Missouri
Missouri is an outdoor gem that adventurers do not always want to share. Missouri offers some of the best nature destinations the Midwest has to offer. Now, we know the midwest can be pretty intimidating. It may not also be the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of adventure. However, between beautiful lakes and endless miles of wilderness, Missouri may just be what you are looking for for your next adventure.
Geography
Missouri is one of the two states in the United States that are bound by the greatest number of states. The state is beautifully landlocked. It is bordered by eight states from all of its sides. There is Iowa to its north, Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee to the east. Then there is Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska to its west. To its south is Arkansas.
Just because it is landlocked does not mean that Missouri is dry. Missouri, after all, is named after the biggest river coursing through the state: the Missouri River. The Missouri River flows from the west to the east of the state, connecting Kansas City and St. Louis. This abundance of fresh water from its rivers and its lakes allowed Missouri to have diverse flora and fauna.
Missouri was also one of the first states in the country to take good care of their forests seriously. Fights against grazing, logging, and mining in Missouri’s wilderness were tense as early as the 1930s. Of course, by 1964, all of it bore fruit when the Wilderness Act was passed. The act states that wilderness areas are “where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by men, where himself is a visitor and does not remain”.
History
Missouri is studied to have been inhabited by humans for at least 12,000 years. However, unlike other states, indigenous populations thrived here but also declined. This left Missouri mostly deserted until the Europeans arrived.
While Missouri today is definitely known as part of the country’s midwest, it has not always been that way. Missouri was historically a border state, a geopolitical term used during the American Civil War. It refers to the state’s role in the American Civil War when they held somewhat of a neutral position. This makes their ‘vote’ definitive of what would be the total outcome of the war.
Weather
Missouri has two climate types: humid continental on its northern more elevated parts and humid subtropical on its south. In general, the climate is cool with occasional cold winters. The summers tend to be hot, humid, and wet, especially in the southern parts. This is precisely what makes the South an ideal place for agriculture,
One thing to keep in mind though is that Missouri is located in Tornado Alley. This means that Missouri receives more extreme weathers like thunderstorms and tornadoes more than the average state.
Tourism
Missouri boasts a pretty great wilderness that tourists and adventurers all around the world fly to see. National parks and recreational areas in Missouri are so popular that it accounts for (at least) 25% of the state’s operating expenditures.
Some of the nature destinations you do not want to miss out on are Forest Park, Lake of the Ozarks, Elephant Rocks State Park, and Ha Ha Tonka State Park.
Key information about Missouri
📍 Area: 180,560 km2
👥 Population: 6,151,548
🏛️ Capital: Jefferson City
🏢 Major cities: St. Louis, Springfield, Branson
🔢 Number of counties: 114
📋 Postal Abbreviation: MO
📖 Primary language/s: English, Spanish
📌 Nearby states: Tennessee, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Oklahoma
Adventure Guides In Missouri
