Land and Geology


  • A large bluff partly covered by trees and vines stands tall winding a similar path as the flowing river next to it. Both fade around a bend blocked by a thick canopy of trees.

    Pathway to the Past

    One of Missouri’s grandest portals to rare lifeforms can be found on the highest point overlooking the Meramec River.

  • Several cows graze in an open field, contained within a smaller area by fencing.

    Paying it Forward

    Missouri’s Soil and Water Conservation Program provides cost-share funding for practices that assist landowners in all of Missouri’s 114 counties…

  • The interior of a cave facing the bright opening, obscured by the silhouette of a hand held up fingers splayed.

    The Dark Side of Missouri’s Geology

    If you’re afraid of the dark, you definitely don’t want to get stuck in a cave. One of Missouri’s enduring…

  • People in a flat open boat with low sides float next to a line of floating containment bouys on a large lake next to a wooded area.

    MoDNR Matters

    The Missouri Department of Natural Resources manages Missouri’s natural resources to ensure long-term sustainability while providing invaluable benefits to Missouri’s…

  • It’s a Meteorite!

    Have you ever been charmed by the glint of an unknown rock? Does learning about its true origin intrigue you?…

  • Two people sit at a table with various papers and maps, discussing a piece of paper being held by one of them.

    Engineering a Better Future

    Engineers, professionals who are tasked with understanding and applying those concepts, bring a valuable skillset to the work the Missouri…

  • A collage of photographs. In the middle of the collage is a logo that says "MoDNR Photo Contest"

    The 2025 MoDNR Photo Contest

    This year marked the twelfth year of the MoDNR Photo Contest and the 410 entries we received didn’t disappoint. The…

  • Photo of people walking along a path in a cave.

    Let There be Light!

    The Missouri State Parks team flipped the switch at Onondaga Cave State Park for a much-awaited reopening of the cave,…

  • Mud dried and cracked.

    Reinventing Resilience

    Missouri’s weather over the past three years has been just as arid as stretches of the Dust Bowl of the…

  • Photo of a river flowing through rocks of various sizes surrounded by trees.

    Searching for Missouri’s lost Silver Mine

    For nearly 500 years, legends ­— usually of Spanish colonial origin — of a lost silver mine have spread across…

Graphic: MoDNR photo contest logo and text that says, "enter starting April 1." The graphic links to a webpage with details about the contest.