Taum Sauk Mountain State Park

{{Infobox park

| name = Taum Sauk Mountain State Park

| photo = Mina Sauk Falls 2011-01-01 vpano.jpg

| photo_caption = Mina Sauk Falls during wet weather

| photo_alt = Cascade

| photo_width = 280

| map = USA Missouri#USA

| map_width = 280

| map_caption = Location in Missouri

| relief = 1

| location = Iron and Reynolds counties, Missouri, United

| coordinates = {{coord|37|34|17|N|90|43|45|W|display=inline,title}}

| coords_ref =

| area = {{convert|8,395.07|acre}}

| elevation = {{convert|1772|ft|m|abbr=on}}{{cite gnis|752501|Taum Sauk Mountain}}

| established = 1991

| visitation_num = 42,042

| visitation_year = 2023

| visitation_ref =

| administrator = Missouri Department of Natural Resources

| website = {{Official website}}

| embedded =

}}

Taum Sauk Mountain State Park is a Missouri state park located in the St. Francois Mountains in the Ozarks. The park encompasses Taum Sauk Mountain, the highest point in the state. The Taum Sauk portion of the Ozark Trail connects the park with nearby Johnson's Shut-ins State Park and the Bell Mountain Wilderness Area, which together are part of a large wilderness area popular with hikers and backpackers.

History

In 2005, a mountain top reservoir burst, sending a billion gallons of water through parts of the park and other nearby areas including Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park.

Activities and amenities

The park has a rustic campground, a paved trail to the highpoint, picnic facilities, and a lookout tower providing a view of the dense mountain forest obscured from other vantage points.

=Mina Sauk Falls=

Mina Sauk Falls, the highest waterfall in Missouri, is reached via a rugged trail that makes a three-mile (5 km) loop from the highpoint parking area. The falls have cascading waters only during times of wet weather; at other times they are reduced to a trickle or less.

Gallery

File:Taum Sauk Mountain Summit.JPG|Taum Sauk summit, the highest point in Missouri

File:MO High Point Taum Sauk Plaque.JPG|High point plaque on Taum Sauk

File:Missouri - Taum Sauk-J Shutins area shaded relief.png|The contiguous Taum Sauk Mountain and Johnson's Shut-ins state parks consist of {{convert|16050|acres|km2}} in the
Missouri Ozarks

References

{{reflist|refs=

{{cite web |url=https://mostateparks.com/park/taum-sauk-mountain-state-park |title=Taum Sauk Mountain State Park |date=December 10, 2010 |publisher=Missouri Department of Natural Resources |access-date=September 8, 2014}}

{{cite web |url=https://mostateparks.com/sites/mostateparks/files/Datasheets_TaumSauk.pdf |title=Data Sheet: Taum Sauk Mountain State Park |publisher=Missouri Department of Natural Resources |access-date=January 5, 2025}}

{{cite web |url=https://mostateparks.com/page/59045/state-park-land-acquisition-summary |title=State Park Land Acquisition Summary |date=August 25, 2011 |publisher=Missouri State Parks |access-date=August 14, 2015}}

{{cite web |url=https://mostateparks.com/page/89831/taum-sauk-mountain-state-park-trails |title=Taum Sauk Mountain State Park Trails |publisher=Missouri Department of Natural Resources |access-date=January 5, 2025}}

{{cite web |url=https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/places/natural-areas/st-francois-mountains |title=St. Francois Mountains Natural Area |publisher=Missouri Department of Conservation |access-date=January 5, 2025}}

{{cite web |url=https://ozarktrail.com/taum-sauk-2/ |title=Taum Sauk Section |work=The Ozark Trail |publisher=Ozark Trail Association |access-date=January 5, 2025}}

{{cite news |url=https://www.kfvs12.com/story/30744774/10-years-since-taum-sauk-dam-gave-way/ |title=10 years since Taum Sauk dam gave way |date=December 14, 2015 |publisher=KFVS 12 |access-date=30 December 2022}}

}}

External links

{{stack|{{commons category|Taum Sauk Mountain State Park}}}}

[https://mostateparks.com/park/taum-sauk-mountain-state-park Taum Sauk Mountain State Park] Missouri Department of Natural Resources
[https://mostateparks.com/sites/mostateparks/files/5TSM_ColorMap.pdf Taum Sauk Mountain State Park Map] Missouri Department of Natural Resources

Category:State parks of Missouri

Category:State parks of the U.S. Interior Highlands

Category:Protected areas of Reynolds County, Missouri

Category:Protected areas of Iron County, Missouri

Category:Protected areas established in 1991

Category:1991 establishments in Missouri

Category:Waterfalls of Missouri