Wes Johnson

WJOHNSON@NEWS-LEADER.COM

From the windblown peak of a treeless, grassy hill, future visitors can take in a breathtaking view of one of Missouri's newest state parks, just 40 miles south of Springfield.

On the park's western edge, crystal clear Roark Creek flows for a mile and a half above flat rock scoured smooth by the water's force. A handful of small ponds, some maybe still holding catfish, dot the park's landscape.

Gnarled chinquapin oaks, towering sycamore trees, evergreen cedars and the occasional maple tree grace the four prominent hills and deep ravines, beckoning future explorers. Old barns, a log cabin and a one-room schoolhouse, long abandoned, lie scattered in ruins across the terrain.

The 1,011-acre Ozark Mountain State Park — now the closest state park to Springfield — isn't open to the public yet. Purchased in October 2016 for $2.8 million, the park is a blank outdoor canvas awaiting input from future park users on what they'd like to see there.

"We've extended the public comment period to March 31," said Carl Bonnell, manager of Table Rock State Park who is also now in charge of developing Ozark Mountain State Park and another new one, Bryant Creek State Park near Ava. "We'll look at what the public says and how that meshes with Missouri State Parks' mission to preserve and protect our natural resources and cultural resources, and to provide recreational opportunities for all Missourians and visitors to Missouri."

Should the park be open to horseback riders or all-terrain vehicles?

Will overnight backpacking and camping be incorporated in the park's plan?

Should Ozark Mountain remain a mostly wilderness experience, or should the park have amenities like parking lots, permanent toilets, drinking water sources, cabins or paved roads?

Are the steep hills suitable for mountain biking? Is there a way to link Ozark Mountain State Park with the popular Ruth and Paul Henning Conservation Area, with which it shares a southern border?

Those are the kinds of comments from the public that Bonnell said will help park planners decide how best to develop the newest of Missouri's 92 state parks and historic sites. If you want to give your input, fill out a survey at MoStateParks.com/newparks or write to New Parks Planning Feedback Planning & Development, P.O. Box 176, Jefferson City, MO 65102.

After public comments are gathered and reviewed, there will be three public meetings before park developers put a final plan in place. Improvements, such as hiking trails, roads or buildings, will be added as funding becomes available in the state parks budget. Bonnell acknowledged there is no time frame yet for when Ozark Mountain State Park might open.

During a recent tour of the land, Bonnell surprised an owl that had pounced on something tasty to eat before flying off at the sight of human visitors. At one point, a herd of whitetail deer bounded through tall grass into the trees, spooking a small flock of wild turkeys that launched themselves through the forest canopy.

"I haven't seen a wild bear yet, and we're lucky we haven't had any feral hogs," he said. "But there is a lot of interesting wildlife here, especially in the glade areas."

Remnants of past property owners' livelihoods are slowly being dismantled by Mother Nature. In the early 1920s, the Jones family operated a sawmill on the land, and some of their old buildings remain. Between two of the tallest hills, an ancient engine they used to power their sawmill remains bolted to heavy timbers. Its hand-crank starter, like the rest of the machine, sits frozen by rust from years of exposure to the elements.

Bonnell said it's an unusual piece of equipment to find in the middle of a wilderness. It will be up to park planners to decide if it stays as a historic relic.

There's a one-room schoolhouse on the property, with two doors — one for boys, one for girls — Bonnel surmises. He said park planners will try to trace the school's history before deciding whether the aging structure is worth saving. It's clear that time, wind and termites have already taken a substantial toll.

"All the buildings out here, we don't know yet what we'll do with them," Bonnell said. "That will be part of the park's master plan."

Aside from the ever-flowing east fork of Roark Creek, there are several ponds that seem to provide some fairly steady sources of water in an otherwise arid terrain.

"They built a series of ponds where they raised catfish young," he said. "When they got to a certain size they'd take them to another pond and harvest them when they got the right size."

The ponds still hold water, but Bonnell said he didn't know if any catfish were still there.

Farther in and hidden in a deep ravine, a small log cabin clings to the side of a hill, overlooking a small pond. Bonnell warns that the porch, like other parts of the one-room structure, is rotted in spots and dangerous to tread upon. Former property owners likely used it as their getaway fishing cabin, complete with a wooden one-hole outhouse nearby.

Two sets of bunk beds inside have become homes for pack rats, which burrowed into the old mattresses and piled comfortable mounds of leaves on top. Like the other structures, Bonnell said he doesn't know if the cabin will remain and possibly be rebuilt to usable status, or dismantled altogether. He reiterates that the new park remains closed and that park rangers routinely patrol the land.

The knobs, or hilltops, are a key reason Missouri State Parks decided to buy the roughly 3-mile-long tract, which butts against the Ozark Mountain Highroad (Route 465). They are among the highest points in the Branson area and afford stunning views of the rolling Ozarks landscape.

The park is just a few miles northwest of downtown Branson. Looking south from any of the state park's hilltops, visitors can see Branson's Inspiration Tower rising behind low hills. And if you look carefully, the new 15-story-high Branson Ferris Wheel can be seen on the southern horizon.

"There's an interesting story about one of these knobs," Bonnell said, kicking at tall Johnson grass that's taken over one of the hills. "At one time they grew tomatoes up here and sold them to the College of the Ozarks."

The tomatoes are long gone, but future hikers will encounter numerous patches of eastern prickly pear cactus, which thrive in the dry, rocky glades that have formed on the hilltop slopes. It's here that visitors might spot green-and-black eastern collared lizards, Missouri tarantulas (the state's largest spider) or striped scorpions.

Bonnell said he has seen roadrunner birds racing across the property. The glades, lower forested and grassy areas are perfect habitat for cardinals, bluebirds and metallic-blue indigo buntings.

Though it appears almost like a wilderness area, the park isn't without problems. Bonnell said cedar trees have rapidly taken over large swaths of the park, especially on the glades.

"We'll have to clear some cedars out and do some prescribed burns," he said. "Once we introduce fire on a regular basis, that'll help keep them in check."

Ozark Mountain State Park might be one of the last ones developed by Missouri State Parks for a while, if some state lawmakers have their say. Former Gov. Jay Nixon made it a priority during his two terms to expand the state's park system.

But controversy over how some of the parks were acquired — using settlement money from a defunct mining company that polluted some areas in eastern Missouri — triggered two bills this legislative session calling for a halt to any new park acquisitions until current park facilities are properly maintained. Lawmakers have yet to vote on the bills.

Ozark Mountain State Park was not purchased using any money from the lead mine cleanup agreement, according to parks spokeswoman Steph Dedrick. Instead, Ozark Mountain was bought using money from two other unrelated legal settlements. One involved a $180 million settlement against Ameren UE power company after its Taum Sauk mountaintop reservoir collapsed in 2005 and severely damaged a nearby state park.

The other involved money from Missouri's $43.9 million share of the $5.15 billion Anadarko Petroleum Corporation bankruptcy settlement in 2015. The funds were for cleanup of two Missouri sites in Kansas City and Springfield, where creosote had contaminated soil and groundwater. Some of the money was earmarked for land acquisition to offset the contaminated properties.

When it eventually opens, Ozark Mountain State Park will be another feather in Branson's tourism cap, according to Jeff Seifried, president and CEO of Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce.

"We are excited about adding to what we already know is the best outdoor recreation spot in the state," Seifried said. "People are drawn to Branson because of all the outdoor things we have to offer. I love camping. I love hiking. I haven't had an opportunity to tour the new site, but we'll include this, alongside our other unique assets, in our messaging. It will help us build on our family-based assets, like camping and hiking. I can't wait for it to open."

Branson Mayor Karen Best said the new state park is a perfect fit to help draw tourists to the area.

"The beauty of the Ozarks is what drew me to Branson in the first place," Best said. "The new state park will allow us to share our mountains and streams with others around the state and the country. They can join us in watching the eagles soar, the deer run, and other wildlife enjoying the Ozarks. What a great addition to all the things to do and see in the Branson area."

Though she's not a hiker due to a few physical issues, Best said she still hopes to experience what the new park has to offer.

"I would love to go and sit along the trail and enjoy everything nature has to offer (with the exception of spiders and snakes)," she quipped in an email.

Not all Missouri State Parks are open 24 hours a day, and not all offer overnight camping or backpacking. A parks spokeswoman said Missouri State Parks does have several parks with backpacking trails (see a full list at https://www.mostateparks.com/activity/backpacking). The Mudlick Trail at Sam A. Baker State Park, for example, totals 16.75 miles and includes two backpack camps along the trail.

Taum Sauk Mountain State Park in eastern Missouri includes a 12-site basic campground and features one of the most popular and scenic portions of the Taum Sauk Section of the Ozark Trail, a 14.5-mile trail between Taum Sauk Mountain State Park and Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park. Park planners will weigh whether backpacking trails would be a good fit at Ozark Mountain State Park.

Ozark Mountain State Park is the newest of four parks recently established by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, which oversees Missouri State Parks, a division of DNR.

The other three are:

• Bryant Creek State Park, with 2,917 acres, consists of thick oak and pine forests and nearly two miles of river hills and bluffs along Bryant Creek. The property is located in Douglas County, near the Ozark County line, approximately 22 miles southeast of Ava.

• Eleven Point State Park, with 4,167 acres, includes six miles of direct river frontage on the Eleven Point River, a nationally protected river corridor. The property is located in Oregon County approximately 45 miles east of West Plains, near Alton.

• Jay Nixon State Park, with 1,230 acres, is named for Missouri's 55th governor, who recently left office after serving two terms. It's located in the St. Francois Mountains in Reynolds County, about 100 miles southeast of St. Louis and 200 miles east of Springfield. The park was briefly open to the public but was closed last week because of safety concerns because of lack of access and amenities. It's accessible only by hiking in from the nearby Ozark Trail. The park's name also sparked some controversy, and some state lawmakers have filed a bill to rename it Proffit Mountain State Park.

Missouri State Parks within an hour of Springfield

Ozark Mountain State Park (new, not yet open) near Branson

Table Rock State Park, near Branson

Stockton State Park on Stockton Lake

Roaring River State Park near Cassville

Bennett Spring State Park southwest of Lebanon

Bryant Creek State Park (new, not yet open), near Ava

Battle of Carthage State Park, in Carthage

Nathan Boone Homestead historic site, in northern Greene County

Pomme de Terre State Park, south of Hermitage

Online map of all Missouri State Parks : https://mostateparks.com/page/57778/locator-map