Piney Creek Wilderness

Piney Creek Wilderness lies on the west side of Missouri's Table Rock Lake. Logged by railroad companies in the late 1800s and later farmed by settlers, the area was once known for fertile soil that produced abundant tomatoes and strawberries; by the early 1950s the last of these households had been abandoned. The ridgetops rise over 400 feet above the drainages, with shortleaf pine, oak, and hickory forests covering the high ground, while hardwoods like sycamore, ash, elm, buckeye, and walnut thrive along the creek beds. Numerous small springs feed the area's waterways, and Piney Creek, the main stream, runs through its entire five-mile watershed before reaching scenic Table Rock Lake. Wildlife typical of the Ozarks abounds, including armadillos, great blue herons, and pileated woodpeckers. Visitors should also be mindful of the area's reptile population, which includes copperheads, eastern timber rattlesnakes, and western pygmy rattlers. The Wilderness offers 12.1 miles of trails, including a primary east-west trail that follows Piney Creek for about four miles. From the Pineview Tower Trailhead, two paths of about 1.5 miles each lead south toward Piney Creek, with additional foot and horse trails branching off, some following old roadbeds.