Hercules-Glades Wilderness
Hercules-Glades Wilderness is a 12,423-acre wilderness area in Taney County, Missouri. It rises from about 721 to 1,379 ft. The nearest town is Taneyville, 3.7 miles away in a straight line.
Hercules-Glades Wilderness map
Hercules-Glades Wilderness boundary from USGS PAD-US or the managing agency, simplified for display. Not for navigation or legal boundaries.
Fire restrictions
Fire restriction orders for this unit are not tracked here yet. Restrictions change with the season, so check the current orders before any campfire, stove or target shooting.
Common questions
- The maximum group size at Hercules-Glades Wilderness is 10.
- Campfires are prohibited in some areas: Prohibited within 100 feet of listed features.
- Taneyville, MO is the nearest town, 3.7 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance).
- The highest ground in Hercules-Glades Wilderness is about 1,379 ft, and its lowest about 721 ft (USGS 3DEP elevation model). Its highest named summit is Upper Pilot Knob, about 1,289 ft.
Who manages Hercules-Glades Wilderness
| Agency | Acres | Permit | Group size | Stay limit | Office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Service | 12,423 | Not on record | 10 | Not on record | Ava Ranger District, 417-683-4428 |
Getting to Hercules-Glades Wilderness
- Taneyville, MO is the nearest town, 3.7 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance). (US Census places, accessed 2026-09-30)
Trailheads at Hercules-Glades Wilderness
- Blair Trailhead - Hercules (0.01 mi outside the boundary, 1,308 ft), at 36.6654, -92.9024
- Hercules Glades Tower Trailhead (0.01 mi outside the boundary, 1,377 ft), at 36.6847, -92.8831 (mapped on OpenStreetMap)
- Hercules Wilderness - Coy Bald (0.09 mi outside the boundary, 975 ft), at 36.6851, -92.9597
Trailhead locations: Forest Service recreation sites layer , accessed 2026-09-30. Elevations from USGS 3DEP.
Trailheads mapped on OpenStreetMap: © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License , accessed 2026-09-30. The extract used here, with distances from the boundary: osm-trailheads-mo.json. Where an agency layer lists the same trailhead, the agency's point is shown instead.
Named summits, canyons, and springs in Hercules-Glades Wilderness
- Upper Pilot Knob summit
- Lower Pilot Knob summit
- Coy Bald summit
Features whose official location is inside the boundary, from the USGS Geographic Names Information System, accessed 2026-09-30. Summit elevations measured on the USGS 3DEP elevation model, which can read a few feet under a surveyed summit height.
Public lands next to Hercules-Glades Wilderness
- National forestHercules-Glades Wilderness lies inside Mark Twain National Forest.
Measured between the units' boundaries as mapped in USGS PAD-US. Distances are straight line, not driving.
Other wilderness areas in Missouri
- wilderness.net (accessed 2026-09-30)
- prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com (accessed 2026-09-30)
- prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com (accessed 2026-09-30)
- www2.census.gov (accessed 2026-09-30)
- apps.fs.usda.gov (accessed 2026-09-30)
- openstreetmap.org (accessed 2026-09-30)