Ozark Heritage Region

The Ozark Heritage Region covers the southeastern Ozark country in Missouri, the rugged hill-and-river country running south from the Mark Twain National Forest to the Arkansas line. The terrain is the most distinctly Ozarkian part of the state — steep limestone-and-sandstone hollows, hardwood forest, clear spring-fed rivers, and some of the largest concentrations of caves and natural springs in the country. Fourteen counties cover the region. Phelps holds Rolla and Missouri University of Science and Technology; Butler holds Poplar Bluff (the largest city); Howell holds West Plains and the Mountain Music tradition; Shannon holds Eminence and most of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways; Texas holds Houston; Iron holds Ironton and the Arcadia Valley; Crawford holds Cuba on Route 66. The Mark Twain National Forest covers most of the public land; the Ozark National Scenic Riverways protects the Current and Jacks Fork rivers; Big Spring (the largest spring in the country) and Alley Spring rank among the major springs. Most trips here run float-trip and back-road focused. Float trips on the Current, Jacks Fork, and Eleven Point rivers run May through October; the spring system at Alley Spring, Big Spring, Round Spring, and Welch Spring draws year-round visitors; the Mountain Music scene in West Plains and the Arcadia Valley’s Civil War history fill cultural days.