Your national forests and grasslands are 193 million acres of vast, scenic beauty waiting for you to discover. Visitors who choose to recreate on these public lands find more than 150,000 miles of trails, 10,000 developed recreation sites, 57,000 miles of streams, 122 alpine ski areas, 338,000 heritage sites, and specially designated sites that include 9,100 miles of byways, 22 recreation areas, 11 scenic areas, 439 wilderness areas, 122 wild and scenic rivers, nine monuments, and one preserve. And remember, “It’s All Yours.”
Displaying 8251 - 8275 of 21008Ripley Lake
Surrounded by hardwood forest, Ripley Lake Recreation Area is one of the few fishing spots in this part of the forest, and it is used mostly for primitive fishing and picnicking. Ripley Lake is a 20-acre lake with an average depth of 12 feet. The lake is stocked yearly with catfish.
As you drive in, the road is tree-lined with oak and hickory. Access to the boat launch is to the left as you enter the site. The day…
Fourche Lake Recreation Area
Fourche Lake Recreation Area is located on the 44-acre Fourche Lake, a beautiful place to be outside.
The first thing you see as you enter the site is the boat launch and boat launch parking. If you drive a little further you pass some campsites. At the very end there is a loop where the toilet is, in the day use area.
The campground is surrounded by a oak, pine, and hickory forest. The campsites are spaced out…
OT - Between the Rivers Section
The Between the Rivers Section of the Ozark Trail provides the necessary connection between the Current and Eleven Point Rivers. In addition to traversing impressive stands of white oak, shortleaf pine, and scarlet oak, the trail offers pleasant views of the surrounding countryside. Look into the past when nearing Bristol Cemetery or explore the lichen covered boulder field at Devil's Run.
From Highway 60, the…
OT - Current River Section
The Current River Section of the Ozark Trail, a 30 mile section, passes through a myriad of publicly owned lands, best viewed from the trail atop Stegal Mountain, the highest point in the area. The trail wanders through Peck Ranch Conservation Area. High bluffs, shut ins and igneous glades provide attractive scenery. This section can be accessed at Powder Mill, Shannon County Road 533, Peck Ranch Road, and Hwy 60.…
OT - Eleven Point River Section
Eleven Point River Section of the Ozark Trail is located in Oregon County MO running east and west about 20 miles south of Winona, MO. It has several lookout points for the Eleven Point River. Leffer Look has high bluffs from which to gaze at the water. Devil's Backbone offers karst features, another point of interest along the Eleven Point River Section of the Ozark Trail is the history at Bockman Spring House and…
Blue Ridge (equestrian)
The Blue Ridge Horse Trail is a great trail for horseback riding, backpacking, camping, and birdwatching, particularly for those looking for a quieter trail along an old woods road through the forest.
Located in the heart of the Missouri Ozarks, this 9.85-mile long trail weaves through the hills and hollows of the Eleven Point Ranger District. The trailhead is located on the eastern end of the Blue Ridge Trail.…
Greer Spring
When you pull into this parking lot it’s easy to find the trailhead which starts you on the downhill, .9 mile hike to the Greer Spring. Don’t forget to stop at the restroom before you head down the hill. Even though it’s a short hike, bring plenty of water to drink, especially in summer months.
Greer Spring is the second largest spring in Missouri. Greer Spring flows from two outlets about 250 feet apart at the…
Songbird Hike
Songbird Trail, a ½ mile trail, begins in an open, grassy area between campsites #11 and #12, Watercress Spring is just at the start of the trail near the campsites. From the spring the trail climbs up a hillside, from there you go south to the Watercress entry road. You follow the road back to the campground to make a loop.
The…
Whites Creek Trl
The Whites Creek Trail is a 18.6 mile trail within the Irish Wilderness. Trails within the wilderness are not signed or marked, except at junctions.
The major trailhead into the Wilderness is Camp Five Pond located off Highway J.
Visitors are exposed to a wide variety of natural terrain. The trail starts out relatively flat and traverses through many ecological zones including dried creek beds, grasslands, glades,…
Irish Wilderness
The 16,277-acre Irish Wilderness is a dense forest of oaks and hickory that was designated in 1984. Here you'll find sinkholes, disappearing streams that reappear downstream, and Whites Creek Cave, (please note that Whites Creek Cave is closed to the public).
Wilderness Area History
In the mid 1800’s a Catholic priest dreamed of a place where Irish immigrants could escape the oppression of urban life in St. Louis.…
Falling Springs Picnic Ground
Once you step out of your car this site will transport you back in time.
This is a rustic picnic area with abundant history, and minimal conveniences. The day use facility is situated on the edge of a pond formed by a spring. The around the pond is open and grassy. Oak and pine forest surround the site.
The spring, one of our most photographed areas on the Forest, is known as Falling Spring because water pours out…
Lazy C
This 1.55-mile trail is for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding. There is a trailhead facility along Highway 19.
This trail connects to the McCormack Lake Ozark Trail spur, which will connect you to the Eleven Point section of the Ozark Trail.
Half the distance of…
Morgan Spring Float Camp
Morgan Spring Float Camp is on the right, just past the spring branch inlet from Morgan Spring. This camp is 7.7 miles downriver of Riverton. Footpaths lead from the float camp to Morgan and Blue Springs.
There are three campsites available on a first come basis at this primitive site. The vault toilet is located just up the trail from the…
Ava/Cassville/Willow Springs Ranger District
Visitors to Ava/Cassville/Willow Springs District will find different landscapes from oak-hickory forests , shortleaf pine forests, and glades. Glades are open areas of native tall prairie grasses characterized by dry, shallow soils and limestone outcroppings.
The unique blending of eastern forest and western desert habitats makes a home for such varied wildlife as the bald eagle and the roadrunner, armadillos and…
Bar-K Wrangler Camp
Bar-K Wrangler Camp is a quiet campground located on the west bank of Swan Creek and serves as a Trailhead for the Swan Creek Trail. The campground is used frequently by equestrians. Whether you choose one of the designated sites or decide to spread out in the big field across the road you’ll have plenty of room for yourself and your horse when you visit.
During the summer months you can cool off with a quick…
Big Bay Recreation Area
Big Bay Recreation Area is set in a red cedar and hardwood forest on the shore of beautiful 43,000-acre Table Rock Lake, a premier vacation spot in the Ozarks. The facility features; picnicking, vault toilet in picnic area, and a boat ramp with parking area near picnic area. Visitors will need to bring their own water for drinking.
For more information on Table Rock Lake visit the…
Cobb Ridge Recreation Area
Nestled on top of the ridge, in the hills, visitors will be able to experience the Ozark hills while camping and enjoying nature in the surrounding areas. The campground fills quickly on the weekends when the weather is nice, especiallly holiday weekends. The Chadwick area is mostly forested with oak, hickory and pine woods on rocky ridge tops, with a few small open forest glades. Steep ridges break into narrow…
North Fork Recreation Area
North Fork Recreation Area provides camping, picnicking, boating, canoeing, hiking and fishing access to the beautiful North Fork of the White River, which has a total of nine major springs flowing into it.
As you drive into the site, the first right takes you to the boat access area. If you go straight you’ll hit a t-intersection, if you go left you enter the campground, if you go right you enter the day use.
The…
Noblett Lake Recreation Area
This beautiful recreation area was built in the late 1930s by men employed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). It is a popular picnic, boating, and fishing site. Several scenic hiking routes have trailheads near Noblett Lake.
Camp Willow housed the CCC and remnants of the camp can be seen about 2.5 miles east of AP Highway on Forest Road 108 (opposite the Noblett Lake Road).
Noblett Lake…
Blue Spring
This very short walk takes you from North Fork Campground to the beautiful Blue Spring. At the Blue Spring Trailhead take the trail to the right, and Blue Spring is a 200 yards walk down the trail. From there you can walk back or continue around the full ¼ mile loop.
After passing Blue Spring you can head uphill to a rock cliff that…
Devils Backbone Wilderness
Devils Backbone Wilderness, taking its name from a long narrow ridge known to the early settlers as Devils Backbone, is a unique blend of Missouri Ozark flora and fauna, characterized by rugged topography, springs and the North Fork River.
With 6,687 acres inside the Wilderness boundary, this is an ideal area for day hiking or overnight backpacking. A long, narrow ridge supports the center of the Wilderness, with 1,…
Hercules Glades Wilderness
Hercules Glades Wilderness Area is 12,413 acres of the most scenic and unique country in the Midwest. The Wilderness is located 10 miles northeast of Branson, MO.
Its combination of open grassland, forested knobs, steep rocky hillsides, and narrow drainages offers unusual beauty and a measure of solitude within easy reach of wilderness lovers.
Wilderness Area History
This Wilderness was designated in 1976, making it…
Ridge Runner NRT
The Ridge Runner Trail, a National Recreation Trail, consists of a 6-mile loop at Noblett Lake, a 6-mile loop near the North Fork Recreation Area, and a 21-mile long segment in between that extends from Noblett Lake in the north to the North Fork Recreation Area in the south…
Stop 5: Caney Day Use Area
Located along the Glade Top Trail National Forest Scenic Byway, this day use area is situated on one of the Ozark glades.
Spring and summer blooming wildflowers cover the area in natural beauty. You’ll find Indian Paintbrushes, Evening primrose, shooting star, purple and yellow coneflower, black-eyed susans, daisies, just to name a few.
The fall colors offer a…
Piney Creek Wilderness
The United States Congress designated the Piney Creek Wilderness in 1980 and it now has a total of 8,178 acres. This wilderness is nestled on the west side of Table Rock Lake.
Wilderness Area History
Railroad companies were the principal loggers in this area in the late 1800’s, followed by settlers on the ridges who happily discovered that tomatoes and strawberries grew large and juicy here. Nonetheless, in the…