Piney Creek Wilderness
Piney Creek Wilderness lies on the west side of Missouri’s Table Rock Lake. Logged by railroad companies in the late 1800s and later farmed by settlers, the area was once known for its fertile soil that produced abundant tomatoes and strawberries. By the early 1950s, however, the last of these households had been abandoned. The ridgetops rise over 400 feet above the drainages, with shortleaf pine, oak, and hickory forests covering the high ground. Along the creek beds, hardwoods like sycamore, ash, elm, buckeye, and walnut thrive. Numerous small springs feed the area’s waterways, and Piney Creek—the main stream—runs through its entire five-mile watershed before reaching scenic Table Rock Lake.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Missouri |
| Size | 8,184 acres |
| Designated | 1980, by Congress |
| Center point | 36.68° N, 93.61° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 15) |
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 7 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 2 recreation sites inside this wilderness, among them 2 trailheads. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 1 miSouth Piney Trailhead ↗Trailhead · January to December
- 2 miPine View Tower Trailhead ↗Trailhead · January to December
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
3 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 12 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Piney Creek Wilderness Trail ↗ | 4.5 | |
| Piney Creek-Tower Loop | 3.7 | |
| Piney Creek - South Loop | 3.6 |
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
- 9.3 miStone County Courthouse ↗Galena, MO
- 9.5 miY Bridge ↗Galena, MO
- 10.5 miRoaring River State Park Dam/Spillway ↗Cassville, MO
- 10.5 miRoaring River State Park Hotel ↗Cassville, MO
- 10.6 miCassbille Ranger Station Historic District ↗Cassville, MO
- 10.7 miRoaring River State Park Honeymoon Cabin ↗Cassville, MO
- 10.8 miRoaring River State Park Bath House ↗Cassville, MO
- 10.8 miRoaring River Camps and Hotel Summer Cottage ↗Cassville, MO
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Missouri and hiking across the country
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Piney Creek Wilderness?
8,184 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Piney Creek Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Piney Creek Wilderness in?
Missouri.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Piney Creek Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1980.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Piney Creek 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 Piney Creek Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 36.680° N, 93.608° W. Pea Ridge National Military Park is 25 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Which national parks are near Piney Creek Wilderness?
Pea Ridge National Military Park (25 mi) and Wilson's Creek National Battlefield (29 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Piney Creek Wilderness?
The National Register has 13 listings within 15 miles, including Stone County Courthouse and Y Bridge.
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.