Five-Star Trails: The Ozarks: 43 Spectacular Hikes in Arkansas and Missouri

Introduction

About This Book

IN THE OZARKS, you’ll find a variety of settings, from wilderness hikes to what may feel like a walk in the park. You’ll find trails that place you atop high bluffs or ridges and lead you through deep hollows along babbling creeks. These trails will take you across treeless landscapes and through deep-canopied forests.

Ozarks is a broad term for a variety of landscapes found in the northern part of Arkansas and extending into the southern and central part of Missouri. From south to north, the Ozarks include the Boston Mountains, Springfield Plateau, Salem Plateau, and St. Francois Mountains. Technically, the Ozarks extend into Oklahoma, the corner of Kansas, and the edge of Illinois, but for the purposes of this guide, all trails are located within the states of Arkansas and Missouri.

The Ozarks of Arkansas and Missouri have much in common. Taken together, they offer many visual highlights in the south-central United States. A few characteristics unique to Missouri include the large numbers of springs and spring-fed rivers, as well as high mountain glades. The Arkansas Ozarks include many mountain streams and well more than a hundred waterfalls, some very tall. Arkansas also boasts America’s first national river, the Buffalo.

Several hikes from the Arkansas River Valley at the extreme southern border of the Ozarks are included, accounting for an additional three Arkansas hikes. The geological plate movements that formed the Ouachita Mountains to the south and the Ozark uplift to the north influenced the formation of the River Valley mountains. What remained following long periods of erosion around the hard cap rocks in the valley were Petit Jean Mountain and Mount Magazine. Hikes on these mountains warrant the attention of a book that searches for the area’s best hikes. Some may consider it a stretch to include these as Ozarks hikes, but they are just too good to pass up.

In this guide, you’ll find trails of many difficulty levels and a variety of settings, from wilderness to urban. These hikes are classified as day hikes, though some also make excellent shorter backpacking routes. One thing these trails have in common is that I love hiking each and every one of them, and they fall into the four- and five-star rating on one or more criteria.

No hike in this collection merits five stars in all five of the rating categories; some, perhaps most, of the hikes will have one, two, three, or four stars in one or more of the rating categories. A hike might merit inclusion in this book because the scenery is spectacular, but it has a two-star rating for trail condition. Another hike with a two-star rating for scenery might have been selected because it’s a five-star hike in the category for taking children along.

Narrowing this collection down to 43 was a challenge. Some hikes that I enjoy didn’t make the cut, and I’ve probably not included some hikes that others would have selected. The process is subjective but gives guidance in determining which hike to take based on your needs and situation.

Please contact me through my blog feedback form if you have questions or comments. My goal is to be as accurate as possible. Inevitably conditions and even route changes may occur on some trails. I would appreciate updates as you discover them so that I can post them on my blog for our readers. I welcome trail recommendations too. My black Lab hiking buddy and I are always up for a new trail!

How to Use This Guidebook

THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION walks you through this guidebook’s organization to make it easy and convenient for planning great hikes.

Overview Map, Map Key, and Map Legend

The overview map on the inside front cover depicts the location of the primary trailhead for all 43 of the hikes described in this book. The numbers shown on the overview map pair with the map key on the inside front cover facing page. Each hike’s number remains with that hike throughout the book. Thus, if you spot an appealing hiking area on the overview map, you can flip through the book and find those hikes easily by their sequential numbers at the top of each profile page.

Trail Maps

In addition to the overview map on the inside cover, a detailed map of each hike’s route appears with its profile. On each of these maps, symbols indicate the trailhead, the complete route, significant features, facilities, and topographic landmarks such as creeks, overlooks, and peaks. A legend identifying the map symbols used throughout the book appears on the inside back cover.

To produce the highly accurate maps in this book, the author used a handheld GPS unit to gather data while hiking each route, and then sent that data to the publisher’s expert cartographers. However, your GPS is not really a substitute for sound, sensible navigation that takes into account the conditions that you observe while hiking.

Further, despite the high quality of the maps in this guidebook, the publisher and author strongly recommend that you always carry an additional map, such as the ones noted in each entry opener’s listing for Maps.

Elevation Profile

The elevation profile represents the rises and falls of the trail as viewed from the side, over the complete distance (in miles) of that trail. On the diagram’s vertical axis, or height scale, the number of feet indicated between each tick mark lets you visualize the climb. To avoid making flat hikes look steep and steep hikes appear flat, varying height scales provide an accurate image of each hike’s climbing challenge. For example, one hike’s scale might rise to 3,000 feet, while another goes to 600 feet.

Also, each entry’s opener will list the elevation at the hike trailhead, and it will list the elevation peak.

The Hike Profile

Each hike profile opens with the hike’s star ratings, GPS trailhead coordinates, and other key at-a-glance information—from the trail’s distance and configuration, to contacts for local information. Each profile also includes a map (see "Trail Maps,). The main text for each profile includes four sections: Overview, Route Details, Nearby Attractions, and Directions" (for driving to the trailhead area).

STAR RATINGS

The hikes in Five-Star Trails: The Ozarks were carefully chosen to give the hiker an overall five-star experience and represent the diversity of trails found in the region. Each hike was assigned a one- to five-star rating in each of the following categories: scenery, trail condition, suitability for children, level of difficulty, and degree of solitude. While one hike may merit five stars for its stunning scenery, that same trail may rank as a two-star trail for children. Similarly, another hike might receive two stars for difficulty but earn five stars for solitude. It’s rare that any trail receives five stars in all five categories; nevertheless, each trail offers excellence in at least one category, if not others. Here’s how the star ratings for each of the five categories break down:

FOR SCENERY:

FOR TRAIL CONDITION:

FOR CHILDREN:

FOR DIFFICULTY:

FOR SOLITUDE:

GPS TRAILHEAD COORDINATES

As noted in "Trail Maps", the author used a handheld GPS unit to obtain geographic data and sent the information to the publisher’s cartographers. In the opener for each hike profile, the coordinates—the intersection of the latitude (north) and longitude (west)—will orient you from the trailhead. In some cases, you can drive within viewing distance of a trailhead. Other hiking routes require a short walk to the trailhead from a parking area.

You will also note that this guidebook uses the degree–decimal minute format for presenting the latitude and longitude GPS coordinates.

DEGREE–DECIMAL MINUTE FORMAT

N37º 39.186' W90º 41.335'

The latitude and longitude grid system is likely quite familiar to you, but here is a refresher, pertinent to visualizing the GPS coordinates:

Imaginary lines of latitude—called parallels and approximately 69 miles apart from each other—run horizontally around the globe. The equator is established to be 0°, and each parallel is indicated by degrees from the equator: up to 90°N at the North Pole, and down to 90°S at the South Pole.

Imaginary lines of longitude—called meridians—run perpendicular to latitude lines. Longitude lines are likewise indicated by degrees. Starting from 0° at the Prime Meridian in Greenwich, England, they continue to the east and west until they meet 180° later at the International Date Line in the Pacific Ocean. At the equator, longitude lines also are approximately 69 miles apart, but that distance narrows as the meridians converge toward the North and South Poles.

To convert GPS coordinates given in degrees, minutes, and seconds to the format shown above in degrees–decimal minutes, the seconds are divided by 60. For more on GPS technology, visit usgs.gov.

DISTANCE AND CONFIGURATION

Distance notes the length of the hike round-trip, from start to finish. If the hike description includes options to shorten or extend the hike, those round-trip distances will also be factored here. Configuration defines the trail as a loop, an out-and-back (taking you in and out via the same route), a figure eight, or a balloon.

HIKING TIME

Two miles per hour is a general rule of thumb for the hiking times noted in this guidebook. That pace typically allows time for taking photos and admiring views. If you spend extended time with photography or exploring a waterfall, your hiking pace will be slower, even approaching 1 mile per hour. When deciding whether or not to follow a particular trail in this guidebook, consider your own pace, the weather, your general physical condition, and your energy level that day.

HIGHLIGHTS

Waterfalls, historic sites, or other features that draw hikers to this trail are emphasized here.

ELEVATION

In each trail’s opener, you will see the elevation (in feet) at the trailhead and another figure for the peak height on that route. The full hike profile also includes a complete elevation profile.

ACCESS

Fees or permits required to hike the trail are detailed here—and noted if there are none. Trail-access hours are also shown here.

MAPS

Resources for maps, in addition to those in this guidebook, are listed here. As previously noted, the publisher and author recommend that you carry more than one map—and that you consult those maps before heading out on the trail in order to resolve any confusion or discrepancy. All USGS maps recommended in this guide are 7.5-minute.

FACILITIES

This item alerts you to restrooms, phones, water, picnic tables, and other basics at or near the trailhead.

WHEELCHAIR ACCESS

At a glance, you’ll see if there are paved sections or other areas for safely using a wheelchair.

COMMENTS

Here you will find assorted nuggets of information, such as whether or not dogs are allowed on the trails.

CONTACTS

Listed here are phone numbers and website addresses for checking trail conditions and gleaning other day-to-day information.

Overview, Route Details, Nearby Attractions, and Directions

These four elements provide the main text about the hike. Overview gives you a quick summary of what to expect on that trail; the Route Details guide you on the hike, start to finish; Nearby Attractions suggests appealing area sites, such as restaurants, museums, and other trails. Directions will get you to the trailhead from a well-known road or highway.

Weather

THE OZARKS HAVE A YEAR-ROUND HIKING SEASON, with the possible exception of the hottest part of the summer, when bugs are out and creeks are dry. Fall, a favorite hiking season, tends to define the beginning of the Ozark hiking year. Colorful foliage and cooler, yet unpredictable, temperatures characterize fall. You might experience cold snaps and sometimes unexpectedly warm temperatures. Fall is usually a dry season in the Ozarks, but this, too, is not a hard-and-fast rule. Winter is a great season, with more solitude, open views due to the trees being leafless, and, best of all, no bugs. Drawbacks to winter include the possibility of bitterly cold temperatures and unpredictable road conditions. Snow-covered roads rarely last more than a few days, though melt off can be slow on shaded forest roads. Springtime is a popular season, with milder temperatures, colorful wildflowers, and the possibility of picturesque waterfalls and cascades. With those water features comes the possibility of flash flooding and dangerous creek crossings. Summer, with stunning wildflower displays, is still a possible season for hiking, but you might consider higher elevations in the Ozarks and target the occasional cool snaps.

The tables on the facing page list average temperatures and precipitation by month for the Fayetteville, Arkansas, and Springfield, Missouri, regions. For each month, Hi Temp is the average daytime high; Lo Temp is the average nighttime low; and Rain is the average precipitation, followed by Snow for average snowfall.

Water

HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH? Well, one simple physiological fact should convince you to err on the side of excess when deciding how much water to pack: a hiker walking steadily in 90°F heat needs approximately 10 quarts of fluid per day. That’s 2.5 gallons. A good rule of thumb is to hydrate prior to your hike, carry (and drink) 6 ounces of water for every mile you plan to hike, and hydrate again after the hike. For most people, the pleasures of hiking make carrying water a relatively minor price to pay to remain safe and healthy. So pack more water than you anticipate needing even for short hikes.

If you are tempted to drink found water, do so with extreme caution. Many ponds and lakes encountered by hikers are fairly stagnant, and the water tastes terrible. Drinking such water presents inherent risks for thirsty trekkers. Giardia parasites contaminate many water sources and cause the dreaded intestinal giardiasis that can last for weeks after ingestion. For information, visit the Centers for Disease Control website at cdc.gov/parasites/giardia.

In any case, effective treatment is essential before using any water source found along the trail. Boiling water for 2–3 minutes is always a safe measure for camping, but day hikers can consider iodine tablets, approved chemical mixes, filtration units rated for giardia, and ultraviolet filtration. Some of these methods (for example, filtration with an added carbon filter) remove bad tastes typical in stagnant water, while others add their own taste. As a precaution, carry a means of water purification to help in a pinch if you realize you have underestimated your consumption needs.

Clothing

WEATHER, UNEXPECTED TRAIL CONDITIONS, fatigue, extended hiking duration, and wrong turns can individually or collectively turn a great outing into a very uncomfortable one at best—and a life-threatening one at worst. Thus, proper attire plays a key role in staying comfortable and, sometimes, in staying alive. Here are some helpful guidelines:

Choose silk, wool, or synthetics for maximum comfort in all of your hiking attire—from hats to socks and in between. Cotton is fine if the weather remains dry and stable, but you won’t be happy if that material gets wet.

Always wear a hat, or at least tuck one into your day pack or hitch it to your belt. Hats offer all-weather sun and wind protection as well as warmth if it turns cold.

Be ready to layer up or