The Ozark Trail: A Guide to Hiking Missouri’s Mountains

In real-world conditions, you’re often packing up fast to try to get ahead of crowds or traffic. So you can easily misplace a carry sack on a dark night in a crowded field, especially if you’re in a large group or have a lot of stuff. At a fireworks show and at the beach, we appreciated a chair that was ready to go without even 30 seconds of hassle. The Everywhere Chair closes like a book—simply lift the padded strap and go. Two center-line bunkers in the fairway split the hole between the low left side and the high right side.

Because the waterfall is easily accessible and open year-round, large groups and families with children may enjoy the falls, too. Not the best choice for long trips or hikers who need to carry a large amount of gear. Great for hiking in warm weather, thanks to the breathable construction, mesh straps, and hydration bladder hook up. This hydration compatible backpack has a connection for a water bladder built in to the design.

The deep and narrow green is protected by bunkers on both sides with a highly positioned bailout area on the short left side. This long and daunting par 5 plays all uphill, but the generous fairway gives you plenty of room to navigate your way towards the green. On your approach shot, a well-positioned bunker protects the right side of the green. Wetlands give way to ridgelines at the start of the Blair Creek section. The 26-mile route follows Blair Creek south as it carves down a valley through oak-hickory-pine forest before merging with the emerald waters of the Current River.

Split the bunkers on your tee shot at the 11th, but favoring the right side will give you the best look at the green. Keep your approach shot safe by aiming on the right side of the green to avoid the deep bunker on the left. This uphill par 4 has a generous fairway with a large natural limestone formation on the right. Aim just right of the middle fairway bunker to hit the widest part of the landing area. The elevated green slopes from back to front with a dangerous false front on the left side. If you’re not interested in taking a splash, you can still enjoy the jaw-dropping views of the waterfall during sunset or sunrise.

The Ozark Trail (OT) is one of America’s premier distance hiking trails. Mostly divided into linked sections, the trail winds through 390 miles of rolling hills, stone bluffs and cool streams in central and southern Missouri. I’m also an Appalachian Trail Maintainer & Trail Crew Member – it’s not uncommon to see sledge hammers, ozark trail outdoor equipment picks, buckets, bow saws, etc. strapped to this pack while hiking to and from trail work details. I’ve had this pack for 2 years and I’ve beaten the living daylights out of it and it still performs just as well as the day I bought it. I priced other internal frame daypacks before my trip and this was by far the cheapest.