Boone's Lick State Historic Site and the salt springs

Boone’s Lick State Historic Site preserves the salt springs that helped give the Boonslick region its name. Missouri State Parks manages the site.

The name has a real reason behind it. Salt was valuable in early Missouri, and the “lick” was the briny spring area tied to salt-making and the Boone family. That gives Howard County a small but concrete place where the settlement story is still visible on the ground. The site helps explain why this part of Missouri is still called the Boonslick region.

For a visit, use Missouri State Parks for the location, hours, access, and trail conditions. Those details can change, so check the state page before assuming the grounds or trails are open.