NPS
Wilson's Creek National Battlefield is located in southwest Missouri, 10 miles south of the city of Springfield. The park was established in 1960 to commemorate the first Civil War battle west of the Mississippi River.
The park has five caves with around 60 feet of undeveloped cave passages. Topography is gently rolling Springfield Plateau. Primary soils range from deep, stony and chert silt-loam, to shallow mixes (9 to 20 inches in depth) over fractured limestone. Alluvial soils are present along Wilson's Creek and its tributaries. Limestone glades with shallow, rocky soils, scattered throughout the park, support characteristic vegetation, including several rare, protected species.
The National Park Service has restored almost 1,100 acres of disturbed land to oak savanna or historic fields, similar to those present during the battle. Of 140 plant species documented, 110 were native species. Thirty-five species of songbirds, common to the area, have been identified. Bald eagle and other accipiter species, great blue heron (Ardea herodias), killdeer (Charadrius vociferus), American crow, turkey vulture (Cathartes aura), and various waterfowl have been observed.
Monitoring Updates
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Check out the links below for other interesting science information about your park:
Air Quality in Parks
Learn about the air quality at your park and how it has changed over time.
NPS Geodiversity Atlas
An interactive map to explore the full variety of natural geologic (rocks, minerals, sediments, fossils, landforms, and physical processes) and soil resources and processes that occur in your park.
NPSpecies
Find out what plants and animals are present in your park or other parks.
Last updated: June 19, 2020