Tower Rock is a small limestone island carved by the mighty Mississippi River near Grand Tower in Jackson County. Its 1/4 acre is covered by upland forest with stands of oak-pine and oak-hickory-beech. The mainland offers a scenic view of Tower Rock, although the island itself is inaccessible except by boat. Tower Rock was designated as a National Historic Site on November 15, 1972 and is owned by the Missouri Department of Conservation.