Head to the Ozarks to discover some of Missouri’s most scenic spots – waterfalls and shut-ins. These natural water features add another layer of beauty to the region’s lush landscape.
Wet Weather Falls
Many of the waterfalls in the Show-Me State are wet-weather falls. Visit in the spring, after a rain, for the best view.
Missouri’s tallest waterfall, Mina Sauk Falls cascades 132 feet over a series of rock ledges into Taum Sauk Creek. The falls are located near Taum Sauk Mountain State Park, home to the highest point in Missouri – 1,772 feet above sea level. The Mina Sauk Trail, a rugged and rocky 3-mile loop trail, takes you to the edge of the falls.
Spring rains turn the impressive box canyon at Hickory Canyons Natural Area near Farmington into beautiful falls. Follow a half-mile out-and-back trail to see the water flowing down the canyon’s steep-walled bluffs.
Explore along a nearly 3-mile loop trail at the LaBarque Creek Conservation Area south of Pacific to see waterfalls spill over and through sandstone rock formations after a rain. At nearby Don Robinson State Park, follow the Sandstone Canyon Trail, a 3.9-mile loop, to catch waterfall views at several spots.
Year-Round Falls
Grand Falls in Joplin is the state’s largest continuously flowing waterfall. Located on Shoal Creek, the falls plunge 12 feet over a 163-foot-wide solid chert ledge before crashing into the jagged crags below. The falls are located just a few miles downstream from Wild Cat Park.
Falling Spring pours out of the side of a rock bluff, forming a small waterfall in the Mark Twain National Forest. Located south of Winona, the spring once powered two mills that were used to produce electricity and grind corn. One of the historic mills still sits near the spring.
Shut-Ins
Missouri’s crystal-clear streams include a number of shut-ins – chutes and pools created by fast moving water flowing around dense volcanic rock.
Rocky Falls is actually a section of shut-ins in Rocky Creek. A deep pool at the bottom of the “falls” forms a large swimming hole. A challenging 7-mile out-and-back trail will take you to more shut-ins and the Klepzig Mill. You can also reach the mill via a narrow dirt road. The area, part of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, is located near Eminence.
Missouri’s most famous shut-ins are often called Mother Nature’s water park. The centerpiece of one of Missouri’s popular state parks, Johnson’s Shut-Ins is a favorite swimming spot in the summer. Views of the shut-ins, located on the Black River near Lesterville, are breathtaking any time of year.
The St. Francis River rushes through the Tiemann Shut-ins at the Millstream Gardens Conservation Area near Arcadia. Every spring when the river runs high, the shut-ins are filled with kayaks and canoes competing in the Missouri Whitewater Championship. A 1.8 mile out-and-back trail leads to an observation deck overlooking the river.
Located near Fredericktown, the Castor River Shut-Ins are Missouri’s only known pink granite shut-ins. Follow the Cedar Glade Trail, a 1-mile loop, to see the Castor River flowing around the ancient rock formations.