The history of the Ozarks started with the French explorers Marquette and Joliet (Morris). When they arrived in 1673, they realized there was no one there and moved on. Next were the Osage Indians. They were originally named Niukonska, which means “people of the middle waters”. They ruled Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Arkansas. They also were very productive by trading with the French and Americans (morris). By 1690 there were seventeen Osage villages. Soon the Cherokee, Shawnee, Peoria, Kickapoo, and Delaware came to their land. They pushed the Osage out a little of their territory (University of Arkansas). Settlers came and pushed the Osage into Oklahoma. Which for the other tribes started the Trail of Tears. The Trail of Tears passed through the Ozarks and other territories.

         The Ozarks have a variety of interesting land forms. It lays between Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and a little part of Illinois (morris). The surface is rugged bluffs and many hillsides. It also has amazing river, streams, lakes, springs and caves. The Ozarks is 50,000 sq miles. The altitude is 400 to 2,500 ft above sea level (morris). The Ozarks is reservoir land. Most of the Ozarks has more caves than any other state. Another beautiful site is the mountains. The two tallest mountains in the Ozarks is the Taum Sauk Mountains and the Boston Mountains. Other extraordinary sites are the rivers and springs. The lakes located in the Ozarks are the Grandglise Creek, Gravois, Niangua River, and the Osage River. The water area are characterized by rocks, water, and trees. The Ozark Springs are the largest in the world (skyward). There are 1,100 springs in Missouri.

          The water region has many glistening lakes, rivers, and ponds. The White River Basin connects to the Missouri River and has six lakes in it. The lakes are Lake Sequoyah, Lake Norfork, Beaver Lake, Table Rock lake, and Taneycomo Shoals (Arkansas Department of parks and tourism). Lake Sequoyah is located in Arkansas. It has many beautiful birds, like the Great Blue Heron. It covers 1,400 acres of land and has 389 acres of water. Lake Norfork is also in Arkansas and is twins with Taneycomo Shoals. The lake is a major recreation center in northern Arkansas. It covers 22,000 acres of water (Norfork lake tourism). Beaver Lake is 28,370 acres in Arkansas. It also has an amazing campground that is 2,008 acres long. It has a 487 mile long shoreline with limestone bluffs. Table Rock is located in Missouri. The shoreline is 800 miles and is 52,300 acres of sparkling water. Another lake is that is connected to the White River Basin is the Osage River. It is located in Missouri and Kansas. The river encompasses 6,841 miles squared. In Missouri it is 3,586 miles long and has 2,364 streams.

         The Ozark mountain region is very beautiful. It has many mountains and hillsides. The only large rugged topography is the Ouachita Mountains (Encyclopedia Britannica). It is located between the Appalachians and the Rocky Mountains in Missouri. The Ouachita covers 1.8 million acres of land. It has many folded ridges and valleys. The central Ouachita Mountains included some places like the Novaculite Uplift, Cossatot River, and the Missouri River (Encyclopedia Britannica). The Boston Mountains is the highest section in the Ozarks reaching a height of 2000 ft. It is located in northwestern Arkansas and northeast Oklahoma. It goes east to west for 200 miles. Just like the Boston Mountains is the Taum Sauk Mountains. It is the highest point in Missouri. It is 7,500 acres with many wonders.

         The animals in the Ozark Mountains are fabulous creatures with many amazing features. There are more than 70 kinds of mammals and 155 kinds of butterflies. There is also 198 species of birds (Ozark Critters). The most easily spotted animal is the Great Horned Owl. The most common animals found in the forest is the White Tailed deer and Wild Turkey. The most common animal in the southwest is the lizard. The Ozark beasts are the Black Bear, Mountain Lion, Bison Caribou, Moose, Elk, and of course the White Tailed deer (Ozark critters). There are also numerous reptiles and amphibians including the timber rattlesnake, garter snake, and the box turtle. Some animals over the years are getting more and more endangered. Animals like the coyote are slowly increasing. Some have increased like the bobcats who used to be threatened. Today there are more than 25 endangered animals (Ozark Critters). The most endangered animals are the Ozark cavefish, Ozark hellbender, and the Ozark big-eared bat.