Taum Sauk Mountain in Missouri’s Saint Francois Mountains is the state’s highest natural point at 1,772 feet above sea level, though it is a long ridge rather than a sharp peak. Its ancient Precambrian igneous uplift, formed by volcanic orogeny, makes it geologically distinct from much of the Ozarks and far older than the Appalachians. Named for the Piankeshaw chief Sauk-Ton-Qua, it rises only 522 feet from its base. Since 1991, Taum Sauk Mountain State Park has protected 7,448 acres here, including access to the highpoint, nearby Mina Sauk Falls, and a larger backcountry area linked with Johnson’s Shut-ins, Bell Mountain Wilderness, and the Ozark Trail.