One Paddle Society

Reynolds & Iron counties, Missouri

State Parks & Trails.

Find your trail. Know where to start.

Hiking, bicycle, horseback and SXS/UTV routes, with named access points and links to the people who manage them. Open an area below for details.

Back to businesses & rentals

What kind of day?

On foot

Elephant Rocks · Johnson’s Shut-Ins · Taum Sauk · Clearwater walks

On a bicycle

Shepherd Mountain · Council Bluff · Crane Lake · Ozark Trail sections

On horseback

Goggins Mountain · Bell Mountain · Ozark Trail sections · Valley Springs Foxtrotters

By SXS/UTV

Brushy Creek

Permissions apply to individual trails and segments, not an entire park. Bicycling here means pedal bicycles; check with the land manager before bringing an electric bicycle. Use the linked maps for navigation and check current closures before traveling.

This guide covers verified named routes, trail systems and selected access points. Some routes cross county lines, as noted. It is not yet a complete inventory of every spur, forest road or private trail. Trail descriptions are not live condition reports.

Iron County · Belleview

Elephant Rocks State Park

Trails, uses & access

Where to start

  • Main park parking area on Highway 21. Engine House Ruins is reached on foot from the Braille Trail, not a separate roadside trailhead.

  • Braille Trail

    Hiking

    Paved 0.9-mile loop among the granite boulders.

  • Engine House Ruins Trail

    Hiking

    0.4-mile spur from the Braille Trail; only part is paved.

Sources checked . Check the linked manager for current closures and access rules.

Reynolds County · Middle Brook mailing address

Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park

Trails, uses & access

Where to start

  • Main day-use parking: Shut-Ins Trail and Black River Trail System.
  • Campground area: Campground Trail System, Black River Trail System and Goggins Mountain equestrian trailhead.
  • Scour trailhead: Scour Trail and access to the Ozark Trail.
  • Horseshoe Glade begins at a junction on Shut-Ins Trail, not at a separate parking lot.

  • Black River Trail System

    Hiking · Bicycling

    3.1-mile system linking campground and day-use areas.

  • Campground Trail System

    Hiking · Bicycling

    2.5-mile network within the campground.

  • Goggins Mountain Equestrian Trail

    Hiking · Horseback riding

    10.1-mile loop. Horse access does not extend onto the connecting Ozark Trail.

  • Horseshoe Glade Trail

    Hiking only

    1.5-mile loop reached from Shut-Ins Trail. No pets.

  • Scour Trail

    Hiking only

    1.4-mile loop with Ozark Trail connections.

  • Shut-Ins Trail

    Hiking only

    2.3-mile loop. The initial 0.3 mile reaches an accessible observation deck; the full loop is not accessible. No pets.

  • Ozark Trail: park segment

    Hiking only

    Part of the Taum Sauk section listed below, not a separate long-distance route.

Sources checked . Check the linked manager for current closures and access rules.

Iron County · South of Ironton

Taum Sauk Mountain State Park

Trails, uses & access

Where to start

  • Trailhead parking at the end of the park road. Follow Route CC from Highway 21 and the park signs.

  • Mina Sauk Falls Trail

    Hiking only

    2.9-mile rugged loop. Falls are weather-dependent.

  • High-point approach

    Hiking · Accessible segment

    Short paved approach from parking to Missouri’s high point. This is part of the Mina Sauk approach, not an accessible route around the full loop.

  • Ozark Trail: park segment

    Hiking only

    Access through Mina Sauk Falls Trail. Continues toward Johnson’s Shut-Ins or Highway 21.

Sources checked . Check the linked manager for current closures and access rules.

Iron County · Ironton

Shepherd Mountain

Trails, uses & access

Where to start

  • Main mountain parking: 1462 Highway 21. Use the operator’s map for summit routes.
  • Shepherd Mountain Lake trail access: Lake Climb, Lourwood, XC Loop and introductory downhill trails. Check the operator’s map before choosing a starting point.

  • Original Hiking Trail: Steep / Less Steep

    Hiking

    Two branches form the original hiking route.

  • Coolio’s Climb

    Hiking · Mountain biking

    Main parking to summit.

  • Lake Climb

    Hiking · Mountain biking

    Lake-side access toward the mountain.

  • Lourwood Trail

    Hiking

    Lake-side trail.

  • XC Loop

    Hiking · Mountain biking

    Lake-side cross-country loop.

  • Wagon Run

    Downhill mountain biking

    Use the bike-park map for access, direction and difficulty.

  • Trolley Track

    Downhill mountain biking

    Use the bike-park map for access, direction and difficulty.

  • Mineshaft

    Downhill mountain biking

    Use the bike-park map for access, direction and difficulty.

  • Hurricane

    Downhill mountain biking

    Use the bike-park map for access, direction and difficulty.

  • Element 26

    Downhill mountain biking

    Use the bike-park map for access, direction and difficulty.

  • Powder Keg

    Downhill mountain biking

    Use the bike-park map for access, direction and difficulty.

  • Cannonball

    Downhill mountain biking

    Use the bike-park map for access, direction and difficulty.

  • Quapaw

    Downhill mountain biking

    Use the bike-park map for access, direction and difficulty.

  • No-Man’s Land

    Downhill mountain biking

    Use the bike-park map for access, direction and difficulty.

  • Scorched Earth

    Downhill mountain biking

    Use the bike-park map for access, direction and difficulty.

  • Intro DH Green

    Downhill mountain biking

    Lake-side introductory trail.

  • Intro DH Blue

    Downhill mountain biking

    Lake-side introductory trail.

Sources checked . Check the linked manager for current closures and access rules.

Iron County access · Area also extends into Washington County

Buford Mountain Conservation Area

Trails, uses & access

Where to start

  • MDC parking off Route U. From Ironton, take Highway 21 north, then Route U; use the MDC area map to identify the signed parking area.

  • Buford Mountain hiking trail

    Hiking

    Mountain route toward Bald Knob. The map marks hiking trails, not a bike or horse trail network.

Sources checked . Check the linked manager for current closures and access rules.

Iron and Reynolds counties

Ketcherside Mountain Conservation Area

Trails, uses & access

Where to start

  • Highway 21 trail access for Royal Gorge and the Ozark Trail.
  • Route CC / fire-tower area offers additional mapped access. Use MDC’s map; roads labeled no public vehicle access are not driving routes.

  • Royal Gorge Trail

    Hiking

    MDC lists 2.3 miles.

  • Ozark Trail: Ketcherside segment

    Hiking

    6.2 miles within the conservation area, part of the Taum Sauk section. Do not treat service-road bicycle access as permission to ride this trail.

Sources checked . Check the linked manager for current closures and access rules.

Iron County · Near the Reynolds County boundary

Bell Mountain Wilderness

Trails, uses & access

Where to start

  • Bell Mountain north trailhead, Ottery Creek trailhead and Lindsey Mountain trailhead are shown on the Forest Service map.
  • The Forest Service recommends the northern Bell Mountain trailhead for equestrian access. Confirm trailer access with the ranger district.

  • Bell Mountain Trail

    Hiking · Horseback riding

    Wilderness route. Bicycles are not allowed.

  • Bell Mountain Connector

    Hiking · Horseback riding

    Connects the northern access to the main trail.

  • Lindsey Mountain Trail

    Hiking · Horseback riding

    Unmarked wilderness trail. Use the official map and confirm current access before traveling.

Sources checked . Check the linked manager for current closures and access rules.

Iron County · Near Enough

Council Bluff Lake

Trails, uses & access

Where to start

  • Chapel Hill Beach, Wild Boar Hollow boat launch, Enough boat launch and campground connectors provide access to the lakeshore route. Follow the trail map and posted access rules.

  • Council Bluff / Lake Shore Trail

    Hiking · Mountain biking

    Lake loop; horses are prohibited.

  • Campground connector trails

    Hiking · Mountain biking

    Two links from Wild Boar Ridge Campground to the lake loop.

  • Telleck Branch connector

    Hiking · Mountain biking

    Link to the Trace Creek section of the Ozark Trail. Horse permission on Trace Creek does not extend to the lake loop.

Sources checked . Check the linked manager for current closures and access rules.

Iron County · South of Ironton

Crane Lake

Trails, uses & access

Where to start

  • Crane Lake trailhead: Highway E to Iron County Road 124, then County Road 131. Follow the Forest Service map.

  • Crane Lake north loop

    Hiking · Mountain biking · Limited horse segment

    Horses are allowed only on the west side between the Marble Creek Ozark Trail junction and the north end of the lake.

  • Crane Lake south loop

    Hiking · Mountain biking

    Continues below the dam. Not a horseback loop.

Sources checked . Check the linked manager for current closures and access rules.

Reynolds County · Near Bunker and Centerville

Grasshopper Hollow

Trails, uses & access

Where to start

  • Parking and trailhead on Road 860, about 0.6 mile north of Highway 72. Follow MDC’s directions and map.

  • Grasshopper Hollow viewing trail

    Hiking

    Follows an old road toward the fens. Stay out of the sensitive wetland; this is not a bike or horse trail listing.

Sources checked . Check the linked manager for current closures and access rules.

Reynolds County · Webb Creek and Bluff View

Clearwater Lake walks

Trails, uses & access

Where to start

  • Bluff View: trailhead near the C-section restrooms, 93 Highway AA. The park has a Piedmont mailing address but is in Reynolds County.
  • Webb Creek: trail between the campground and swim beach, 10273 Highway H, southeast of Ellington.

  • Bluff View Nature Trail

    Hiking only

    0.6-mile nature trail. Bicycles are not allowed.

  • Webb Creek Nature Trail

    Hiking

    0.2-mile campground-to-beach trail.

Sources checked . Check the linked manager for current closures and access rules.

Reynolds and Iron county access · Some sections continue beyond these counties

Ozark Trail sections

Trails, uses & access

Where to start

  • Trace Creek: Highway 32 trailhead and the Council Bluff / Telleck Branch connection. Northern portions continue into Washington County.
  • Middle Fork: Highway DD near Highway 32, Barton Fen access and Highway J near Oates.
  • Karkaghne: Highway J at Oates, Sutton Bluff and Highway 72.
  • Blair Creek: Highway 72 access near Bunker; the route continues south into Shannon County.
  • Marble Creek: Crane Lake trailhead in Iron County. The other end is Marble Creek Recreation Area in Madison County.
  • Taum Sauk: Highway A / Ottery Creek, Johnson’s Shut-Ins Scour area, Taum Sauk Mountain park and Highway 21 / Ketcherside.

  • Trace Creek section

    Hiking · Mountain biking · Horseback riding

    Use the Iron County access points above; the full section is not entirely in Iron County.

  • Middle Fork / John Roth Memorial section

    Hiking · Mountain biking · Horseback riding

    Links the Highway 32 area with Oates.

  • Karkaghne section

    Hiking · Mountain biking · Horseback riding

    Runs through the Oates and Sutton Bluff area.

  • Blair Creek section

    Hiking only

    The separate Blair Creek Equestrian Trail is not the same route.

  • Marble Creek section

    Hiking · Mountain biking · Horseback riding on permitted segments

    At Crane Lake, the Forest Service’s west-side-only horse restriction applies.

  • Taum Sauk section

    Hiking; horse use only where specifically allowed

    Hiking only through the state parks and Ketcherside. Bell Mountain wilderness has separate horse access. No blanket bicycle or horse permission.

Sources checked . Check the linked manager for current closures and access rules.

Reynolds County · Black

Horseback riding trails · Valley Springs Foxtrotters

Trails, uses & access

Where to start

  • Valley Springs Foxtrotters, 5910 Highway J, Black. Call (573) 269-4743 to ask about horseback trail riding and confirm where to meet. This is private property, not an unrestricted public trailhead.

  • Valley Springs Foxtrotters

    Horseback riding · Contact the business

    Ask about current trail riding arrangements, rider experience requirements and access before visiting. The business also breeds and sells horses, Aussies and Aussiedoodles; contact it for current availability.

Sources checked . Check the linked manager for current closures and access rules.

Reynolds County · Black

Brushy Creek SXS/UTV trails

Trails, uses & access

Where to start

  • Brushy Creek Lodge & Resort, 420 County Road 831, Black. Contact (573) 269-4600 before arrival for permitted routes, required permits and riding arrangements.

  • Brushy Creek SXS/UTV riding

    SXS/UTV · Operator-designated routes

    Bring your own permitted SXS. The operator's posted rules prohibit four-wheelers and electric scooters. Confirm the route and current requirements with Brushy Creek; other hiking, bicycle and horseback trails are not automatically open to motor vehicles.

Sources checked . Check the linked manager for current closures and access rules.

Know a trail we should check?

Send its name, county, access point and an official map or contact for the land manager. We check additions and corrections before changing the guide.

Suggest a trail or correction

Opens your email app. No message is sent automatically.