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Roger Pryor Pioneer Backcountry

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Park Information

Solitude reigns in the Missouri park system’s largest undeveloped area, the Roger Pryor Pioneer Backcountry. The 60,000-acre tract in a remote corner of the Ozarks is part of the state’s largest privately owned forest. The backcountry contains nearly 30 miles of trails and includes nearly 15 miles of frontage on the pristine Current River. Two natural areas in the backcountry add to the solitude hikers will find.

Park Hours

Sunrise to sunset

Address

Eminence, MO

Phone number

  • Park Office: (573) 546-2450
Missouri State Parks and Historic Sites
May 23, 2013
Fifty years ago, if you had arrived at the natural tunnel in Bennett Spring State Park, you would have seen a lake. Around 1964, a dam created from gravel and silt and reinforced with rebar and concrete blocked the upstream entrance of the natural tunnel. There is no record of how long the resulting lake lasted, but historical accounts state the dam failed after heavy rains, leaving only the portion of the structure seen today at the end of the trail. Walk the Natural Tunnel Trail today and imagine what it would have been like 50 years ago. For more information about this trail, other trails at the park, and all the other things you can do at Bennett Spring State Park, visit mostateparks.com.