Johnson Shut Ins, MO

Welcome to the Ozarks, eight years ago we briefly travelled through the southern Ozarks and found it very beautiful. We agreed that someday we must return. This year the Ozarks made it to the top of the waitlist and I have planned five days touring slowly through the area. 

Our first stop, we soon learn, is an epic swimming hole, and in Hartman fashion we arrived early and had the entire area to ourselves before others trickled in. I had never heard the term shut-in before but luckily it refers to an area specifically in the Ozarks where the stream constricts around these rock formations leading to fun chutes and white water interrupted by beautiful pools that may be difficult to hike down to, but reward you with an epic swim hole. Fitz went sliding through the small rapids and jumping off some of the shorter rocks. Everest climbed the rocks and treated the water like a lazy river treadmill, repeatedly returning upriver to relax on the float down. Maple mixed potions in the small puddles along the waters edge. The unexpected exciting geology of the area had us trying to drag Amy out of the visitor center but also lead to our eyes glued to the ground, regularly finding elaborate agates mixed in along the trails and streams edge.  

Since we are learning, the entire area is surrounded by a Fen, a wetland specifically fed from groundwater not from rains. The groundwater often seeps over into the road in these parts and the bus gets to splash in the stream like us from time to time.

Time to move on to another swimming hole further into Mark Twain National Forest.