Geologic Wonders

Big Barren Creek Natural Area has many prominent features enhancing its preservation value: An exceptional Ozark headwaters stream with quality aquatic natural communities, an outstanding upland and bottomland forest, an uncommon dolomite sedimentary rock shut-in and cliffs, and a dolomite glade. Caves and cave-like openings can be seen along the cliffs. A wide variety of animals and plants occur here, including two federally protected endangered species. A brochure is available to download and print.

Wildlife: 

The diversity of aquatic features at Big Barren Creek results in a variety of fish and water dependent organisms. The chain pickerel fish quietly lingers under the leaves of the yellow pond lily in the deep pools. Here you will also find the colorful longear sunfish. In the riffles, northern hog suckers can be seen overturning rocks in search of food, while schools of bleeding shiners pick small insects from the surface of the water. Around sunrise and sunset, a variety of animals are likely to visit the water holes. In the spring, frog and toad tadpoles can be seen along the banks.

In the cliffs where caves and cave-like openings are found, listen for eastern phoebe, which may nest in these protected nooks, calling its own name (feebee, feebee). Caves are also home to the dark-sided salamander and eastern pipistrelle bat.

Special Regulations: 

Camping, collection of plants and animals, and vehicular traffic are prohibited. Enjoy all other recreational activities allowed on the National Forest.

What to look for:

• prothonotary warbler
• watercress
• Louisiana waterthrush
• water willow
• pileated woodpecker
• yellow pond lily
• eastern phoebe
• maidenhair fern
• eastern pipistrelle
• jack-in-the-pulpit
• longear sunfish
• Carolina phlox (E)
• chain pickerel
• loosestrife
• northern hog sucker
• bellwort
• bleeding shiner
• long fern (E)
• dark-sided salamander
• dwarf wild iris
• northern watersnake
• spicebush
• mink
• sugar maple
• raccoon
• pawpaw
• white-tailed deer
• Ozark witch-hazel

E = endangered
R = rare
WL = watch list

In certain parts of Missouri, karst topography exists. This type of land surface is created as rainwater filters down through limestone or dolomite bedrock, forming large caverns and caves. When too much rock dissolves, the cave’s ceiling collapses and a sinkhole appears. The sinkhole sometimes will clog up with surface materials and fill with water, creating a pond. Brushy Pond is located in a 10-20 foot deep sinkhole near the top of a ridge. The center of the depression is an outstanding example of a pond marsh with a pond shrub swamp surrounding it.

Upland sinkhole ponds provide essential habitat for some rare and endangered species. At Brushy Pond these include sharp-scaled manna grass and three species of sedges. Most non-public sinkhole ponds are threatened by siltation and live stock grazing. We are fortunate that Brushy Pond, due to the many pond species, its size, and its natural quality, has become a protected natural area. A brochure is available to download and print.

Wildlife: 

Many animals find essential food and shelter at Brushy Pond. To amphibians, like the marbled salamander and bullfrog, the pond marsh habitat is an important breeding ground. Between April and mid-July you may head the male Blanchard’s cricket frog calling for a mate from the floating vegetation mat – listen for a sound like marbles striking against each other in rapid succession. Muskrats find abundant vegetation, especially cattails, to use in the construction of their houses and feeding huts. Cattails are also favored nesting habitats for red-winged blackbirds.

Special Regulations:

Trapping, fishing, camping, collection of plants or animals, and vehicular traffic are prohibited. Enjoy hiking, hunting, picnicking, and nature appreciation at Brushy Pond.

What to look for:

• northern water snake
• marbled salamander
• western painted turtle
• Blanchard’s cricket frog
• bullfrog
• western chorus frog
• northern spring peeper
• red-winged blackbird
• wood duck
• cattle egret
• common yellowthroat
• little blue heron (R)
• least shrew
• cotton mouse (R)
• mink
• muskrat
• St. John’s-wort
• bedstraw
• arrowhead
• American lotus
• skullcap
• buttonbush
• smartweed
• pondweed
• meadow beauty
• harp-scaled manna grass (R)
• bladderwort
• cattail
• red maple
• quillwort
• water violet (R)
• water willow

E = endangered
R = rare
WL = watch list

Cowards Hollow Natural Area has a number of significant geological features, as well as natural plant communities. A brochure is available to download and print.

Geological Formations: 

The most important geologic features are: the chert shut-in (a narrow, steep-sided ravine along the course of an otherwise broad stream valley), chert cliffs (vertical walls of exposed chert bedrock), and a shelter cave. All these features are formed out of an uncommon massive bed of chert rock, measuring up to forty feet in places. An exposure of this magnitude is not known in any other location in the state. Chert formations vary from other rock formations because they do not easily break down with weathering. The shut-in begins with a 10 foot waterfall spilling down into a narrow stream that is scattered with massive chert boulders. Along the south wall is a large chert shelter cave, rich in local history.

Fen and Seep-fed Stream: 

A series of small wet-weather seeps, 150-500 yards above the waterfall, create a fen plant community and add to the stream that flows through the shut-in. A fen is characterized by an upwelling of mineral-rich groundwater forming ooze areas and spring rivulets. The open portion of the fen is dominated by bulrush, sedges, hog fennel, winged loosestrife, sensitive fern, marsh coneflower, and royal fern, while common alder and Ward’s willow rim the edges.

Gravel Wash: 

Gravel wash communities occur in streambeds composed of sand, silt, mud, gravel, and boulders. These materials constantly change with each flooding. The slopes are steep and flash floods area a seasonal occurrence. Many fallen and damaged trees are evident along the stream. At Cowards Hollow, the gravel wash natural community makes up most of the streambed above the fen and throughout the shut-in. Sycamore, northern red oak, and white oak are scattered along the banks. Shrub thickets of common alder and spicebush occupy the gravel deposits alongside herbaceous species such as sea-oats grass, self heal, ironweed, and cardinal flower.

Moist Chert Cliff: 

Along the walls of the shut-in are chert cliffs, 5-20 feet high. The rocks are splashed with dense mats of multi-colored lichens, while ferns and mosses extend from the cracks and small ledges. Ebony spleenwort, maidenhair spleenwort, walking fern, Christmas fern, and hairy lip fern are all found in the moist chert cliff.

Wildlife: 

Cowards Hollow provides habitat for cliff-nesting species such as turkey vultures, eastern phoebes, and northern rough-winged swallows. The cave may be used by a variety of bats, including the eastern pipistrelle, big brown bat, or the rare small-footed myotis. The eastern wood rat often builds its nest in caves and the grotto salamander may be found in the darker recesses. Around sunrise and sunset a variety of animals are likely to visit the water holes, and in the spring, frog and toad tadpoles can be seen along the banks.

Special Regulations: 

Hunting, fishing, collection of plants or animals, and vehicular traffic is prohibited. Enjoy all other recreational activities allowed on the National Forest.

What to look for:

• Fowler’s toad
• grotto salamander
• longtail salamander
• six-lined racerunner snake
• eastern pipistrelle
• big brown bat
• small-footed myotis
• eastern wood rat
• eastern phoebe
• northern rough-winged swallow
• turkey vulture
• raccoon
• pearly-eye butterfly
• white-tailed deer
• ebony spleenwort
• maidenhair spleenwort
• walking fern
• Christmas fern
• hairy lip fern
• sea-oats grass
• self-heal
• cardinal flower
• ironweed
• spicebush
• common alder
• sycamore
• northern red oak
• white oak

E = endangered
R = rare
WL = watch list

In certain parts of Missouri karst topography exists. This type of land surface is created as rainwater filters down through limestone or dolomite, forming large caverns and caves. When too much rock dissolves, the cave’s ceiling collapses and a sinkhole appears.

Most sinkholes don’t hold water, but Cupola Pond is an exception to the rule. Also exceptional about Cupola Pond is the narrow ring of water tupelo trees surrounding the pond. These trees are common in the swamps of the Mississippi delta. The existence of this disjunct (outside of its main range) stand of water tupelo trees indicates Cupola Pond is one of the most ancient sinkhole ponds in the Ozark uplands. Pollen dating techniques indicate the pond is at least 20,000 years old. The only other known stand of water tupelo in the Ozarks is at Tupelo Gum Pond natural area, which is also on the Mark Twain National Forest.

When you walk down into the sinkhole from the surrounding dry, upland forest, the sudden appearance of the old water tupelo trees in the bottom of the depression, with their broad buttresses rising from the coffee-colored water, tells you that this is truly an unusual place. Surrounding the pond are white oak, northern red oak, hickory, and short-leaf pine. Witch’s butter, a jelly fungus, clings to the trunks of trees. To the west of the pond, where it drains through an area of pin oak, dense mats of sphagnum moss grow.

Wildlife:

Upland sinkhole ponds occur on dry ridges and therefore are important oases for all wildlife. Around sunrise or dusk, you may see deer coming to drink. Watch and listen for barred owls. Since most sinkhole ponds are fishless, they are important breeding habitats for amphibians; listen for frogs and toads calling and watch for salamanders. Large cavities in the water tupelos provide homes for squirrels.

Special Regulations: 

Hunting, fishing, collection of plants or animals, and vehicular traffic is prohibited. Enjoy all other recreational activities allowed on the National Forest.

What to look for:

• gray treefrog
• northern spring peeper
• American toad
• marbled salamander
• spotted salamander
• great-crested flycatcher
• prothonotary warbler
• tree swallow
• little blue heron (R)
• white-tailed deer
• barred owl
• gray fox
• water horehound
• mosses
• lichens
• witch’s butter
• St. John’s-wort
• royal fern
• buttonbush
• pin oak
• black gum
• water tupelo
• red maple
• lowbush blueberry

E = endangered
R = rare
WL = watch list

Haney Pond is one of only three examples in Missouri of a rare, forested acid seep natural community. Forested acid seeps are seasonally wet basins fed by acid groundwater. Carbonic acid forms in the groundwater when rain water passes through decaying vegetation. This very mild acid is the very same one that gives fizz to soda.

The forested acid seep community supports sedges, mosses, and other plants adapted to these circumstances. Located in a shallow sinkhole depression, Haney Pond has another unusual feature in that its canopy is dominated by sweetgum trees, a tree whose main range does not include this area. Within the boundaries of the natural area there is also a small pond shrub swamp community, a type of plant community that is endangered in Missouri.

Forested Acid Seep: 

Within the forested acid seep area, the canopy is dominated by sweetgum and southern red oak, with black gum and scarlet oak present on the drier sites. In the understory, black gum, sweetgum, white oak, scarlet oak, and flowering dogwood are flanked by tussocks of mosses, sedges, ditch stone crop, royal fern, and slender mountain mint.

Pond Shrub Swamp: 

The small, round, pond shrub swamp can be as deep as 1.5 feet, but is sometimes dry. Not many species grow here, but rose mallow and buttonbush occur in the center.

Bellevne Trail: 

The historic Bellevue Trail crosses the natural area. Once a major north-south travel corridor though this part of Missouri, it was used by explorers and settlers of the Irish Wilderness.

Wildlife: 

Upland sinkhole ponds and seeps occur on dry ridges, making them important oases for wildlife. Around sunrise or dusk you may see deer coming to drink. Watch and listen for wild turkey. Since most sinkhole ponds and seeps are fishless, they are important breeding habitat for amphibians; listen for frogs and toads calling and watch for salamanders.

Special Regulations: 

Camping, collection of plants and animals, and vehicular traffic are prohibited. Enjoy all other recreational activities allowed on the National Forest.

What to look for:

• gray treefrog
• northern spring peeper
• American toad
• marbled salamander
• red-winged blackbird
• spotted salamander
• great-crested flycatcher
• yellow warbler
• tree swallow
• little blue heron (R)
• white-tailed deer
• wild turkey
• gray fox
• water horehound
• buttonbush
• rose mallow
• sedges
• ditch stonecrop
• mosses
• royal fern
• rattlesnake fern
• sweetgum tree
• black gum tree
• white oak
• scarlet oak

E = endangered
R = rare
WL = watch list

In certain parts of Missouri, karst topography exists. This land surface is created as rainwater filters down through limestone or dolomite to form large caverns and caves. When too much rock dissolves, the cave’s ceiling collapses and a sinkhole appears. The sinkhole sometimes will clog up with surface materials and fill with water, creating a pond. Marg Pond is an upland sinkhole pond located near the center of a broad, flat ridge where it provides essential habitat for some rare and endangered species. Manna grass and two species of sedges continue to survive in this designated natural area. Upland sinkhole ponds are often threatened by grazing or fill with silt. Fortunately, Marg Pond has become protected due to the many pond species, the large size of the pond depression, and its overall natural quality. It is an outstanding example of a pond marsh.

Pond Marsh: 

This natural community is distinguished from the pond shrub swamp community by the dominance of herbaceous vegetation. The pond marsh community at Marg Pond has a large area of dense flora in the center, hosting aquatic plants like mermaid wee, sedges, and grasses. The shallower margins contain skullcap and sedges, along with the rose mallow and buttonbrush. The pond is encircled by a ring of red maple trees and dense mats of sphagnum moss.

Wildlife: 

Many animals find essential food and cover at Marg Pond. To amphibians, such as the marbled salamander and bullfrog, the pond marsh habitat is an important breeding site. Between April and mid-July, listen for the sound of marbles striking against each other rapidly. This is the Blanchard’s cricket frog calling for a mate from the center of the marsh. Muskrats find abundant vegetation for constructing their houses and feeding huts.

Upland sinkhole ponds occur on dry ridges and therefore are important oases for wildlife. Around sunrise or sunset, you may see deer coming to drink. Watch and listen for wild turkey, visiting wood ducks, and an occasional little blue heron.

Special Regulations: 

Hunting, trapping, fishing, camping, collection of plants and animals, and vehicular traffic are prohibited. Enjoy all other activities normally allowed on the National Forest.

What to look for:

• wood duck
• cattle egret
• little blue heron (R)
• marsh wren (SU)
• red-winged blackbird
• northern spring peeper
• bullfrog
• Blanchard’s cricket frog
• marbled salamander
• northern water snake
• three-toed box turtle
• cotton mouse (R)
• least shrew
• muskrat
• mink
• bulrush
• three-way sedge
• mermaid weed
• wild water pepper
• St. John’s-wort
• water horehound
• smartweed
• skullcap
• pale manna grass
• sharp-scaled manna grass (R)
• meadow beauty
• rose mallo
• buttonbush
• sugar maple
• red maple
• sphagnum moss

E = endangered
R = rare
SU = status undetermined