I decided to start a separate thread on Big Rock Candy Mountain and The Sunklands Conservation Area.
Ted and his wife camped at Big Rock Candy Mountain Hwy B Jadwin Missouri. (417-932-1223) Big Rock is owned by a really nice couple, Roger and Lela Franklin. Before I go on, some explanation is in order. You could describe Big Rock Candy Mountain as being located in the THREE CORNERS AREA. That being Dent, Shannon, and Texas Counties. You can be in any of the three Counties in probably Five minutes from Big Rock Candy Mountain. The easiest way to get to Big Rock Candy Mountain would be to take Hwy 63 to Houston Missouri and take State Highway B through Raymondville, and keep on going to almost the end of B Highway in Shannon County. If you get to the Cedar Grove River Access on Current River you went about three miles to far. Big Rock Candy Mountain has Cabins, RV Parking with both 30A and 50A hook-ups, as well as primitive camping. They have a Shower House and a nice Swimming Pool which may be heated, Not sure about that. The Restaurant is open Thursday - Sunday. Not sure of exactly what hours. A favorite dish of ours is Steak Nachos. The Half Order is $25 and is about all two of you can eat. I believe a Full Order comes on one of those Big Round Trays like the old Coke Trays. Probably would feed Four easily.
As I said above, Cedar Grove River access is probably three miles on past Big Rock. Keep going for probably another Ten Minutes and you will be at Flat Nasty Off Road Park. Ted made the trip and took a few reasonable trails in the Flat Nasty Off Road Park.
SUNKLANDS CONSERVATION AREA
Getting into the Sunklands Conservation Area:
Turn off highway 17 onto K just out side of Summersville. Stay on K at the K/KK intersection like you are going to Akers Ferry. Look for Shannon County road KD on the Right.
In Summersville take State Highway JJ out of town. Highway YY will fork off of it. Both JJ and YY both end up in the Sunklands.
You can also get into the Sunklands off Shannon County Road 324 that turns off State Highway 19 at Round Spring.
You can also get into the Sunklands off Shannon County Road 325 which turns of State Highway D.
Ted and his wife drove to Eminence the County Seat of Shannon County mostly through the woods. . The route they took was very scenic. Just past Big Rock Candy Mountain's entrance Shannon County Road 385 takes you past Big Creek Trail Rides, and ends up on K Highway near Hartshorn Missouri. You turn Left on K Highway and go approximately One Quarter Mile and turn Right on Shannon County Road KD which tales you in to the Sunklands Missouri Department of Conservation Area. You will need to stay on MDC Road 360 (North/South) until you intersect MDC Road 350 (East/West). Turn Left (East). You keep driving East until you hit a Four Way Intersection. The road's Right and Left will be Shannon County Road 325. Going Left 325 will dead end after several miles. Turn Right and you will end up on Missouri Highway D. Missouri State Highway D runs between Highway 106 and Highway 19. Turning Left on D will take you to Highway 19 in probably three or Four miles I would guess. Turn Right on 19 and you will end up in Eminence.
Back to the Four Way Intersection. Going straight across gets you on Shannon County Road 324 which comes out on State Highway 19 at Round Spring. Turn right and this will take you to Eminence. Turn Left and you will be at Car's Canoe Rental Store just across the Highway 19 Bridge. About a quarter of a mile to the store.
BIG NOTE: Eminence is 4 Wheeler and Side By Side Friendly. Eminence has a very nice Mexican Restaurant, a REALLY NICE Dairy Shack, Convenience Store, Western Hat Store, Saddle Shop, and more. Note the Dairy Shack is closed in the Winter.
ANOTHER BIG NOTE: Going to Round Spring on Shannon County Road 324 might get you in contact with Federal Park Rangers at Round Spring. Not sure if they will bother you on State Highway 19 or not. You probably would not run into a Park Ranger, but you could. I took this route Friday to get all the Road Numbers straight driving my Jeep Wrangler, and did not run into any Park Rangers.
Back to MDC Road 350 (East/West). Going West through the Sunkland's on MDC 350 will take you to State Highway YY. State Highway YY will intersect into State Highway JJ and come out beside the Post Office in Summersville Missouri. Summersville has a nice Mexican Restaurant, a nice regular Restaurant, a Nice Small Town Grocery Store on the Square, an Auto Parts Store and Nathans Tire Shop (Monday-Friday).
Going back to the Sunklands on JJ from Summersville, if you do not turn on to highway YY you will end up on MDC Road 340, Left at the Intersection. When you get to this intersection turning left you will be on MDC 340, going Right will take you back to MDC 350.
THE SUNKLANDS IS A BEST KEPT SECRET Imagine 40,804 Acres of woods with trails everywhere that you can Four Wheel on. Lots of Primitive Camp Sights. The main Roads on the Map are all white rock and mostly in good repair. This can be impacted by a heavy rain washing out a road up of down a hill. Then we have non maintained trails (Logging Roads) everywhere. I am 100% sure the best time to Four Wheel unimproved roads would be after the leaves come off. Having a chain saw to clear trails would also be a good idea. I am not sure when the camping areas and road shoulders are mowed. I am guessing just before deer season, and possibly during the Summer. It might be a plan to bring a lawn mower and tick pellets to spread on a camp site, if camping in the Sunklands. I probably drove on 30 miles in and around the Sunklands Friday and did not see a soul. If you are Solo and break something or get stuck, you might have a very long walk out.
Missouri Department of Conservation has a Sunklands Map available. County Roads are not marked on this map for beans. On the East end of MDC 350 where it ends on the map, you can see some White Lines faintly. The lines are Shannon County Roads 324 and 325. Probably a good plan to mark over the White Lines with something you can see.
On the West end of MDC 350 you will need to extend the road lines to Hwy YY.
On the South end of MDC 340 you will need to extend the road markings West to State Highway JJ.
KD off of highway K is marked on the map.
NOTE: JJ and KK are only marked where they are black top road. When they turn to gravel they are no longer visible on the map.
I am pretty sure if one does enough four wheeling on the unimproved roads, they will come out at INK, and on other Shannon County Gravel Roads.
I would suggest getting at a minimum a Shannon County UTV/ATV Permit for running around in and around the Sunklands, and if you are going to Cedar Grove, Flat Nasty or Montauk State Park I would also suggest getting a Dent County ATV/UTV Permit. Note both permits are PERMANENT. Driving on Texas County Highways K, KK, JJ, YY, and B as far as Raymondville I would not worry about a Texas County Permit, no more that you might be on one of those roads. NOTE: Texas County ATV/UTV Permits renew yearly. The current one expires (3/31/27). If anyone is interested in Shannon County or Dent County Permits, I can check on Mail Ordering them. I am sure a Money Order, Stamped Self Addressed Envelope, a copy of your Drivers License and Insurance Card should be all you would need.
Also as Ted mentioned you have miles of gravel roads you can drive on in this area also.
Do some research, you will be impressed with all the area you can drive your Roxor on around the Sunklands.
Bob R
Ted and his wife camped at Big Rock Candy Mountain Hwy B Jadwin Missouri. (417-932-1223) Big Rock is owned by a really nice couple, Roger and Lela Franklin. Before I go on, some explanation is in order. You could describe Big Rock Candy Mountain as being located in the THREE CORNERS AREA. That being Dent, Shannon, and Texas Counties. You can be in any of the three Counties in probably Five minutes from Big Rock Candy Mountain. The easiest way to get to Big Rock Candy Mountain would be to take Hwy 63 to Houston Missouri and take State Highway B through Raymondville, and keep on going to almost the end of B Highway in Shannon County. If you get to the Cedar Grove River Access on Current River you went about three miles to far. Big Rock Candy Mountain has Cabins, RV Parking with both 30A and 50A hook-ups, as well as primitive camping. They have a Shower House and a nice Swimming Pool which may be heated, Not sure about that. The Restaurant is open Thursday - Sunday. Not sure of exactly what hours. A favorite dish of ours is Steak Nachos. The Half Order is $25 and is about all two of you can eat. I believe a Full Order comes on one of those Big Round Trays like the old Coke Trays. Probably would feed Four easily.
As I said above, Cedar Grove River access is probably three miles on past Big Rock. Keep going for probably another Ten Minutes and you will be at Flat Nasty Off Road Park. Ted made the trip and took a few reasonable trails in the Flat Nasty Off Road Park.
SUNKLANDS CONSERVATION AREA
Getting into the Sunklands Conservation Area:
Turn off highway 17 onto K just out side of Summersville. Stay on K at the K/KK intersection like you are going to Akers Ferry. Look for Shannon County road KD on the Right.
In Summersville take State Highway JJ out of town. Highway YY will fork off of it. Both JJ and YY both end up in the Sunklands.
You can also get into the Sunklands off Shannon County Road 324 that turns off State Highway 19 at Round Spring.
You can also get into the Sunklands off Shannon County Road 325 which turns of State Highway D.
Ted and his wife drove to Eminence the County Seat of Shannon County mostly through the woods. . The route they took was very scenic. Just past Big Rock Candy Mountain's entrance Shannon County Road 385 takes you past Big Creek Trail Rides, and ends up on K Highway near Hartshorn Missouri. You turn Left on K Highway and go approximately One Quarter Mile and turn Right on Shannon County Road KD which tales you in to the Sunklands Missouri Department of Conservation Area. You will need to stay on MDC Road 360 (North/South) until you intersect MDC Road 350 (East/West). Turn Left (East). You keep driving East until you hit a Four Way Intersection. The road's Right and Left will be Shannon County Road 325. Going Left 325 will dead end after several miles. Turn Right and you will end up on Missouri Highway D. Missouri State Highway D runs between Highway 106 and Highway 19. Turning Left on D will take you to Highway 19 in probably three or Four miles I would guess. Turn Right on 19 and you will end up in Eminence.
Back to the Four Way Intersection. Going straight across gets you on Shannon County Road 324 which comes out on State Highway 19 at Round Spring. Turn right and this will take you to Eminence. Turn Left and you will be at Car's Canoe Rental Store just across the Highway 19 Bridge. About a quarter of a mile to the store.
BIG NOTE: Eminence is 4 Wheeler and Side By Side Friendly. Eminence has a very nice Mexican Restaurant, a REALLY NICE Dairy Shack, Convenience Store, Western Hat Store, Saddle Shop, and more. Note the Dairy Shack is closed in the Winter.
ANOTHER BIG NOTE: Going to Round Spring on Shannon County Road 324 might get you in contact with Federal Park Rangers at Round Spring. Not sure if they will bother you on State Highway 19 or not. You probably would not run into a Park Ranger, but you could. I took this route Friday to get all the Road Numbers straight driving my Jeep Wrangler, and did not run into any Park Rangers.
Back to MDC Road 350 (East/West). Going West through the Sunkland's on MDC 350 will take you to State Highway YY. State Highway YY will intersect into State Highway JJ and come out beside the Post Office in Summersville Missouri. Summersville has a nice Mexican Restaurant, a nice regular Restaurant, a Nice Small Town Grocery Store on the Square, an Auto Parts Store and Nathans Tire Shop (Monday-Friday).
Going back to the Sunklands on JJ from Summersville, if you do not turn on to highway YY you will end up on MDC Road 340, Left at the Intersection. When you get to this intersection turning left you will be on MDC 340, going Right will take you back to MDC 350.
THE SUNKLANDS IS A BEST KEPT SECRET Imagine 40,804 Acres of woods with trails everywhere that you can Four Wheel on. Lots of Primitive Camp Sights. The main Roads on the Map are all white rock and mostly in good repair. This can be impacted by a heavy rain washing out a road up of down a hill. Then we have non maintained trails (Logging Roads) everywhere. I am 100% sure the best time to Four Wheel unimproved roads would be after the leaves come off. Having a chain saw to clear trails would also be a good idea. I am not sure when the camping areas and road shoulders are mowed. I am guessing just before deer season, and possibly during the Summer. It might be a plan to bring a lawn mower and tick pellets to spread on a camp site, if camping in the Sunklands. I probably drove on 30 miles in and around the Sunklands Friday and did not see a soul. If you are Solo and break something or get stuck, you might have a very long walk out.
Missouri Department of Conservation has a Sunklands Map available. County Roads are not marked on this map for beans. On the East end of MDC 350 where it ends on the map, you can see some White Lines faintly. The lines are Shannon County Roads 324 and 325. Probably a good plan to mark over the White Lines with something you can see.
On the West end of MDC 350 you will need to extend the road lines to Hwy YY.
On the South end of MDC 340 you will need to extend the road markings West to State Highway JJ.
KD off of highway K is marked on the map.
NOTE: JJ and KK are only marked where they are black top road. When they turn to gravel they are no longer visible on the map.
I am pretty sure if one does enough four wheeling on the unimproved roads, they will come out at INK, and on other Shannon County Gravel Roads.
I would suggest getting at a minimum a Shannon County UTV/ATV Permit for running around in and around the Sunklands, and if you are going to Cedar Grove, Flat Nasty or Montauk State Park I would also suggest getting a Dent County ATV/UTV Permit. Note both permits are PERMANENT. Driving on Texas County Highways K, KK, JJ, YY, and B as far as Raymondville I would not worry about a Texas County Permit, no more that you might be on one of those roads. NOTE: Texas County ATV/UTV Permits renew yearly. The current one expires (3/31/27). If anyone is interested in Shannon County or Dent County Permits, I can check on Mail Ordering them. I am sure a Money Order, Stamped Self Addressed Envelope, a copy of your Drivers License and Insurance Card should be all you would need.
Also as Ted mentioned you have miles of gravel roads you can drive on in this area also.
Do some research, you will be impressed with all the area you can drive your Roxor on around the Sunklands.
Bob R
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