Missouri may not be known for its towering peaks, but the state does have some wonderful smaller mountains with rich histories. Let’s explore these Ozark and St. Francois mountains through 60 fun riddles! Each riddle provides a clue about a particular Missouri mountain, followed by the answer.
Riddles about Taum Sauk Mountain
What is Missouri’s highest point at 1,772 feet?
Answer: Taum Sauk Mountain
This mountain’s name comes from the Piankashaw Native Americans. What does “Taum Sauk” mean in their language?
Answer: “Highest Mountain”
The source of which Missouri river can be found atop Taum Sauk Mountain?
Answer: The East Fork Black River
Riddles about Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park
What impressive rock formation that looks like a closed waterfall gives this state park its name?
Answer: The Johnson’s Shut-Ins
The East Fork Black River gracefully slides through which type of ancient volcanic rock at Johnson’s Shut-Ins?
Answer: Rhyolite
Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park is located in which Missouri county?
Answer: Reynolds County
Riddles about Elephant Rocks State Park
This state park is known for massive pink granite boulders. What animal do these boulders resemble?
Answer: Elephants
Elephant Rocks State Park offers views of which other awe-inspiring natural area just 10 miles away?
Answer: Johnson’s Shut-Ins
Brave explorers at Elephant Rocks State Park can search for a geocache called “Granite Ghost Town.” What is geocaching?
Answer: An outdoor recreational activity using GPS devices to hide and seek containers
Riddles about the St. Francois Mountains
What is the tallest mountain range in Missouri, with peaks rising over 1,000 feet?
Answer: The St. Francois Mountains
What unique igneous rock only found in this part of the world makes up the core of the St. Francois Mountains?
Answer: Graniteville Granite
This town’s name comes from early French settlers who thought the surrounding mountains resembled which European peaks?
Answer: The Swiss Alps
Riddles about Taum Sauk Mountain State Park
Which 7.5 mile hiking trail takes visitors to the highest point in Missouri?
Answer: The Taum Sauk Mountain Trail
True or false: Devil’s Tollgate was used as a gateway by the Piankashaw tribe for bringing captives to their village near Taum Sauk Mountain.
Answer: True
Taum Sauk Mountain State Park borders which large Missouri state park known for trout fishing?
Answer: Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park
Riddles about Hickory Canyons Natural Area
Tall hickory trees grow up through eroded channels called shut-ins at this beloved natural area. What river flows through the shut-ins here?
Answer: The Huzzah Creek
Hickory Canyons Natural Area features intriguing geological layers from which era?
Answer: The Cambrian era
This colorful wildflower with tall clusters of purple flower spikes grows abundantly across Hickory Canyons in early spring.
Answer: The purple coneflower
Riddles about Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park
Which 8.6 mile trail takes hikers through the unique Shut-Ins area, past Cambrian age rock formations, wildflowers, and the East Fork Black River?
Answer: The Goggins Mountain Trail
Before becoming Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park, the Civilian Conservation Corps helped develop this area in the 1930s for what purpose?
Answer: A state fish hatchery
This scenic 5-mile gravel road with trailheads and access to the East Fork Black River bisects Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park from east to west.
Answer: Park Road 184
Riddles about Onondaga Cave State Park
This state park is named after a stunning commercial limestone cave system over 3 miles long. What is the name of this cave?
Answer: Onondaga Cave
Onondaga Cave stays a consistent 60° F year-round. What geological term describes a cave with a near-constant temperature?
Answer: A thermal cave
The Leggenda–Italian for legend–is one signature formation in Onondaga Cave. What does this formation resemble?
Answer: A giant head or spirit
Riddles about Elephant Rocks State Park
Elephant Rocks State Park offers views of beautiful red granite boulders and rolling hills. What unique geological event formed this landscape?
Answer: A volcanic eruption 1.4 billion years ago
What is the name of the small village located at the base of Elephant Rocks State Park, known as Missouri’s red granite capital?
Answer: Graniteville
This nearby state park located just 12 miles from Elephant Rocks also features impressive billion year-old rhyolite rock formations. What is its name?
Answer: Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park
Riddles about Washington State Park
George and Martha Washington once owned this land that later became one of Missouri’s state parks. What is its name?
Answer: Washington State Park
Washing State Park borders the Big River, which is popular for catching this feisty game fish with razor-sharp teeth.
Answer: Smallmouth bass
The 15-mile long Ozark Trail passes through Washington State Park connecting St. Francois State Park to what other state park further west?
Answer: Taum Sauk Mountain State Park
Riddles about St. Joe State Park
This state park located in the St. Francois Mountains is named after which mineral-rich area early settlers thought resembled wealth?
Answer: The biblical city of St. Joseph, meaning “Saint Wealthy”
When visiting St. Joe State Park, hikers are treated to scenic views of the highest mountains in Missouri–including Proffit, Robinson, and Pilot Knob Mountains–all part of which range?
Answer: The St. Francois Mountains
Wild Azalea Trail is a moderate 2.5 mile loop at St. Joe State Park famous for blooms of Missouri’s state flower in May. What is Missouri’s state flower?
Answer: The fragrant white hawthorn flower
Riddles about Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park
Boulder Beach at Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park has a fun, catchy nickname. What is it?
Answer: Mother Nature’s Waterpark
Which popular swimming hole inside the Shut-Ins has calm, bright blue waters perfect for splashing around in?
Answer: Little Niagara
During the summer months, water flowing over the Black River Shut-Ins reaches temperatures around 50-60°F. In which activity might visitors still take a brisk dip?
Answer: Whitewater kayaking
Riddles about Sam A. Baker State Park
This state park located near Patterson, Missouri features gorgeous views of the St. Francois Mountains. What is its name?
Answer: Sam A. Baker State Park
Dedicated fishermen flock to Sam A. Baker State Park to fish for record-breaking specimens of what brightly-colored game fish from the cold, clear waters of the St. Francois River?
Answer: Rainbow trout
Whose leadership in securing federal funding made it possible to establish Sam A. Baker State Park–along with building Table Rock Lake and Stockton Lake reservoirs?
Answer: Representative Sam A. Baker
Riddles about St. Francois State Park
Local flora and fauna at St. Francois State Park have special adaptations that help them thrive in what type of unusual natural community found on the steep talus slopes and igneous glades?
Answer: A xeric habitat
Which 3.25 mile hiking trail at St. Francois State Park is revered for its panoramic views from Inspiration Point high atop the St. Francois Mountains?
Answer: Robinson View Trail
For a longer day hike at St. Francois State Park, experienced hikers attempt the 8-mile long Ridge Runner Trail from Proffit Mountain to what other landmark in the park?
Answer: Inspiration Point Overlook
Riddles about Lake Wappapello State Park
Lake Wappapello State Park offers beaches, boating, fishing, and gorgeous views of what large reservoir lake dammed during the Great Depression?
Answer: Lake Wappapello
Completed in 1941, the Lake Wappapello Dam was constructed primarily by a New Deal public works agency known by what 3-letter abbreviation?
Answer: The CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps)
Standing nearly 700 feet long and soaring 100 feet high, the Lake Wappapello Dam protects against flooding and generates hydroelectric power. Along which major Missouri river is this dam situated?
Answer: The St. Francis River
Riddles about Big Sugar Creek State Park
This state park located in the Ozark Mountains is named after a cold, clear trout stream running through pine and oak forested hills. What is it called?
Answer: Big Sugar Creek State Park
Big Sugar Creek inside the park is most renowned for fishing of rainbow, brown, and brook what?
Answer: Trout
The park’s Civilian Conservation Corps Shelter was constructed in 1938 and today serves as the trailhead for which scenic 3-mile hiking trail following the upper section of Big Sugar Creek?
Answer: The CCC Trail
Riddles about Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park
Which unique camping opportunity allows visitors to sleep inches away from the roar of the Black River rapids at Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park?
Answer: Camping at Riverside Campground
Thrill-seeking kayakers and rafters run Lower Mammoth Rapid Class IV+ rapids during ideal water levels on which Missouri river flowing through the park?
Answer: The East Fork of the Black River
The 2.5-mile long Ozark Trail section in Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park is revered for spring sightings of vibrant scarlet flowers belonging to which native tree?
Answer: Redbud trees
Riddles about Elephant Rocks State Park
True or false: Elephant Rocks State Park allows camping in tents or RVs year-round.
Answer: False. Elephant Rocks is a day-use park only.
This 3.3-mile long gravel trail loops around Elephant Rocks’ namesake giant pink granite boulders and offers access to a cool, shaded picnic area. What is it called?
Answer: The Braille Trail
Which French immigrant and owner of Missouri’s historic Iron Mountain granite quarry helped establish Elephant Rocks as a state park in 1967 to protect its unique geological formations?
Answer: Francois de Sales Lesueur II
Riddles about Trail of Tears State Park
This state park near Jackson, Missouri is named after the infamous route Native Americans were forced to march from their homelands east of the Mississippi River. What is it called?
Answer: Trail of Tears State Park
A museum at Trail of Tears State Park bears what name given to Cherokee leader who reluctantly led survivors on the Trail Where They Cried–yet unsuccessfully pleaded their case before the Supreme Court?
Answer: Chief John Ross, also called Guwisguwi or “He Who Puts Things in Order”
What was the name of the deadly disease that spread rapidly amongst Cherokees held in disease-ridden internment camps before their long, sorrowful walk west in winter 1838?
Answer: Measles
Riddles about Meramec State Park
For outstanding trout fishing, outdoor enthusiasts head to Meramec State Park along the cold waters of which tributary stream?
Answer: Huzzah Creek
Visitors to Meramec State Park can explore more than 40 miles of hiking trails, including 14 miles of which famous long-distance trail?
Answer: The Ozark Trail
Constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps, rustic log and stone cabins built in the 1930s allow overnight guests at Meramec State Park to sleep where?
Answer: On the banks bluffs overlooking the Meramec River
