Ava/Cassville/Willow Springs Ranger District
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Visitors to Ava/Cassville/Willow Springs District will find different landscapes,
contrasting the typical oak-hickory forests of the Midwest.
Open areas of native tall prairie grasses characterized by dry, shallow soils
and limestone outcroppings are reminiscent of the historic pioneer trails
to the Old West not far away.
The unique blending of eastern forest and western desert habitats makes a home
for such varied wildlife as the bald eagle and the roadrunner, armadillos and
wild turkey, white-tailed deer and black bears.
The sunlit balds and deep hollows, narrow ridgetops and steep slopes, secluded pastures and clear streams characteristic of the Ozarks are the trademark of Cassville Area. This is the landscape so eloquently described in Harold Bell Wright's famous book, The Shepherd of the Hills.
Nearby vacation destinations -- Branson, Silver Dollar City and Table Rock Lake -- make Cassville one of Missouri's favorite playgrounds.
If you drive through this area, you will be delighted at every turn by scenic views; hike your way, and you will find solitude and tranquility.
The beautiful North Fork River is the pride of Willow Springs Area.
A total of nine major springs flow into the river; two of the largest, Big
Springs and Blue Spring, contribute some 18 million gallons of cold,
clear water every day. The river is popular with canoeists as well as anglers.
Devils Backbone Wilderness, one of seven Congressionally-designated Wilderness
Areas on Mark Twain National Forest, offers nearly 6,600 acres accessible
from North Fork Recreation Area.
Main Office
Ava/Cassville/Willow Springs District Office
1103 S Jefferson
Ava, MO 65608
(417) 683-4428
(417) 683-4464 TTY
Cassville Office
Ava/Cassville/Willow Springs District Office
Highway 248 East
Cassville, MO 65625
(417)847-2144
(417) 847-5294 TTY
Willow Springs Office
Closed
Quickpicks (location
map of all Recreation Areas for this area).
Sugar Camp National Scenic Byway - Piney
Creek Wilderness
Blue Buck Knob National Scenic Byway - Devils
Backbone Wilderness
Canoe Rentals - Outfitter and Guide Services authorized by the US Forest Service
Link below to
ATV Regulations
![(icon) atv](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090119161545im_/http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/marktwain/recreation/sites/images/icons/atv0.jpg)
Two areas on Mark Twain National Forest are set aside for ATV use:
Chadwick on Ava/Cassville/Wilow
Springs District and
Sutton Bluff
on Salem District
Riders
A free brochure for Chadwick is available.
Call 573-364-4621 or 417-683-4428 for a copy.
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