Missouri Trails

See Missouri's tallest waterfall and stand on its tallest peak on this overnight on the Taum Sauk section of the Ozark Trail. BY MARK HINCH

Notch the prettiest section of the Ozark Trail on this overnight along the Eleven Point River. BY SAVANNAH WASZCZUK

Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Missouri

Wander through three-season wildflowers on this overnight.

This remote valley in Mark Twain National Forest is often overlooked, but it's a great escape for hikers willing to bushwhack along and through its streams to huge granite walls.

This rugged 11.2-mile out-and-back on the Ozark Trail winds through the volcanic uplift of the St. Francois range to Missouri's highest peak and tallest waterfall.

This 9-mile lollipop loop is an adventurer's delight: scenic bluffs, spring-fed streams, quiet campsites, and--for those who dare--an elusive limestone cavern.

On this 16.6-mile overnight in the Paddy Creek Wilderness, see tranquil emerald-green creeks and timeless vistas of the rock-strewn Ozark Highlands.

This 8.5-mile loop climbs to rugged bluffs and views of the Missouri River and its bluffs, then rolls through cool hollows in Weldon Spring Conservation Area.

This 6-mile out-and-back offers commanding views from bluffs overlooking the St. Francis River and passes remnants of an old mining operation.

This 8.8-miler takes you deep into Ozark backcountry, where deer and turkey outnumber hikers.

This easy 5-mile adventure takes you above rugged, staircase-like bluffs, then down into the hushed hollows of Cuivre River State Park.

This 7-miler is popular with mountain bikers and dayhikers, crossing limestone hills and following the Meramec River to a parkland with bison and elk.

Introduce the kids to mass transit, then hike to President Grant's Farm (zebras, horses) on this gentle 6.4-miler.

Explore ridges, evergreen forests, and odd rock formations on this 4.3-mile dayhike through the smallest wilderness in Shawnee National Forest.

This 3.4-mile out-and-back in the heart of Missouri's Little Dixie region travels the wavy, wooded banks of a 205-acre lake.

Wander under oak and hickory trees, up steep hills, and along a wild Ozark creek on this 5.9-mile lassoloop in Ruth and Paul Henning Conservation Area.

Cruise along the shores of a shaded Ozark lake on this 12.4-mile dayhike in Mark Twain National Forest.

Traverse deep hollows and springs along a 24-mile shuttle hike on the Ozark Trail.

Camp by a secluded spring in the rugged Missouri Ozarks.

Escape the hustle of city life on this quiet, 1.4-mile loop in Emmenegger Nature Park that climbs a riverside bluff overlooking the Meramec River.

Loop around sinkholes on this easy, 2.6-mile lollipop loop that skirts a historic cave and a frog-filled pond in St. Louis' Cliff Cave Park.

Hoodoos in Missouri? This 2-mile loop dips into a river valley jam-packed with sandstone formations and trickling cascades—-including the rocky, 50-foot face of Headwall Falls.

On this 16.5-mile overnight in the Paddy Creek Wilderness, you'll see tranquil emerald-green creeks and timeless vistas of the rock-strewn Ozark Highlands.

Hike to Jesse James' old stomping grounds on this 4.1-mile loop that strings together three short trails just 30 minutes from downtown.

Wander through one of Missouri’s most revered state parks on this 6.5-mile loop featuring sprawling treetop panoramas and an extended foray along the idyllic Pickle Creek.

This 10.8 mile overnight shuttle hike features a prairie-covered ridge, miles of picturesque lakeshore, and a rarely-used backcountry campsite tucked away in a fern-studded hollow.

Roll from dark hollows to dolomite ridges in the Ozark highlands of Missouri's Mark Twain National Forest.