Mark Twain National Forest

In the mid 1800s a Catholic priest, Father John Hogan of St Louis, had a dream of a place where Irish immigrants could escape the oppression of urban life in St. Louis. It was in this wild area of the Missouri Ozarks that Father Hogan established a settlement that would forever after bear the name of its first European settlers, the Irish Wilderness. It was here that Father Hogan said people could "so profoundly worship as in the depth of that leafy forest... where solitude and the heart of man united in praise and wonder of the Great Creator." The timing of the fated settlement however was not right, as the Civil War soon erupted. The Irish Wilderness was caught in the middle, becoming a "no man's land," and was raided by both Union and Confederate troops as well as bushwackers. It is not certain what happened to Father Hogan's Irish immigrants, but after the war they were gone. The mystery of the Irish immigrants is part of the character of the land today. Since that time the area has been logged and grazed clean of vegetation. But today, because of the efforts of the Civilian Conservation Corps, the Forest Service, and the amazing healing ability of the land, the Irish Wilderness again has regained the same character that Father Hogan found.

The Irish is characterized by a rolling to steep topography with a wide variety of Karst topography features such as sinkholes, disappearing streams, and caves. Elevations range from less than 500 feet near the Eleven Point River to over 900 feet in the northeast corner near Camp Five Pond. One of the major features, Whites Creek Cave, is a spacious walk-in cavern about 1600 feet long, containing numerous crystalline formations.

Whites Creek, the principle stream in the Irish, flows cool and fresh in the spring, but during the long, hot summers, much of the creek dries up, with only a few scattered pools remaining. Other small streams flow along the surface in short stretches to disappear underground and emerge again at numerous small springs throughout the area. The western boundary of the Irish is adjacent to the Eleven Point National Scenic River.

The Irish is dominated by an oak-hickory forest with scattered native shortleaf pine. A variety of ground vegetation also exists, including an abundance of smaller trees, such as flowering dogwood, persimmon, and sassafras, as well as shrubs, grasses, and herbaceous plants. Along the Eleven Point River, occasional black walnut and associated hardwood river bottom species can be found. A few old growth stands remain, but the majority of trees are less than 50 years old.

White-tailed deer, squirrel, coyote, bobcat, raccoon, rabbits, and the gray fox are common. Occasionally a black bear will use the area. There are also a variety of birds such as eastern wild turkey, hawks, owls, turkey vultures, herons, pileated woodpeckers, and many small song birds. Rattlesnakes, copperheads, and the eastern cottonmouth can also be encountered within the Irish.

The major travelway within the Irish Wilderness is the 18.6 mile Whites Creek Trail. From the trailhead at Camp Five Pond to the Eleven Point River, a visitor will experience a wide variety of natural terrain and geographical relief. From the relatively flat land at the beginning, hikers traverse many ecological zones including dried creekbeds, grasslands, glades, bluff country, and several breathtaking points overlooking the scenic Eleven Point River. Whites Creek Trail is not designed for horse use; however, horse use is permitted. There are three short spur trails from the main trail at Fiddler Spring, Whites Creek Float Camp, and Bliss Spring. There is also trail access near Brawley Pond.

Scenic attractions include Fiddler and Bliss Springs, both cool and refreshing places to stop for a break. Also of interest are Whites Creek Cave and other caves along the trail around Whites Creek, steep limestone bluffs overlooking the Eleven Point River, and the unique plant and wildlife communities.