Piney Creek Wilderness Trail

The United States Congress designated the Piney Creek Wilderness in 1980 and it now has a total of 8,178 acres. All of the wilderness is in Missouri and is managed by the Forest Service.

Railroad companies were the principal loggers in this area in the late 1800’s, followed by settlers on the ridges who happily discovered that tomatoes and strawberries grew large and juicy here. Nonetheless, in the early 1950’s residents abandoned the last permanent household in the vicinity of Piney Creek.

The ridgetops rise 400 or more feet above hollows and drainages that dissect the area. Numerous small springs feed several waterways, but the main stream is Piney Creek which drains to scenic Table Rock Lake in the heart of the Wilderness. All five miles of the Piney Creek watershed lie within the Wilderness. Shortleaf pine, oak, and hickory dominate the ridges today, and along the drainages you’ll find hardwoods such as sycamore, ash, elm buckeye, and walnut. Wildlife species are typical of the Ozarks, and armadillos also live here. Copperheads, eastern timber rattlers, and western pygmy rattlers are common. Great blue herons and pileated woodpeckers add to the local color.

Source - https://www.fs.usda.gov/