Numerous lakes and rivers
in Iron and
surrounding counties provide a variety of
recreational activities, such as fishing, swimming, boating,
camping, picnicking and floating.
Fishing includes
smallmouth and largemouth
bass, crappie, bluegill, catfish,
trout (Current
River only) and other species. St. Francis
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River is the site of Missouri's only Whitewater Races in
the spring.
Others of special note are
Clearwater Lake, Shepherd Mountain Lake, Council Bluff Lake,
Wappapello Lake and Black River. Iron County has two golf courses
and is host to at least six different festivals (including a rodeo)
each year.
The beauty and natural wonders of
Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park give it a unique character. Water
cascading between large, smooth rocks, creating natural waterslides,
has made the park a popular recreation destination. 1.5 billion
years ago, hot volcanic ash and gases spewed into the air, then
cooled, forming igneous rock. Later, waters of the Black River
became confined, or "shut-in," to a narrow channel. Water-borne sand
and gravel cut deeply even into this erosion-resistant rock,
swirling, churning, carving potholes, chutes and spectacular
canyon-like gorges.
The area's most unusual recreation site, Elephant Rocks State Park is
aptly named. Red and pink boulders, at least 1.2 billion years old,
stand end-to-end on top of a granite mountain like a parade of
red
circus elephants. The largest of these boulders is 27-ft tall, 35-ft
long, 17-ft wide and weighs 680 tons.
Other attractions include
Sutton Bluff Recreation Area, Sam A. Baker State Park, Silver Mines
Recreation Area, Marble Creek Recreation Area
and Ozark Trail. |
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