The Basics
Falling Spring Picnic Area
MO Highway 19
Winona, MO
Phone: (573) 996-2153 (Eleven Point District Office)
Closest Towns: Alton, Winona
Directions: From Winona: From US Hwy 60, travel South on MO Hwy 19 approx. 9.6 miles. Turn Left/East onto FR#3170. This road immediately splits; follow FR#3164 to your Left. Keep right at an intersection at approx 2 miles, then Falling Spring will be on your right at approx. 2.3.
From Alton: Travel North on MO Hwy 19 approx. 16.3 miles. Turn Right/East onto FR#3170. This road immediately splits; follow FR#3164 to your Left. Keep right at an intersection at approx 2 miles, then Falling Spring will be on your right at approx. 2.3.
About Falling Spring
One of the more photographed spots in the Mark Twain National Forest, the Falling Spring Picnic Area offers history, scenic beauty, and quiet relaxation. This day-use area is situated on the edge of a spring-fed pond that falls from out of the middle of a small bluff wall. This spring, which is also a waterfall, has provided power for two mills in the past, the second of which still stands today. Built in the 1920s, this mill provided electricity, ground corn, and even sawed lumber and shingles for the few local residents. A small wooden walkway leads to the mill for closer inspection, which still has some of its original machinery in place.
Aside from a few picnic tables and a small parking area, Falling Spring Picnic Area also holds an historic log cabin over 100 years old. Built in the mid-to-late 1800s, this cabin is the first of four houses built near this site. Constructed with half-dovetail notches at the corners, this helps to shed water away from the cabin, and may be one reason why it still stands today.
- Height: 13'
- GPS:
- USGS Quad:
- Distance: View from Car
- Difficulty: Easy
- Location: Mark Twain National Forest
- Ranger District: Eleven Point
- Region: Southeast Missouri Ozarks
What's Nearby
Parks & Nature
Eleven Point National Scenic River
Trails
Greer Spring Trail
Camping
Greer Crossing Rec Area
McCormack Lake Rec Area
Lodging
Local Eateries
Gear & Supplies
Other Attractions
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