Ozark Trail

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Current River along the Ozark Trail at Owls Bend

2020 NRT Photo Contest Winner - Trail Work. Photo by Kathie Brennan.

Ozark Trail - Middle Fork. Photo by Terry Hawn.

Ozark Trail - Karkahgne Section Sutton Bluff. Photo by Terry Hawn.

Ozark Trail - Round Springs Spur at Current River. Photo by Terry Hawn.

Ozark Trail..Middle Fork Section at Little Creek. Photo by Terry Hawn.

The beginning of the Wappapello Section of the Ozark Trail. Photo by Kristin Buchanan.

A Halloween decoration waving to hello trail users. It has reflectors in its eyes. Photo by Kristin Buchanan.

First camping trip of the season. Photo by Autumn Owens.

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The Ozark Trail is one of Missouri's hidden treasures - extending from near Onondaga Cave State Park in Crawford County, MO, toward Arkansas, and 393 miles are part of the National Recreation Trail. You can stand on Taum Sauk Mountain, Missouri's highest point, visit Mina Sauk Falls, the state's tallest wet-weather waterfall, and take in the dramatic landscape of Missouri Ozarks. You can watch beavers build lodges, hear an elk bugle, travel through hardwood forests and near-vertical bluffs, ford crystal-clear streams, and pause on rocky balds with impressive views. These places are home to deer, turkey, bobcats, bears, and bald eagles. It is all here in Missouri's rugged backyard - the Ozark Trail.

For most of its length, the trail is multi-use for hiking, backpacking, horseback riding, and mountain biking. Motorized vehicles are prohibited on the entire trail, and some land stewards restrict sections to hiking only traffic, as noted in the section descriptions.

You can travel on Missouri's Ozark Trail for a few hours a day or spend weeks exploring. The Ozark Trail is an easy day trip from St. Louis (about 90 minutes), around 100 miles from Springfield, and a great weekend getaway from Kansas City (four hours). It is close to many smaller towns in southeast Missouri, including Eminence, Ironton, and Van Buren.

There are three loop options along the Ozark Trail: Berryman Loop (22 miles), located along the Courtois Section, and the Council Bluff Lake Loop (12 miles) and Bell Mountain Wilderness Loop (8 miles), both located along the Trace Creek Section.

The Ozark Trail consists of 14 different named sections:

Between the Rivers Section

Total Distance: 29 miles
Uses: Hiking, Cycling, Equestrian
Difficulty: Moderate

The Between the Rivers section of the Ozark Trail wanders among various tributaries of the Current River with plenty of hollows and drainages to explore. It is magnificent in the fall as white and scarlet oak colors burst out against the pines, and you can see the surrounding countryside. No trip on this part of the trail is complete without a visit to Big Spring, north America's largest, with an output of more than 280 million gallons daily. Big Spring State Park offers camping and a restaurant serving home-cooked food in season for a break from the trail. The Devil's Run area offers a locally renowned stream for fishing largemouth bass and trout, a deep pool, and lichen-covered rock formations. Between the Rivers can't be beaten for meandering through a classic Ozarks environment.

Blair Creek Section

Total Distance: 27 miles
Uses: Hiking only*

*Except the northernmost nine miles where cycling and equestrian use is permitted within the Mark Twain National Forest.

Difficulty: Moderate

The Blair Creek section of the Ozark Trail passes through the Roger Pryor Backcountry on its way to the Current River at Owls Bend. The trail follows Blair Creek southward as it carves a long, deepening valley in its descent to the Current River. Old home sites, springs, and reverting fields clad with wildflowers dot Blair Creek Valley. The trail slowly makes its way to the bluffs high above the Current River and the most outstanding river views along the entire trail.

Courtois Section:

Total Distance: 48 miles
Uses: Hiking, Cycling, Equestrian*

*Except for the northern most seven miles of trail located within the Huzzah Conservation Area, which is hiking only.

Difficulty: Moderate

The northern 48 miles of the Ozark Trail have more trip options than any other part of the trail. You can enjoy a short walk along the Courtois Creek, a vigorous mountain bike challenge on the Berryman Loop, a sunset horseback ride to the Huzzah Creek bluffs, a long backpacking trip, or even a hike-and-float adventure that combines a 13-mile hike with a canoe trip back to your car. Local outfitters can provide cabins, canoes, rafts, stables, supplies, and trail shuttles.

Current River Section

Total Distance: 30 miles
Uses: Hiking only
Difficulty: Moderate

No trail encompasses the Ozarks' heart, soul, and history like the Current River section of the Ozark Trail. Running from Owls Bend to Highway 60 just west of Van Buren, this 30-mile trail is a magnificent tour of springs, streams, glades, waterfalls, and Missouri heritage. Deep-aqua Blue Spring is one of the many springs that dot this area just south of Owls Bend. Rocky Creek Conservation Area offers multiple falls and shut ins. The Peck Ranch State Conservation area is home to elk, absent from Missouri since the 1860s and reintroduced in 2011. This area is a treasure trove in the heart of the Ozarks, and the Current River section is one of the crown jewels.

Eleven Point Section

Total Distance: 29 miles
Use: Hiking, Cycling, Equestrian
Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult

The Eleven Point section winds along rugged ridges and drainages with many changes in elevation and terrain. As it follows the Eleven Point Wild and Scenic River, you find many great bluff views and chances to see eagles during winter. This area is fantastic in fall, with oak, hickory, maple, sassafras, persimmon, and black gum. Stop at McCormack Lake to camp or rest at Greer Spring to witness its 220 million gallons daily output of water and dolomite cliffs. As a side trip, visit Turners Mill and see the remains of a giant 1890s water wheel. The Eleven Point section is a natural and historical slice of all the Ozarks offers.

Karkaghne Section

Total Distance: 29 miles
Uses: Hiking, Cycling, Equestrian
Difficulty: Moderate

The Karkaghne section includes scenic bluffs, reliable water sources, and multiple stream crossings. These features make this section of the Ozark Trail one of the most popular for horseback riding. A network of private trails at Brushy Creek Lodge increases the options for riders. Beautiful valleys, hollows, and a wonderful swimming hole on the Black River add to the Karkaghne’s appeal for hikers as well. Make sure to catch Grasshopper Hollow, especially in the springtime: it is the largest fen complex in non-glaciated North America.

Marble Creek Section

Total Distance: 9 miles
Uses: Hiking, Cycling, Equestrian
Difficulty: Moderate

The Marble Creek section is halfway between the Taum Sauk and Wappapello sections. It is a point-to-point trail from Marble Creek Campground to the Crane Lake trailhead and features a loop option around Crane Lake. Many consider the southern half the more scenic route, as it passes by the shut-ins below the dam and features great rock formations.

Middle Fork Section

Total Distance: 24 miles
Uses: Hiking, Cycling, Equestrian*

*Except southeast of Bixby, Missouri on County Road 79 is the Barton Fen. The endangered Hines Emerald Dragonfly breeds and lives there and special care was taken when building the trail through this area to protect against habitat loss. A hiking only trail has been built on the southwest side of the fen. The bicycle and equestrian traffic bypass the sensitive fen habitat by taking County Road 79 for about one mile.

Difficulty: Easy to Moderate

This section lies at the headwaters of the Middle Fork of the Black River in the eastern Ozarks. This deceivingly rugged country includes 200-foot hollows, creeks, springs, and a small waterfall. Good grades run through dense hardwoods and stands of pine. Winter brings out the true topography, while spring and summer showcase flamboyant color and growth. Sparsely populated, this section of the trail retains a remote backcountry experience.

North Fork Section

Total Distance: 27 miles

Uses: Hiking, Cycling, Equestrian*

*Except for the six miles in the Mark Twain National Forest, Devil's Backbone Wilderness, cycling/mechanized use is prohibited.

Difficulty: Moderate

As the southernmost section of the Ozark Trail, the North Fork may be unknown to many. Still, it offers much: promontories with great views, quiet hollows, and the best whitewater in Missouri on the North Fork River. This section is also a gateway to scenic areas, including the Devil's Backbone Wilderness, Noblett Lake Recreational Area, and the Blue Buck Knob National Scenic Byway. The North Fork section of the Ozark Trail is remote but full of hidden treasures.

Taum Sauk Section

Total Distance: 35 miles
Uses: Hiking only*

*Except for the northernmost three miles in the Mark Twain National Forest, Bell Mountain Wilderness, where equestrian use is permitted.

Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult

The portion of the Ozark Trail between Taum Sauk and Johnsons Shut-Ins is one of the best trails in Missouri. It combines the state's highest point, tallest waterfall, oldest rock, steepest glade, and best swimming hole.

The section lends itself to two different hikes of approximately the same distance: from Highway A to the Shut-Ins (15 miles) and from the Shut-Ins to Taum Sauk (12.5 miles). Due to elevation changes and rough terrain, this trail will slow your average travel speed. Look for cairns marking the trail in igneous glades to keep you on course.

Trace Creek Section

Total Distance: 26 miles
Uses: Hiking, Cycling, Equestrian
Difficulty: Moderate

This area of the Ozark Trail lies southwest of Potosi, steeped with history and full of hidden delights. It crosses mossy-green streams, passes a nice spring, and has good grades through hardwood forests with occasional pines. The area around the Hazel Creek trailhead was a thriving mining community in the 1800s, once home to 1,000 people. You can still see the ruins of an old lead smelter and a portion of a dam that fueled the grist mill.

A spur trail can be found near the section’s midpoint that leads to the twelve-mile Council Bluff loop trail.

Upper Current Section

Total Distance: 29 miles
Uses: Hiking Only
Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult

The Current River, as viewed from above, as is from several points along this trail, is among Missouri's most beautiful and inspiring landscapes. This trail takes users through dark hollows and towering bluffs, beneath richly diverse hardwood, and pine forests, across open glades offering sweeping vistas of the valley below, and passing by waterfalls and clear, cold spring-fed streams.

Victory Section

Total Distance: 20 miles
Uses: Hiking, Cycling, Equestrian
Difficulty: Moderate

The name of this section is after the one-room schoolhouse that once stood near the trail. It wanders through oak forests with pine stands and along sunny meadows, passing several creeks and streams. Popular with equestrians, the Victory section incorporates a portion of the Victory Horse Trail: access to the six-mile loop is at the eastern end, near the Wrangler trailhead.

Wappapello Section

Total Distance: 35 miles
Uses: Hiking, Cycling, Equestrian
Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult

The Wappapello section begins at the southern entrance to Sam A. Baker State Park. It follows the St. Francois River south for 15 miles through woodlands and stream bottoms to Lake Wappapello and the Old Greenville National Historic Site. Wappapello Dam, completed in 1941, created the lake, along with fishing, boating, and camping opportunities but led residents of Greenville to move their town two miles north. Pause for the "Memory Lane" self-guided tour of the old townsite before heading 15 more miles south through rolling oak and pine forest to the beautiful Black River.

Reviews

Terry Hawn

Oct 24, 2020

Hiking the Ozark Trail

A remote hike through the Mark Twain National Forest. The trail passes through no towns or cities. It offers a variety of terrains from east Saunders through glades and pines forests to strenuous up and downhill climbs. Wildlife is abundant with deer, Turkey, elk, bobcat, bear, otters, bald eagles and even occasional mountain lions in some of the more remote sections. Most of the trail has fresh water sources where you can filter water and replenish your supply along the way. In summer dry months, you may need to carry extra to get from water source to the next. Ticks, chiggers and gnats are problems during 9 or 10 months of the year, so treating clothes is an absolute must. There are several rivers that are prominent features of the trail. These rivers are seen from bluffs overlooking the river valleys to sections that pass close enough to hear the river running by. Whether you do a day hike or through hike, you are sure to have a memorable hike.

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• Certified as an NRT
  Jun 2, 2008