Your favorite trail(s) in the Ozarks

Lord willing, I plan hiking down in Missouri's Paddy Creek Wilderness Area this coming April. The Big Piney Trail is a 17 mile loop that traverses the hills of southern Missouri's Ozark Plateau. This will be my first experience hiking in the Ozarks. Most of my hiking has been in southeast Ohio, Pennsylvania and western Virginia in the Appalachian Mountains.

What trails have you hiked down in the Ozarks? The OHT looks good down in NW Arkansas, especially Richland Creek Wilderness Area. Plenty of steep hills there.

If you do that hike, you'll love the area along the Buffalo river; its in the running for best spot in the Ozarks, in my opinion.

Actually I will be a little north of there hiking the Big Piney Trail in southcentral Missouri, in the Mark Twain National Forest. I will keep that in mind though. I did purchase the guide book for the OHT and the Richland Creek to Woolum section looks excellent I must admit.

I'd consider skipping Piney in favor of a long stretch of the OHT, especially anywhere near the Buffalo River. Much better scenery.

The Big Piney Trail bad in the scenery department? (I will be finding out this April).

Not at all. One is just better than theother ; )

You are most likely correct.

In my case it will be time restraints. I will be driving from Wisconsin and have a week's vacation. Allow me to move down in that area and I will be spending time on both the Ozark and Ozark Highland Trails! :)

Okay. Your allowed. *grin*

Thank you! :)

I got to thinking about your suggestion.

Ever been on the Shores Lake/White Rock Loop Trail? It is a 13.4 mile loop, has plenty of steep climbs, crosses numerous streams. Located in the Boston Mountains Ranger District in the Ozark National Forest, in NW Arkansas.

This trail sounds good. What is your opinion on this trail if I may ask?

The Old Goat Patrol just got back from an overnighter on the Big Piney Trail. http://www.richbauer.net/paddy_creek2006.htm

I never imagined there were waterfalls on this trail. Looks like a scenic trail if you ask me.

Good grief! Those packs in the photos look like something for a full-on climbing expedition or a month-long through-hike! You sure it was an overnighter? The again, there was the comment about major storms, so maybe you had to have steel cables to hold the tents in place. Did you take dutch ovens and cast-iron skillets for cooking?

Just joking. Except that the packs do look a bit on the large side. Looks like a lot of historic Kelties in the group, too.

Bill, I was not on that hike. Rich Bauer and the Old Goat patrol was.

I will be doing a solo come early next month on the Big Piney Trail.

You may be wondering who are the "Old Goat Patrol". Here they are: http://richbauer.net/old_goat.htm

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