscape. The vast majority occur on public land, and many occur within parks and conservation areas. Others are found on private lands with legal arrangements to protect them and facilitate some level of public access. They are preserved for their aesthetic, cultural, and research value, but many are open for low impact recreational purposes. However, some of the more fragile sites are staffed and require permission to visit them to protect the ecosystem from damage by visitors.[3] This page is meant to provide useful mapping info and tagging guidance for each of Missouri's designated natural areas and document its mapping progress.
Generally, our state natural areas are mapped in OpenStreetMap using areas (via closed ways or boundary relations) with boundary=protected_area, leisure=nature_reserve for those areas open to leisurely visits, and with owner and operator and their corresponding subtags set appropriately. Wikidata items exist for all state-designated natural areas as of July 2024, so wikidata can be included for semantic linkage. Also, the MDC's website, itself, has a page for most of its natural areas, so the website tag can be thrown in to point to that.
List of natural areas
Alley Spring Natural Area
Alley Spring Natural Area
https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/places/natural-areas/alley-spring
This natural area is split between the Angeline Conservation Area, owned and maintained by the state Department of Conservation, and the Ozark National Scenic Riverways of the National Park Service. It is not currently mapped.
Allred Lake Natural Area
Allred Lake Natural Area
https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/places/natural-areas/allred-lake
Ashe Juniper Natural Area
Ashe Juniper Natural Area
https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/places/natural-areas/ashe-juniper
Auxvasse Natural Area
Auxvasse Natural Area
This natural area in Callaway County lies within the Reform Conservation Area. While the enclosing conservation area is largely owned by Ameren Missouri (officially called Union Electric Company) and leased to the Department of Conservation for public use, the Auxvasse Natural Area in particular is on state land. This area does not have a public page on MDC's website.
Ava Glades Natural Area
Babler Southwoods Hollow Natural Area
Bald Hill Glade Natural Area
Ball Mill Resurgence Natural Area
https://ladfoundation.org/other-l-a-d-lands/ball-mill-resurgence-na
This natural area is owned by the L-A-D Foundation, a nonprofit conservation charity, but it's maintained by the Missouri Department of Conservation. When referring to the geological formation, the shorter name Ball Mill Resurgence is appropriate; but the state designation for the area is Ball Mill Resurgence Natural Area, and L-A-D itself uses this suffixed form to refer to the area.
Barn Hollow Natural Area
Bat Cave Natural Area
In Miller County, this natural area is owned and maintained by the Department of Conservation within the larger Bat Cave Conservation Area.
Beech Springs Natural Area
Bennett Spring Hanging Fen Natural Area
This natural area lies within Bennett Spring State Park. It's open to the public, but permission is required to visit due to the site's fragility.
Bennett Spring Savanna Natural Area
https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/places-we-protect/bennett-spring-savanna
This natural area near Bennett Spring State Park is owned and maintained by The Nature Conservancy, a private conservation charity. They call it "a unique habitat in the world and a window into what swaths of the Ozarks looked like before European settlers cleared and divided the land."[4] When referring to the area as the TNC tract, their shorter name Bennett Spring Savanna is appropriate; but the state designation for the area follows the convention of suffixing names with "Natural Area", so the area is named Bennett Spring Savanna Natural Area in that context.
Big Barren Creek Natural Area
Big Buffalo Creek Fen Natural Area
Big Oak Tree Natural Area
Big Spring Natural Area
This natural area lies within, and is owned and maintained by the National Park Service as part of, the Ozark National Scenic Riverways.
Big Spring Pines Natural Area
This natural area lies within, and is owned and maintained by the National Park Service as part of, the Ozark National Scenic Riverways.
Big Sugar Creek Natural Area
Blair Creek Raised Fen Natural Area
Blue Pond Natural Area
Blue River Glades Natural Area
Blue Spring Natural Area
Bona Glade Natural Area
Botkins Pine Woods Natural Area
Bradyville Natural Area
Brickey Hills Natural Area
Brickyard Hill Loess Mound Natural Area
Brush Creek Natural Area
Brushy Pond Natural Area
Bryant Creek Natural Area
Buck Mountain Natural Area
Buffalo Hills Natural Area
Bur-Reed Slough Natural Area
Butler Hollow Glades Natural Area
Caney Mountain Natural Area
Cardareva Bluff Natural Area
Carman Springs Natural Area
Cash Swamp Natural Area
Castor River Shut-Ins Natural Area
Chariton River Hills Natural Area
Chloe Lowry Marsh Natural Area
Clifty Creek Natural Area
Coakley Hollow Fen Natural Area
Coonville Creek Natural Area
Cowards Hollow Natural Area
Cupola Pond Natural Area
Current River Natural Area
Danville Glade Natural Area
This area is also known as Danville Glades Natural Area.
Dark Hollow Natural Area
Dave Rock Natural Area
Des Moines River Ravines Natural Area
Diamond Grove Prairie Natural Area
Donaldson Point Natural Area
Dripping Springs Natural Area
Dupont Natural Area
Eck Memorial Natural Area
Elephant Rocks Natural Area
Elk River Breaks Woodland Natural Area
Elmslie Forest Natural Area
Engelmann Woods Natural Area
Fern Nook Natural Area
George A. Hamilton Forest Natural Area
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Golden Prairie Natural Area
Golden Seal Natural Area
Graham Cave Glades Natural Area
Grand Bluffs Natural Area
Grand Gulf Natural Area
Grasshopper Hollow Natural Area
Grassy Pond Natural Area
Great Spirit Cave Natural Area
This natural area is coextensive with Great Spirit Cave Conservation Area, and both are owned and managed by the Department of Conservation. The cave is closed to the public to "[protect] endangered species and [provide] for ongoing scientific research into cave life".[5]
Greer Spring Natural Area
Ha Ha Tonka Karst Natural Area
Ha Ha Tonka Oak Woodland Natural Area
Haney Pond Natural Area
Helton Prairie Natural Area
Hickory Canyons Natural Area
Hidden Valley Natural Area
Holly Ridge Natural Area
Hopewell Prairie Fen Natural Area
Horseshoe Bend Natural Area
Horton Bottoms Natural Area
Hughes Mountain Natural Area
Huzzah Narrows Natural Area
Indian Trail Natural Area
Island Branch Natural Area
Isley Park Woods Natural Area
This natural area is within East Valley Park, a municipal park of the City of Excelsior Springs, Missouri, and is maintained by their Parks and Recreation Department.
Jacks Fork Natural Area
Johnson's Shut-Ins Dolomite Glade Natural Area
This area is also known as Johnson's Shut-Ins Dolomite Glades Natural Area.
Johnson's Shut-Ins Fen Natural Area
Johnson's Shut-Ins Natural Area
Kelso Sanctuary Natural Area
This natural area is on land owned by the Missouri Birding Society, a private nonprofit charity, and is maintained by the Department of Biology at Southeast Missouri State University, a public state university.
LaBarque Creek Natural Area
This natural area lies entirely on public state land, but it's owned and maintained by two different agencies. Half of the area exists within LaBarque Creek Conservation Area, which is owned and maintained by the Department of Conservation, and the remaining half exists within Don Robinson State Park of the Department of Natural Resources.
Lamotte Sandstone Barrens Natural Area
La Petite Gemme Prairie Natural Area
Lichen Glade Natural Area
Lily Pond Natural Area
Lincoln Hills Natural Area
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Linden's Prairie Natural Area
Little Bean Marsh Natural Area
Little Niangua River Natural Area
This natural area is fully within Burnt Mill Cave Conservation Area.
Little Osage Prairie Natural Area
Little Tarkio Prairie Natural Area
Locust Creek Natural Area
Maple Woods Natural Area
Marg Pond Natural Area
Marmaton River Bottoms Natural Area
McCormack Loess Mounds Natural Area
This natural area lies within the Jamerson C. McCormack Conservation Area which is comprised of parcels owned by both the Department of Conservation and The Nature Conservancy, a private conservation charity. It's unclear to me whether the natural area exists solely on the parcels of one entity or the other. In any case, the Department of Conservation maintains the entirety of the natural area.
Meramec Mosaic Natural Area
Meramec Upland Forest Natural Area
Mill Mountain Natural Area
Mingo Natural Area
Mint Spring Seep Natural Area
Montauk Upland Forest Natural Area
Morris Prairie Natural Area
Mossy Spring Cave Natural Area
This natural area exists wholly within the Pea Ridge Conservation Area and is owned and maintained by the Department of Conservation.
Mount Vernon Prairie Natural Area
Mud Creek Natural Area
Mudlick Mountain Natural Area
Mule Hollow Glade Natural Area
Niangua River Hills Natural Area
Niawathe Prairie Natural Area
Orchid Valley Natural Area
This natural area in Sainte Genevieve County is owned and maintained by the Department of Natural Resources as an exclave of Hawn State Park. According to this blog post, permission is required to enter the area.
Osage Prairie Natural Area
Otter Slough Natural Area
Oumessourit Natural Area
Oval Lake Natural Area
Overcup Fen Natural Area
Paint Brush Prairie Natural Area
Also known as Paintbrush Prairie Natural Area, this area is owned and managed by the state Department of Conservation as part of the larger Paint Brush Prairie Conservation Area.
Pawhuska Prairie Natural Area
Pawnee Prairie Natural Area
Pelican Island Natural Area
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Pickle Creek Natural Area
Pickle Springs Natural Area
Piney River Narrows Natural Area
Pin Oak Slough Natural Area
Pioneer Natural Area
Pipestem Hollow Natural Area
Poplar Bluff Forest Natural Area
Powder Mill Cave Natural Area
Prairie Hollow Gorge Natural Area
Prairie Slough Natural Area
Pump Hollow Natural Area
Quercus Flatwoods Natural Area
Razor Hollow Natural Area
Red Maple Pond Natural Area
Regal Tallgrass Prairie Natural Area
Ripgut Prairie Natural Area
667818509 667818509 Q127855127
Roaring River Cove Hardwoods Natural Area
Rock Spring Bluff Natural Area
Rocky Hollow Natural Area
This natural area is located in Monroe County on a tract of land owned by the L-A-D Foundation, a private conservation charity. It is maintained by the Department of Conservation.
Royal Gorge Natural Area
Sand Ponds Natural Area
Schnabel Woods Natural Area
Shaw Bottomland Forest Natural Area
Solomon Hollow Glades Natural Area
Spiderlily Natural Area
Spring Creek Gap Glades Natural Area
Spring Creek Ranch Natural Area
Spring's End Forest Natural Area
Spurgeon Hollow Natural Area
Star School Hill Prairie Natural Area
Stegall Mountain Natural Area
Stellata Natural Area
St. Francis River Natural Area
St. Francois Mountains Natural Area
Sunklands Natural Area
Taberville Prairie Natural Area
Tarkio Prairie Natural Area
The Pinnacles Natural Area
https://pypark.org/ (enclosing park)
This natural area is within Pinnacles Youth Park, a park owned and maintained by the private nonprofit Boone County Pinnacles Youth Foundation for public access by day and youth group camping at night.
Tingler Prairie Natural Area
Tower Rock Natural Area
Tucker Prairie Natural Area
Tunnel Bluff Woods Natural Area
Tupelo Gum Pond Natural Area
Twenty-Five Mile Prairie Natural Area
Valley View Glades Natural Area
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Q127723172
This natural area is located in Jefferson County, and it's owned and operated by the Department of Conservation.
Vancill Hollow Natural Area
670336832 670336832 Q127855134
Vilander Bluff Natural Area
Wah-Sha-She Prairie Natural Area
Washington State Park Hardwoods Natural Area
Also known as Washington State Park Hardwood Natural Area, this area lies completely within Washington State Park and is owned and maintained by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
Weldon Spring Hollow Natural Area
Wells Branch Fen Natural Area
This natural area lies within the Mark Twain National Forest, and is owned and maintained by the United States Forest Service.
Western Star Flatwoods Natural Area
Westport Island Natural Area
Whetstone Creek Natural Area
White River Balds Natural Area
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Wildcat Glade Natural Area
This natural area is partly owned by the Department of Conservation and partly owned by the City of Joplin, but MDC manages the whole area.
Wolf Bayou Natural Area
Yellow Creek Natural Area
References
- ↑ https://mdc.mo.gov/sites/default/files/2020-11/NANewsletter2017.pdf
- ↑ https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/places/natural-areas
- ↑ https://beetlesinthebush.com/2019/05/12/orchid-valley-natural-area/
- ↑ https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/missouri/stories-in-missouri/missouri-fire-program/
- ↑ https://mdc.mo.gov/sites/default/files/2020-11/NANewsletter2013.pdf