THE OZARK TRAIL

Thirteen miles of the Ozark Trail pass through Pioneer Forest, linking a portion of the Mark Twain National Forest to the north with the Ozark National Scenic Riverways to the south and affords some of the best long-distance hiking in the midwest. The route for this portion of the hiking trail is the remote and picturesque Blair Creek Valley. Features of this trail include springs, caves, long abandoned fields, a stone springhouse, beaver dams, and a cemetary. Volunteers from the Sierra Club constructed this section of the Ozark Trail in the 1970’s, the first segment to be completed as part of the Ozark Trail concept, a several-hundred mile-long trail winding through the Ozark Mountains of Missouri and Arkansas. In 1995 Backpacker Magazine featured this particular section of the Ozark Trail along with other regionwide hiking trails among the 10 most notable in the heartland of the midwest.More information on this particular trail can be obtained by contacting our office. A map and brochure are available on request.

ROGER PRYOR PIONEER BACKCOUNTRY

The Roger Pryor Pioneer Backcountry is a large and undeveloped area of Pioneer Forest. It is approximately 61,000 acres in size and lies in a remote region of the Ozarks. Found here are many important natural and cultural features which together with the area’s extensive landscapes afford unique and challenging experiences in the outdoors.

This backcountry woodland borders the Current River lying immediately east of Round Spring and north of the river and borders the river for nearly 15 river miles. Extending north from the Current River are portions of three tributary watersheds, Big Creek, Brushy Creek, and Blair Creek. There are few roads. Deer and turkey are common here. Also found are bobcat, several species of bats in area caves, timber rattlesnakes, southern redback salamanders, and a variety of birds such as acadian flycatchers, red-eyed vireos, and worm-eating warblers, all of which are more commmonly found in such largely forested settings. Small glades dot the otherwise extensively forested landscape. This is an area that has been described as truly, the most remote place in all of Missouri.

Originally settled over a century ago, the area was then abandoned beginning in the early 1900’s. Since that time it has been managed to restore the forests and allow the land to re-establish its rugged and natural character. The conservative nature of our forest management practice has maintained the natural diversity of the forest here, including the great variety of oaks and hickories characteristic of this region, as well as many other species and many sizes and ages of trees. The woodland character of the land is continuous.

This area is named in the memory of R. Roger Pryor who loved the Ozarks and worked for many years to promote the protection and good management of this area’s forests, streams, and outstanding natural features. Two separate areas of the woodland also recognize long-time employees of Pioneer Forest, Ed Woods and Charlie Kirk, who worked here and loved this extensively wooded region.

The size and primitive nature of this backcountry area provide a combination of outdoor recreation experiences which altogether are not available anywhere else in Missouri. This backcountry area can be accessed through established trails or directly through cross-country hiking or walking and includes the following features.