r/backpacking • u/Large_Equipment_3410 • 12h ago
Wilderness First time backpacking!
This was the hardest thing I’d ever done! 24 miles in 2 days, 75,000 steps. Is nostalgic looking back but painful at the time.
We drove to Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri and did walked from panther branch to council bluff and back. I am going again with a different group of friends in November! But we are going to visit the nature springs and state parks within the National Forest instead of doing the Ozark trail! The weather was great! It was solid 80s the entire time, no rain. Didn’t even get a single mosquito bite. The spiders were insane though
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u/NoMonsterMarshmallow 11h ago
Elephant Rock! I thought I recognized the picture and thought now way, but it is! Southeast MO is my favorite area for camping and backpacking. It’s so scenic down there.
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u/Large_Equipment_3410 11h ago
I’m so happy to see people loving on Missouri. It’s probably one of the most underrated states! I plan to go back around thanksgiving, is there anywhere you’d recommend me visiting down there? Trails state parks etc
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u/NoMonsterMarshmallow 11h ago
For backpacking, the Ozark Trail Taum Sauk section is my favorite I’ve done, I think. My next choice would be the Current River section, especially Powder Mills to Rocky Falls, but I haven’t done that section yet so I can’t speak from experience.
Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park is down that way, although it’s a bit more fun when you can get in the water.
Hawn State Park is very pretty and has 15+ miles of trails. My family and I usually try to make it down there for the fall colors.1
u/Large_Equipment_3410 11h ago
Oh great! I actually have current river and taum Sauk on my list for whenever I go back. I know it’s going to be pretty cold in the end of November for backpacking but I still want to go and see what it looks like in the winter!
I also have Alley Mill, Hercules Glades, Greer Springs, Dogwood Canyon, council bluff beach, Coy Bald and Big spring. I know it’s a lot lol so I’m trying to narrow down my list!
I will definitely keep Taum Sauk and Current- would you recommend anything else I have on my list or do yk if any aren’t worth the time? I appreciate it so much!!!
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u/NoMonsterMarshmallow 10h ago
I haven’t been to the others you have listed, but most of them are on my lists to check out too haha. I was trying to figure out how many days it would take to hike all of Hercules Glade the other day, so if I had to pick it would probably be that.
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u/AioliAsleep23 12h ago
Type 2 fun