The United States Congress

United States Congress

The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....

 designated the Bell Mountain Wilderness in 1980. The wilderness

Wilderness

Wilderness or wildland is a natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by human activity. It may also be defined as: "The most intact, undisturbed wild natural areas left on our planet—those last truly wild places that humans do not control and have not developed with...

 area now has a total of 9027 acres (36.5 km²). Bell Mountain is located within the Potosi-Fredericktown Ranger District of the Mark Twain National Forest

Mark Twain National Forest

Mark Twain National Forest is a U.S. National Forest located in the southern half of Missouri. MTNF was established on September 11, 1939. It is named for author Mark Twain, a Missouri native. The MTNF covers approximately 1.5 million acres , 78,000 acres of which are Wilderness, and National...

, south of Potosi

Potosi, Missouri

Potosi is a city in Washington County, Missouri, United States. Potosi is about 10 miles north of Belgrade. The estimated population in July 2008 was 2,698. It was 2,662 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Washington County...

, Missouri

Missouri

Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...

 in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The wilderness lies in the Saint Francois Mountains

Saint Francois Mountains

The St. Francois Mountains in southeast Missouri are a range of Precambrian igneous mountains rising over the Ozark Plateau. This range is one of the oldest exposures of igneous rock in North America....

 and it was named after its highest point, Bell Mountain (elevation: 1,702). The Bell Mountain Wilderness is one of eight wilderness areas protected and preserved in Missouri. The area is popular for hiking as there are 12 miles (19 km) of trail, including a section of the Ozark Trail

Ozark Trail (hiking trail)

The Ozark Trail is a hiking, backpacking, and, in many places, biking and equestrian trail under construction in the Missouri Ozarks in the United States. It is intended to reach from St. Louis to Arkansas. Over of the trail have been completed as of 2008, and the estimated length when finished...

.

Bell Mountain Wilderness is part of a large parks-and-wilderness area which includes Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park

Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park

Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park is a Missouri state park on the East Fork Black River consisting of in Reynolds County. The park is jointly administered with adjoining Taum Sauk Mountain State Park, and together the two parks cover in the St...

, Taum Sauk Mountain State Park

Taum Sauk Mountain State Park

Taum Sauk Mountain State Park is located in the Saint Francois Mountains in the Missouri Ozarks. It is centered around Taum Sauk Mountain, the highest point in the state....

, and several conservation areas

Missouri Department of Conservation

The Missouri Department of Conservation and the Missouri Conservation Commission were created by Article IV Sections 40-42 of the Missouri Constitution, which were adopted by the voters of the state in 1936 as Amendment 4 to the constitution...

.

See also

• Devils Backbone Wilderness
  Devils Backbone Wilderness
  The Devils Backbone Wilderness is one of eight wilderness areas protected and preserved in the U.S. State of Missouri. The United States Congress designated the wilderness area in 1980, and it now has a total of 6,595 acres...
  
  
• Hercules-Glades Wilderness
• Irish Wilderness
  Irish Wilderness
  The Irish Wilderness is a wilderness area in the U.S. state of Missouri. The United States Congress designated it a wilderness in 1984. The Irish Wilderness is located within the Eleven Point Ranger District, of the Mark Twain National Forest, northeast of Alton, Missouri...
  
  
• Mingo Wilderness
  Mingo Wilderness
  Mingo Wilderness is an 8,000 acre U.S. Wilderness Area located in southeastern Missouri in the Mingo National Wildlife Refuge. It was established and governed under the Wilderness Act of 1964....
  
  
• Paddy Creek Wilderness
  Paddy Creek Wilderness
  The Paddy Creek Wilderness is a wilderness area in the U.S. state of Missouri, United States. The United States Congress designated it wilderness in 1983. Paddy Creek Wilderness is located within the Houston-Rolla Ranger District, of the Mark Twain National Forest, northwest of Licking, Missouri....
  
  
• Piney Creek Wilderness
  Piney Creek Wilderness
  The Piney Creek Wilderness is an wilderness area in the U.S. state of Missouri. The United States Congress designated it wilderness in 1980. The Piney Creek Wilderness is located within the Ava-Cassville-Willow Springs Ranger District, of the Mark Twain National Forest, east of Cassville, Missouri...
  
  
• Rockpile Mountain Wilderness
  Rockpile Mountain Wilderness
  The Rockpile Mountain Wilderness is a wilderness area in the U.S. state of Missouri. It takes its name from an ancient circle of granite rock, piled by some earlier man on top of the mountain. It is located in Madison County, Missouri southeast of Bell Mountain and southwest of Fredericktown,...