Irish Wilderness
The Irish Wilderness is a rugged forest of oak and hickory with unique karst features, including sinkholes, disappearing streams, and Whites Creek Cave (closed to the public). Rich in history, this area was originally settled by Irish immigrants under the guidance of a Catholic priest, Father Hogan, in the mid-1800s. Caught in the chaos of the Civil War, the settlement disappeared, leaving the land to be reclaimed by nature. Today, this Wilderness features rolling hills, steep bluffs, and the year-round flow of Whites Creek, which joins the scenic Eleven Point River. Visitors may encounter black bears, deer, and other Ozark wildlife among the diverse trees including oak, hickory, shortleaf pine, dogwood, persimmon, and sassafras.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Missouri |
| Size | 16,427 acres |
| Designated | 1984, by Congress |
| Center point | 36.74° N, 91.17° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 10) |
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 3 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.
- 3 miBrawley Pond Trailhead ↗Trailhead · January to December
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
6 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 20 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Whites Creek Trail ↗ | 17.5 | |
| Brawley Pond | 1.5 | |
| Camp Five Pond | 0.5 | |
| Whites Creek - 11 Pt. Spur | 0.4 | |
| Bliss Spring Spur | 0.2 | |
| Fiddler Spring Spur | 0.1 |
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
- 6.5 miGreer Mill ↗Alton, 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 Irish Wilderness?
16,427 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Irish Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Irish Wilderness in?
Missouri.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Irish Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1984.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Irish 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 Irish Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 36.736° N, 91.174° W. Ozark National Scenic Riverways is 25 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Which national parks are near Irish Wilderness?
Ozark National Scenic Riverways (25 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Irish Wilderness?
The National Register has 1 listing within 15 miles, including Greer Mill.
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.