Conservation Area

The Missouri Department of Conservation administers more than 975,000 acres for wildlife habitat for public recreation.  About 615,000 of these acres are forest.  The MDC’s emphasis of acquiring substantial new acreage has shifted to that of being more focused on improving infrastructure and access to existing conservation areas.  There is always an ongoing effort to manage habitat to benefit wildlife.

These state managed lands provide a variety of environmental benefits including wildlife habitat, watershed protection, scenic beauty, wood products, and outdoor recreation.  One such outdoor recreational sport is that of horseback riding. Horseback riding is permitted on roads and trails open to vehicle traffic, and on specially designated trails within the Conservation Areas.  Some trails may be closed or have limited access at various times during the year, especially during the hunting season.

There are more than 50 conservation areas that allow horseback riding, with a total of more than 600 miles of trail.  We are very fortunate in Missouri to have so many trails available to us Missouri Trailblazers.