Northern Missouri
Mineral Hills turns old coal ground into Putnam County public land
Mineral Hills Conservation Area gives Putnam County a coal-mining and forest-recovery story south of Unionville.
Mineral Hills Conservation Area gives Putnam County a landscape story with some grit in it. MDC places the area south of Unionville and notes that parts of it were strip-mined and shaft-mined for coal in the early 20th century.
That history is still part of the ground. The public land now has woods, ponds, hunting, fishing, camping, dog training, and seasonal wildflowers, but the name “Mineral Hills” is not just decorative. It points back to the county’s mining layer.
The recovery angle is what makes the note useful. More than three-quarters of the area is forested, and the land now functions as a public conservation area rather than only an old industrial footprint.
For a visitor, use MDC’s current page and map. The area has practical rules around camping, hunting, roads, water, and seasons, and those details should be checked before a trip.
Where to see it
- Mineral Hills Conservation Area
Use MDC for directions, maps, camping, hunting seasons, and current area rules.
References
Where this fits: this note belongs to Putnam County. See every local note for the county on its page.