Hercules Glades Wilderness

Open grassland, forested knobs and dogwood trees

The great expanse of Missouri's Hercules Glades Wilderness Courtesy of Granger Meador via Flickr
[/]
Looking upstream at Long Creek, Hercules Glades Wilderness Courtesy of Granger Meador via Flickr
[/]
Trail junction in Hercules Glades Wilderness, Missouri Courtesy of Granger Meador via Flickr
[/]
Lush spring foliage cover trees and brush in the Hercules Glades Wilderness © Scott T. Smith/Corbis
[/]
Boot Dunker Ford across Long Creek, Hercules Glades Wilderness Courtesy of Granger Meador via Flickr
[/]

Location: Missouri
Size: 11,909 acres
Year Designated: 1976
Fast Fact: Hercules Glades Wilderness is said to have some of the most scenic areas in the Midwest.

With a combination of forested knobs, open grassland, limestone outcroppings and steep, rocky hills, the Hercules Glades Wilderness contains some of the most unique and scenic lands in Missouri and the entire Midwest. In the spring, dogwood trees bloom in an outburst of beautiful flowers; come fall, the area’s smoke trees and maples erupt into the vivid colors of autumn. The area provides an excellent habitat for wildlife of all kinds, from deer and turkeys to rattlesnakes and copperheads—some visitors might even catch a rare glimpse of a tarantula or a collared lizard, both of which have been seen inside the wilderness area.

Planning Your Next Trip?

Explore great travel deals

A Note to our Readers Smithsonian magazine participates in affiliate link advertising programs. If you purchase an item through these links, we receive a commission.