Bear Creek is a stream in northwestern St. Francois County in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is a tributary of the Big River.
The stream headwaters arise in the Terre du Lac recreation community west of Bonne Terre at 37.9183°N -90.62°W and the stream flows north passing under Missouri Route 47 and on to its confluence with the Big River at 37.9828°N -90.6025°W.[1]
According to tradition, bear wallows in the area account for the name.[2]