Chilton Creek

Chilton Creek is the largest Conservancy owned preserve in Missouri at more than 5,500 acres. This area serves as an outdoor classroom to area school children as well as a safe habitat for a variety of plant and animal species.

Why You Should Visit
Chilton Creek offers visitors an array of natural wonders to explore: woodlands, glades, springs, creeks and fens. Floristically, it is one of the most biologically rich landscapes in Missouri, harboring more than 700 species of flowering plants.

Location
Along the Current River in Shannon and Carter Counties, north of Van Buren.

Hours
Daylight

Size
5,627 acres

Conditions
The preserve is characterized by rugged, steeply dissected valleys and hollows, and covered by a large expanse of relatively continuous woodland with small glades and fens. Spring and summer are prime viewing times. A high clearance two-wheel drive or a four-wheel drive vehicle is necessary to access the preserve.
High water from heavy rains can make the preserve inaccessible.

How to Prepare for Your Visit
Prior to your visit, please call The Nature Conservancy's Lower Ozarks Project Office at (573) 323-8790). Check the local weather forecast and dress accordingly. Long pants and sleeves, hiking boots, drinking water, hat and compass are recommended. During warm weather, light color and light-weight clothing is suggested. Repellent, binoculars, and field guide(s) are also worth bringing.

Preserve Visitation Guidelines

What to See: Plants
A diversity of specialized habitats such as fens, dolomite glades, cliffs, springs, spring-fed creeks and hardwood forest can be found along the Current River.

What to See: Animals
Migratory birds including worm-eating warblers, ovenbirds, Acadian flycatchers, yellow-throated warblers, summer tanagers and others.

Why the Conservancy Selected This Site
Chilton Creek is a large landscape with diverse native habitats and community types that are representative of the rugged hills along the scenic Current River. A rich array of native plants and animals can be found here, including dozens of breeding neotropical migratory birds and half of the known snail species in Missouri.

What the Conservancy Has Done/Is Doing
Working in partnership with the Missouri Department of Conservation, The Conservancy has established Chilton Creek as a sort of "outdoor laboratory" for testing land management techniques, such as large-scale woodland fire. Our goal is to understand the relationship between biodiversity management and timber and wildlife interests, and to export this knowledge to like-minded partners in the Ozarks.

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Slide Show: Fish found in Ozark Streams