Mark Twain National Forest, Missouri’s only national forest, stretches across the southern half of the state in nine separate parcels and spans twenty-nine counties. First established on September 11, 1939, it took its present form on February 17, 1976, when the Mark Twain and Clark national forests were combined after being jointly administered from Rolla. Its origins lie in the depletion caused by heavy logging in southern Missouri during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, followed by major New Deal restoration by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Centered in the Ozark Highlands, it preserves notable springs, streams, wilderness, scenic routes, and extensive recreation opportunities.