
The August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area was purchased by the Missouri Department of Conservation in 1947 from the federal government. Mrs. August A. Busch Sr. donated a portion ($70,000) of the cost toward the purchase of the area as a memorial to her late husband. In the early 1940s, the area was used by the Department of Army as a TNT munitions plant to support the World War II effort. There are still 100 of the old TNT storage bunkers that exist on the area. The Department encourages recreational use of the area by the public, while furnishing fish and wildlife with the resources necessary to be healthy and abundant. We encourage you to walk the hiking trails, drive the auto tour, photograph the wildlife, or simply sit under a tree and enjoy the sights and sounds of the outdoors. Hunting for a variety of wildlife species is allowed on the area. Special regulations exist for most of the hunting activities, please check the Area Regulations section or with the office for current regulations. Portions of the August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area were used by the Department of Army in the 1940s for TNT and DNT production and by the Atomic Energy Commission in the 1960s for uranium ore processing. The affected portions were all part of a federal environmental cleanup project and required to meet certain environmental health and safety standards. The area is now considered to be safe for all recreational pursuits allowed on the area, as well as the wildlife found within the area. To find out more about the history of these activities on the area, you can visit the Weldon Spring Site Interpretive Center located at 7295 Highway 94 South, St. Charles, MO, 63304. Features: Spring is 20 gallons per day. Land Cover type: Forest and Woodland 3,035 acres.
- Sunday, 04:00 AM - 10:00 PM
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, 04:00 AM - 10:00 PM
- Sunday, closed all day
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, 08:00 AM - 05:00 PM
- Saturday, closed all day
From Interstate 64 in St. Charles County, take Highway 94 south to Route D, then west 1.50 miles to the area.
Area Regulations
4901 - 3CSR 10-11 - 105 Title; Authority
Chapter 11 of the Wildlife Code applies to this area. The information provided reflects regulations for most activities on this conservation area but does not contain regulations for all possible uses. For more information on area regulations consult the Wildlife Code or call the phone number listed for the area in the area details section.
4901 - 3CSR 10-11 - 110 General Provisions
Department areas designated as open to the public may be accessed and used for hiking; sightseeing; nature observation; entering or remaining on designated portions of department areas; possession of pets and hunting dogs; field trials; use of vehicles, bicycles, horses, and horseback riding; collecting of nuts, berries, fruits, edible wild greens, and mushrooms; camping; tree stands; target shooting and use of shooting ranges; decoys and blinds; use of boats and motors; taking bullfrogs and green frogs; hunting; trapping; and fishing. The locations and times when department areas may be entered, remained on, or used for these activities may be further restricted by Chapter 11 of the Wildlife Code, signs, this conservation atlas, or area maps. In addition to the rules of the Wildlife Code, federal, state and local laws apply on department lands.
 The following activities are prohibited on department areas and may not be authorized by a special use permit:
1. Destruction, defacing, or removal of department property
2. Digging or excavating
3. Guiding for pay
4. Military or law enforcement training by nongovernment entities
5. Placing of grain, salt products, minerals, and other consumable products on land
6. Placing or using trail or game cameras or other similar devices
7. Use of paint ball, airsoft, or similar projectile weapons not specifically authorized by this Code
8. Placement of honey bee apiaries
9. Parking or storage of watercraft and commercial vehicles during closed hours
10. Use of fireworks
11. Use of remote-controlled boats or land vehicles
12. Prospecting, exploring, mining, or extracting minerals, metals, oil, natural gas, or other nonrenewable resources, except as specifically approved by the commission
13. Commercial or political advertising, except for commercial advertising by authorized concessionaires or by vendors participating in department events
Other activities not listed above, including commercial use and vending, may be authorized by a special use permit when the activity is compatible with other authorized activities. Special use permits may be issued only by the area manager or their designee. Issuance of a special use permit is at the discretion of the department. Application for a special use permit does not guarantee that one will be issued.
Signs, posted regulations, or area maps may further restrict activities, including designating portions of department areas as open or closed to public use. Department areas or designated portions of department areas may be closed, or regulations may be changed, through posting to protect the public from hazardous conditions and threats to public safety, to protect fish and wildlife resources, and for special events or resource management activities where public use conflicts are likely to occur. All persons entering, remaining on, or using a department area shall abide by signs, posted regulations, and area maps.
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Waste containers located on department areas may be used only for disposal of garbage, trash, refuse, or rubbish generated on the department area. NOTE: Waste containers are not provided on all department areas.
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Collecting wild animals (including invertebrates) and their unprocessed parts is prohibited except under the provisions of a valid Wildlife Collector’s Permit, or as otherwise authorized in the Wildlife Code.Â
Collecting or possessing wild plants and their unprocessed parts is prohibited except by a Letter of Authorization for Plant Collecting, or as otherwise authorized in the Wildlife Code.
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4901 - 3CSR 10-11 - 115 Closings
Special hours apply on this department area. This area is open to public use only as authorized by posting.
4901 - 3CSR 10-11 - 135 Wild Plants, Plant Products, and Mushrooms
Nuts, berries, fruits, edible wild greens and mushrooms may be taken only for personal consumption; EXCEPT on locations designated as Missouri Natural Areas, taking edible wild greens is prohibited. Vegitation, including trees, may not be cut or destroyed.Â
4901 - 3CSR 10-11 - 130 Vehicles, Bicycles, Horses, and Horseback Riding
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Unless otherwise posted, bicycles, including electric bicycles as defined in the Missouri Wildlife Code, are allowed on roads open to vehicular traffic and service roads (designated in the online conservation atlas). Bicycles must stay on roads open to vehicular traffic or service roads, or on multi-use trails posted as open to bicycles.  Bicycle use is not allowed on service roads passing through designated natural areas (designated in the online conservation atlas). Groups of 10 or more people using bicycles on a department area must obtain a special use permit from the area manager. The area manager can be contacted at the phone number listed in the area details section for this department area.
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State laws regarding the operation, registration and required equipment apply to the operation of motor vehicles on locations open to vehicular traffic on department areas.
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Except as otherwise posted, the speed limit on department areas is 45 miles per hour.
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Unless otherwise posted, bicycles, including electric bicycles as defined in the Missouri Wildlife Code, are allowed on roads open to vehicular traffic and service roads (designated in the online conservation atlas). Bicycles must stay on roads open to vehicular traffic, service roads, or on multi-use trails posted as open to bicycles. Bicycle use is not allowed on service roads passing through designated natural areas (designated in the online conservation atlas). Groups of 10 or more people using bicycles on a department area must obtain a special use permit from the area manager. The area manager can be contacted at the phone number listed in the area details section for this department area.
This department area also has multi-use trails open to bicycles. Bicycles, including e-bikes (Chapter 20- Definitions ), may be used year-round on multi-use trails and service roads designated as open to bicycles.
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4901 - 3CSR 10-11 - 140 Camping
4901 - 3CSR 10-11 - 150 Target Shooting and Shooting Ranges
4901 - 3CSR 10-11 - 120 Pets and Hunting Dogs
4901 - 3CSR 10-11 - 180 Hunting, General Provisions and Seasons
Hunting is prohibited on some conservation areas, but allowed on others. Special regulations may apply to hunting. To determine the hunting regulations for this conservation area, consult the Missouri Code of State Regulations in Chapter 11 of the Wildlife Code at the Missouri Code of State Regulations website.Â
4901 - 3CSR 10-11 - 145 Tree Stands
4901 - 3CSR 10-11 - 155 Decoys and Blinds
4901 - 3CSR 10-11 - 125 Field Trials
4901 - 3CSR 10-11 - 200 Fishing, General Provisions and Seasons
Fishing is allowed on most conservation areas, but prohibited on some. To determine if fishing is an acttivity that is allowed on this conservation area, and any special regulations that may apply, please consult the Missouri Code of State Regulations in Chapter 11 of the Wildlife Code.Â
4901 - 3CSR 10-11 - 160 Use of Boats and Motors
4901 - 3CSR 10-11 - 187 Trapping
4901 - 3CSR 10-11 - 185 Dove Hunting
Use or possession of lead shot is prohibited for hunting doves on this area
Shooting Ranges
Things to Do When You Visit
Bird Watching
Boat Rentals
Dog Training
Field Trials
Special Use Permit
Fishing
Black Bass
Catfish
Crappie
Muskie
Sunfish
Trout
Hunting
Dove
Rabbit
Squirrel
Managed Hunts
Deer
Turkey
Shooting Range
Archery
Trails
Biking
Hiking
Trapping
Special Use Permit











