Grasshopper Hollow Natural Area
Grasshopper Hollow was designated a natural area because of its unique complex of fen communities. There are four types of fens in the area: seep, deep muck, prairie, and forested. A fen is a rare natural community where soils are saturated from the upwelling of mineral-rich groundwater, creating spring rivulets and ooze areas. Fens support a distinct group of plants, and at Grasshopper Hollow several rare or endangered plant and animal species continue to survive.
Seep Fen
A seep fen is a bog-like area characterized by shallow, wet mucky soil. It is dominated by sedges, rushes, and grasses that form tussocks. (A tussock is a small mound of solid vegetation.) This is the most common fen found in the Ozarks and may be located on steep, narrow valley slopes, in ravines, on rock ledges, on glades, on rocky terraces, or at the base of a bluff. There are four seep fens at Grasshopper Hollow where you may find a variety of sedges, rushes, grasses, as well as marsh coneflower, fen goldenrod, and the endangered harebell.
Deep Muck Fen
A deep muck fen is a bog-like area characterized by 15-40 inches or more of deep mucky soil and pools of standing water. Walking across a deep muck fen can be difficult; they are sometimes called the "quicksand" of the Ozarks. Deep muck fens are dominated by sedges and shrubs. At Grasshopper Hollow the dominant species, found in 10 different locations, are various sedges and grasses, royal fern, marsh fern, leafy bulrush, and swamp aster, among alder and willow shrubs.
Prairie Fen
The soil is shallow and gravelly, and the ground water seepage is usually not seen on a prairie fen. A mixture of fen and prairie plants grows here creating a unique and diverse community. At Grasshopper Hollow various sedges and marsh coneflower are common in the wettest areas. The mesic zones contain an assortment of plants including prairie cord grass, prairie dock, big bluestem, western ironweed and common mountain mint. The drier sections are dominated by tall goldenrod and broom sedge. The 10-acre prairie fen at Grasshopper Hollow is the largest prairie fen known in the unglaciated regions of North America.
Forested Fen
The soil of a forested fen is somewhat poorly drained and seasonally saturated from the seeping mineral-rich groundwater and rainwater. Small hummocks are sometimes created around tree clumps. (Hummocks are raised, drier mounds of humus found in a swamp, upon which grow a variety of plants.) The canopy is closed and composed of trees usually found in a bottomland forest. The forested fen at Grasshopper Hollow was heavily cut in the past, but is being restored to its natural quality. Chestnut oak, red maple, hornbeam, green ash, and red elm are the dominant canopy trees with spicebush in the understory. The ground flora, which is concentrated on moss and sedge dominated hummocks, includes swamp agrimony, jewelweed, panic grass, leafy bullrush, golden ragwort, and fen goldenrod.
Wildlife at Grasshopper Hollow
Grasshopper Hollow's remarkable diversity makes it especially good for bird watching. In the spring listen for turkey gobbles and the musical songs of migrating birds. The prothonotary warbler, red-winged blackbird, and the common yellowthroat, attracted by the abundance of seeds and insects, become summer residents. Visiting wood ducks may also use the resources here. If you are especially lucky, you may see the little blue heron, a rare Missouri species, taking frogs or crayfish for its dinner.
The fen provides important habitat for crayfish and snapping turtles. Look for the ridged back of these turtles protruding from the mucky soil at the edge of the pools. Muskrats find abundant vegetation to use in the construction of their houses and feeding huts. Beavers are active creating dams below the deep muck fens. Grasshopper Hollow is also home to the wood frog and the four-toed salamander, rare species in Missouri.
Special Regulations
Hunting, trapping, fishing, and camping are prohibited on the privately owned portion. The collection of plants or animals and vehicular traffic (except on the main access road) are prohibited in all sections of the natural area. Enjoy all other recreational activities normally allowed on the National Forest.
Ownership and Management
There is a cooperative effort by USDA Forest Service, Mark Twain National Forest, the Doe Run Mineral Corporation, and The Nature Conservancy. The Doe Run Mineral Corporation leases its portion of the natural area to The Nature Conservancy who jointly manage the area with the Missouri Department of Conservation and the USDA Forest Service.
Additional Natural Areas
You may wish to visit nearby natural areas on the same day. Listed below are Mark Twain National Forest, Department of Natural Resources, and Missouri Department of Conservation natural areas. For more information on a particular site, check ownership and contact the Forest Service District Ranger office, Superintendent, Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park, or the Department of Conservation Wildlife District Supervisor in the town listed.
- Blair Creek Raised Fen, USFS, Salem, MO
- Lily Pond, TNC/MDC, Piedmont, MO
- Johnson's Shut-Ins, Fen, and Dolomite Glade, DNR, Middlebrook, MO
- Hughes Mountain, MDC, Washington, MO
Size, Location, and Access
Five hundred ninety-three acres in Reynolds County. Portions of sections 30, 31, T32N, R1W, and a portion of section 25, T32N, R2W, in Corridon 7.5 topographical quadrangle. From Bunker take state highway 72 east to forest road 860. Forest road 860 is 1.0 miles past the intersection of 72 and TT. Turn left on 860 and travel 0.6 miles to an old saw mill for parking. Walk the old road to the Grasshopper Hollow Natural Area sign.
REYNOLDS 114 Grasshopper Hollow
Grasshopper Hollow Natural Area
A 593-acre natural area owned by the Mark Twain National Forest, The Nature Conservancy and Doe Run Mineral Corporation. Located northwest of Reynolds in Sections 25, 30 and 31, T32N, R2W, Corridon 7.5 min. topographic map. Access is from a gravel road off Hwy TT. Portions of the natural area were designated on December 16, 1983 and January 24, 1986. The most recent designation which includes the entire fen complex and protects the surface watershed was January 29, 1993.
Natural Features
Grasshopper Hollow contains the largest known fen complex in unglaciated North America. Four fens, ten deep muck fens, a forested fen and a prairie fen as well as nine state-listed plant and animal species occur in this watershed in the Lower Ozarks Section of the Ozark Natural Division. For further information and a brochure of the site contact the District Ranger, Salem Ranger District, 1301 South Main, Salem, MO 65560, phone 314/729-6656; The Nature Conservancy, 2800 S. Brentwood Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63144, phone 314/968- 1105, or Forest Supervisor 401 Fairgrounds Road, Rolla, MO 65401 314/364-4621 TTY
