Hercules Glades Wilderness

Hercules Glades Wilderness is a 12,314-acre protected area in the Ozarks of southwest Missouri within Mark Twain National Forest. Designated by Congress in 1976, it became Missouri’s oldest wilderness area. Its name comes from the open limestone glades that interrupt the usual oak and hickory forest with rocky balds, post oak savannas, and dry ground. Rising above Long Creek, Coy Bald and Pilot Knob offer broad views, while waterfalls and cascades appear along the creek. The wilderness is valued for its unusual biological diversity, supporting both familiar Missouri wildlife and species more typical of the Southwest, as well as several Ozark endemic plants.

Missouri · United States