Hercules-Glades Wilderness
The Hercules Glades Wilderness protects some of the most scenic landscapes in Missouri. This Wilderness features open grasslands, forested knobs, steep rocky hillsides, limestone outcroppings, and a maze of narrow drainages carved by water. The high points of Coy Bald and Pilot Knob rise over 600 feet above Long Creek, one of only two year-round water sources (the other is Cane Creek). Spring brings vibrant blooms of redbuds and dogwoods, while fall transforms the area with the brilliant colors of smoke trees and maples. Prairie grass glades punctuate forests dominated by eastern red cedar and oak, providing habitats for deer, raccoons, rabbits, squirrels, turkeys, and quail. Copperheads and rattlesnakes are present.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Missouri |
| Size | 12,423 acres |
| Designated | 1976, by Congress |
| Center point | 36.69° N, 92.93° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 14) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground Forest Service recreation site
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Weather by month
Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.
Where to camp
None of the 2 federal campgrounds within ten miles sit inside the boundary. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site inside this wilderness, among them 1 trailhead. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 2 miHercules Tower Trailhead ↗Trailhead · January to December
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
9 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 30 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Hercules Glade Tower ↗ | 6.4 | |
| Hercules Glades-Pees Hollow ↗ | 5.5 | |
| Hercules Glades- Long Creek ↗ | 5.3 | |
| Hercules Glades-Coy Bald | 4 | |
| Hercules Glades- Blair Ridge | 2.6 | |
| Hercules Glades-Upper Pilot | 1.7 | |
| Hercules Glades-Lower Pilot | 1.5 | |
| Hercules Glade- Middle | 1.3 | |
| Hercules Glades- Pete Hollow | 1.3 |
Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas. This trail list was copied from Trailhead Atlas on November 1, 2026 and is copied again on each weekly run. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 5.8 miSwan Creek Bridge ↗Forsyth, MO
- 13.1 miParnell, Samuel T. and Mary B., House ↗Branson, MO
- 13.3 miBranson City Park Historic District ↗Branson, MO
- 13.9 miDowning Street Historic District ↗Hollister, MO
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Missouri and hiking across the country
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Hercules-Glades Wilderness?
12,423 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Hercules-Glades Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Hercules-Glades Wilderness in?
Missouri.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Hercules-Glades Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1976.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Hercules-Glades Wilderness?
Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities, and the managing agency page has the permit rules. The federal campgrounds within ten miles are listed under Where to camp.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to Hercules-Glades Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 36.689° N, 92.926° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Are there historic places near Hercules-Glades Wilderness?
The National Register has 4 listings within 15 miles, including Swan Creek Bridge and Parnell, Samuel T. and Mary B., House.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
- Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched on the wilderness each trail enters.
- Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
- Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.