Marion County High Point Trip Report
three unnamed Areas on Zinc and Pyatt quadrangles (1,340+ ft)
Date: August 15, 2001
Author: Hans Haustein
Marion County's highpoints are located in the west-central part of the county. The following directions are
from Dodd City, there are several other routes to the highpoint areas.
From the junction of US Hwy. 62 and State Hwy. 125, go north on Hwy. 125 for 6.5 miles to Dodd City
and go west (left) on Marion County Road 3021 and continue southwest, after 1.9 miles the pavement ends
and the road becomes gravel. The road continues southwest and then turns west, there are a lot of side
roads that intersect MC 3021. A communications tower is visible along this road to the west. This is the
highpoint destination. Four miles from where the pavement ends a road intersects from the south and is
signed Sunview Lane. The sign seems to represent a county road but there is a gate that is locked. There is
a trailer along the road a couple hundred feet past the gate. The communications tower is located across the
lane from the trailer. I wasn't keen on the idea of crossing the fence by the locked gate to walk up to the
trailer, but I saw a couple of men working at the base of the tower, so I got their attention and they
motioned me inside. I explained what I was doing, and they told me that owners of the property lived in the
trailer across the lane. I surely would have not knocked on this trailer door if those guys hadn't been nearby.
I climbed the rickety set of stairs to the door and knocked, no answer. On the door I saw what appeared to
be religious stickers (i.e., a cross, man praying, angels), I thought to myself this is either a good sign or a
really bad one (should I be praying I don't get shot?). Anyway, no one answered after several knocks so I
wandered around toward the base of the old Tar Kiln Lookout tower.
I found the old concrete bases to the tower, and the highest area seemed to in this location.
I walked back toward the lane to continue on to the second area. After passing the communications tower,
the lane went across a cattle guard and through a fence. Shortly past the fence the a road leaves to the east.
A short walk down the road past a stinking pond (Martin's Pond) reached the next highpoint along the road
in a cleared area. Returning to my vehicle I noticed the friendly dog that Andy Martin mentioned along with
a tame deer wandering through the heaps of junk and under clothes lines. This is a stereotypical Ozark setting.
The third area is located 1.7 miles west along MC 3021. The highpoint area is north of the road, west past
the gravel drive for 7897 MC 3021 (Valley View Acres). The area is relatively flat with no real distinct HP area.
I was able to find Andy Martin's cairn and register (no wasps in this one). This is probably the highest
of the three areas, since it had a spot elevation of 1,345 ft whereas the Tar Kiln LT was 1,341 ft and the second
HP was very small with not much elevation change from the edge of the 1,340 ft contour.
Note: None of the areas were posted.