# Mark Twain National Forest

Mark Twain National Forest (MTNF) is a U.S. National Forest located in the southern half of Missouri, composed of nine disconnected parcels. MTNF was established on September 11, 1939. It is named for author Mark Twain, a Missouri native. The MTNF covers 3,068,800 acres (12,419 km$^2$) of which 1,506,100 acres (6,095 km$^2$) is public owned, 78,000 acres (320 km$^2$) of which are Wilderness, and National Scenic River area. MTNF spans 29 counties and represents 11% of all forested land in Missouri. MTNF's nine tracts are divided into six distinct ranger districts: Ava-Cassville-Willow Springs, Eleven Point, Houston-Rolla, Cedar Creek, Poplar Bluff, Potosi-Fredericktown, and the Salem. Its headquarters are in Rolla, Missouri.
Some unique features of the Mark Twain include Greer Spring, which is the largest spring on National Forest land and part of the Eleven Point National Scenic River with an average daily flow of 214 million U.S. gallons (810 million liters). The public can also visit the Glade Top Trail National Scenic Byway, which offers views of over 30 miles (48 km) to the Boston Mountains in Arkansas. The 350-mile Ozark Trail system winds through much of the National Forest.
The Forest has two trail systems for certain motorized vehicles and bikes, being the Chadwick Motorcycle & ATV Use Area and the Sutton Bluff ATV, UTV, and Motorcycle Trail System.

## History

The Mark Twain National Forest, as we know it today, was created on February 17, 1976. The Mark Twain National forest has a rather unusual history – for it was once known as both the Clark National Forest and the Mark Twain National Forest – both being proclaimed on September 11, 1939.
In June 1973, the Clark and Mark Twain NF were brought under one headquarters in Rolla and became known as the National forests in Missouri. On February 17, 1976, the forests were combined and renamed the Mark Twain National Forest.
Missouri’s only national forest, The Mark Twain, encompasses roughly 1.5 million acres, mostly within the Ozark Highlands. Located across southern Missouri and northern Arkansas, the Ozark Highlands are an ancient landscape characterized by large permanent springs, over 5,000 caves, rocky barren glades, old volcanic mountains and nationally recognized streams. Portions of the Ozarks were never under oceans, nor were the areas glaciated.
In the 1870s, citizens of southern Missouri began an era of extensive logging of the state's native oak, hickory, and pine forests. Lumber mills were commonplace, but by the 1920s they had disappeared, along with much of the state's native forests. Thus, in 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the MTNF into existence. In March 1933, he also created the Emergency Conservation Work Act, better known as the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). In the area that would later become the Mark Twain National Forest, hundreds of young men at over 50 CCC sites worked at building roads and planting hundreds of acres of pine to preserve and enhance the natural resources of southern Missouri. Many of their contributions can still be visited and enjoyed today including the Rolla Ranger Station Historic District and Winona Ranger Station Historic District.

## Wilderness areas

* Bell Mountain Wilderness
* Devils Backbone Wilderness
* Hercules-Glades Wilderness
* Irish Wilderness
* Paddy Creek Wilderness
* Piney Creek Wilderness
* Rockpile Mountain Wilderness

## Counties

| County | Area | Area |
| County | Acres | Hectares |
| Oregon County | 104,721 | 42,379 |
| Ripley County | 97,437 | 39,431 |
| Iron County | 96,047 | 38,869 |
| Carter County | 90,641 | 36,681 |
| Reynolds County | 89,933 | 36,395 |
| Wayne County | 88,372 | 35,763 |
| Shannon County | 83,934 | 33,967 |
| Washington County | 82,133 | 33,238 |
| Dent County | 73,011 | 29,547 |
| Taney County | 65,953 | 26,690 |
| Phelps County | 65,379 | 26,458 |
| Barry County | 55,187 | 22,333 |
| Christian County | 52,260 | 21,149 |
| Madison County | 51,170 | 20,708 |
| Howell County | 50,504 | 20,438 |
| Crawford County | 50,048 | 20,254 |
| Texas County | 49,581 | 20,065 |
| Butler County | 48,494 | 19,625 |
| Douglas County | 41,030 | 16,604 |
| Pulaski County | 39,177 | 15,854 |
| Ozark County | 38,672 | 15,650 |
| Laclede County | 30,542 | 12,360 |
| Callaway County | 12,467 | 5,045 |
| Stone County | 10,335 | 4,182 |
| Sainte Genevieve County | 10,254 | 4,150 |
| Wright County | 7,159 | 2,897 |
| Boone County | 4,102 | 1,660 |
| Bollinger County | 1,646 | 666 |
| Saint Francois County | 673 | 272 |
Although it is far from being the largest National Forest in acreage, Mark Twain National Forest is located in more counties than any other. As of September 30, 2007, its 1,490,862 acres (2,329.472 sq mi; 6,033.30 km$^2$) were spread over parts of 29 counties in southern and central Missouri.

## Climate

Climate data for Mark Twain National Forest :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 75 (24) | 80 (27) | 88 (31) | 90 (32) | 94 (34) | 100 (38) | 107 (42) | 104 (40) | 99 (37) | 94 (34) | 83 (28) | 75 (24) | 107 (42) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 42 (6) | 48 (9) | 58 (14) | 68 (20) | 75 (24) | 83 (28) | 88 (31) | 87 (31) | 80 (27) | 69 (21) | 57 (14) | 44 (7) | 67 (19) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 21 (−6) | 25 (−4) | 33 (1) | 42 (6) | 52 (11) | 61 (16) | 65 (18) | 64 (18) | 55 (13) | 44 (7) | 34 (1) | 25 (−4) | 43 (6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −19 (−28) | −11 (−24) | −2 (−19) | 18 (−8) | 28 (−2) | 40 (4) | 44 (7) | 39 (4) | 30 (−1) | 19 (−7) | 4 (−16) | −10 (−23) | −19 (−28) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.1 (53) | 2.29 (58) | 4.18 (106) | 4.28 (109) | 4.95 (126) | 4.22 (107) | 3.70 (94) | 3.40 (86) | 3.91 (99) | 3.44 (87) | 3.91 (99) | 3.30 (84) | 43.68 (1,108) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 6.7 (17) | 4.6 (12) | 2.1 (5.3) | 0.3 (0.76) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0.3 (0.76) | 0.9 (2.3) | 7.1 (18) | 22 (56.12) |
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