Established Camping
Bell Mountain Wilderness Area
About
County
This 9,143 acre wilderness is part of the St. Francois Mountains, one of the oldest landforms in North America. The wilderness is named for a family that once lived and farmed along the ridge top that is now known as Bell Mountain. Elevations range from 1,702 feet at Bell Mountain to 970 feet in the Joe's Creek drainage. Local relief is about 600 feet and is characterized by steep felsite and rhyolite outcroppings. Both Bell Mountain and Lindsey Mountain offer outstanding views of the surrounding area. The associated granite glades provide a variety of interesting plant and animal life.
Shut-in Creek crosses the area. It is a perennial spring fed stream with several shut-ins or gorges along its course. Steep talus slopes intersect the stream at several locations. Joe's Creek is another small perennial stream within the wilderness.
Restrictions: Foot and Horse only, no motorized or mechanized transportation. No camping within 100’ or trails, water, or other occupied campsites. Surface Type: Unsurfaced, native material.
Other Activities: Backpacking, bird watching, and primitive camping.
Access
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Features
For Campers
- Pets
- Fires
Wonderful stop for the hammock
Great little peaceful spot
Great backpacking
We hiked this loop with one night of backpacking in August 2019. The area has many backroads but the directions from usda site took us right to the trailhead. We chose the trailhead to the north rather than the trailhead off the Ozark Trail. From other reviews we weren’t sure if there would be water available and packed a nice full cube in addition to our bladders but found that there were multiple options to filter from due to recent rain of a small pond and a creek. The trail is well traveled and easy to follow. It is easy to find a spot with a great view over the bluff. We brought our dog and she had a great time! I could see the edge of Taum Sauk reservoir from where we camped, which I thought was cool!
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Hunters
Not really a knock on the area, but came across some hunters who fired a little too close for comfort
Location
Bell Mountain Wilderness Area is located in Missouri
Coordinates
37.631499 N
90.877065 W