Ozarks (Rural)
Crooked Creek Conservation Area sits on an impact-crater rim
MDC says Crooked Creek Conservation Area is a 337-acre Crawford County area on an outcrop that is the rim of an ancient meteor-impact crater.
Crooked Creek Conservation Area makes geology part of a Crawford County walk. MDC describes it as a 337-acre conservation area in the middle of the county.
The unusual part is the ground itself. MDC says the area lies on an outcrop that is actually the rim of an impact crater created by a meteor strike thousands of years ago. The official page also describes a short linear trail through oak-hickory and shortleaf pine hills.
That makes the place a good little “wait, really?” stop for Crawford County. It is not another access on a float stream and not another cave entrance. It is a wooded Ozark hike where the reason to pay attention is underfoot: the public land sits on a visible piece of an old impact story.
Where to see it
- Crooked Creek Conservation Area
Use MDC for the area map, trail, rules, and impact-crater context.
References
More from Crawford County: browse every local note for the county.
Last checked against the sources above: July 16, 2026.