LaBarque Creek Conservation Area

LaBarque Creek Conservation Area (LCCA) consists of 1274 acre in northwestern Jefferson County, Missouri. It is south of Pacific and southwest of Eureka. The LCCA is part of the Henry Shaw Ozark Corridor. The Young Conservation Area is about 2 mi to the east, Myron and Sonya Glassberg Family Conservation Area is 1.2 mi to the northeast, Pacific Palisades Conservation Area is 3.3 mi to the north, Catawissa Conservation Area is 3.5 mi northwest, and Robertsville State Park is 4.7 mi west.

In 2005 the Missouri Department of Conservation purchased 545 acre from The Nature Conservancy and a private landowner. Other acquisitions brought the total acreage to 639 acre, and it opened to public use on November 15, 2007. In December 2010, these 639 acre became a part of the Missouri Natural Areas System as LaBarque Creek Natural Area. Three adjacent parcels of land totaling a combined 635 acre were added to LCCA, bringing its total area to 1274 acre and connected it to land that will become Don Robinson State Park to the south, forming a 2117 acre block of public protected land. None of the more recently acquired land is part of the designated natural area.

The LCCA has a 3 mi loop trail on its eastern side open to hiking only. The LCCA is open to archery deer hunting only.

The LaBarque watershed has a great variety of terrestrial natural communities, including small sandstone glades, forested fens and many kinds of woodland. There are at least 42 fish species in LaBarque Creek.