WAPPAPELLO SECTION

This section runs from Sam A. Baker State Park to Lake Wappapello before ending near Hendrickson. It will eventually connect to the Victory section.

Camping

Biking

Riding

Trail Conditions

Status 2021/11/07: MoDOT has notified the OTA that they intend to re-deck the Highway 34 bridge over the St. Francois River. The Ozark Trail passes under the bridge (between mile markers 4 and 5, at the Highway 34 trailhead), and MoDOT has informed us that “in order to ensure public safety during project construction, the Ozark Trail will need to close to pedestrian and bicyclist use. The Ozark Trail closure is anticipated to take place from March 15th, 2022 to October 15th, 2022.”

The land manager for this section of the trail is the US Corp of Engineers. As of now, the USCofE has not informed us of their re-route plans. We will post updates here when we receive information from the USCofE.

Campgrounds

Sam A. Baker State Park. Not permitted on Corps of Engineers property except north of Highway 67 (a primitive area).

35

Miles of Trail

VARIED

Difficulty

2150′

N to S ascent

2100′

S to N ascent

Trail Geography

The Lake Wappapello section of the Ozark Trail begins at the southern entrance to Sam A. Baker State Park, and follows the St. Francis River south for 15 miles through woodlands and field bottoms until it reaches Lake Wappapello at Old Greenville National Historical Site. It then continues south another 15 miles through rolling oak and pine forest hill country and ends at the Black River 8 miles north of Poplar Bluff. Water is available at creeks along most of the trail.

Additional miles can be incorporated to this section by connecting the scenic 12-mile Mudlick trail at Sam A. Baker or connecting to the 15-mile Wappapello Trail via a 5-mile spur trail near Highway 172.