Welcome to the Ozark Trail Association!

The Ozark Trail is a part of a vision, conceived in 1977, to build a scenic and varied route through the Missouri Ozarks, stretching from the St. Louis metropolitan area southwestward to the Arkansas border, eventually connecting to the Ozark Highlands trail-- creating a 700 mile through-trail.  Almost 550 miles of trail have been completed, with 350 miles in Missouri.

The Ozark Trail Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to finishing that vision:  The Mission of the Ozark Trail Association is to develop, maintain, preserve, promote and protect the rugged, natural beauty of the Ozark Trail.

Click here or on the map for more details on trail sections.

All We Want For The Holidays:
A Recreational Trails Program Grant

The Ozark Trail Association has been awarded $99,650 from the Recreational Trails Program. Missouri Governor Matt Blunt announced the grant recipients on December 3 with a sentiment that perfectly captures the spirit of the OT: "These trails bring opportunities for families, health and fitness and they serve as recreational arteries for our communities." See the full press release from Governor Blunt’s office.

The grant will be used to fund a two-year construction plan to add 18 miles to the growing Ozark Trail system. Tools, supplies, promotional materials and even food for volunteer outings are covered under the grant. Additionally, seasonal crews will be hired to meet the aggressive schedule.

First on the schedule is key project for the Ozark Trail Association: rebuilding the Taum Sauk section at Johnson's Shut-Ins in time for the park opening in spring 2009. Three and a half miles of trail are planned for construction by our tireless volunteers with work outings starting in January 2009. (See the article below for more details on the Taum Sauk section.)

Additionally, 3 miles of new trail in the "Courtois Gap" in Crawford County will be constructed. Since the RTP grant is intended for expansion of the OT, additional trail in Carter and Shannon Counties will be developed as well.

The Recreational Trails Program grant is the quintessential gift that keeps on giving as the OTA continues to build and expand the Ozark Trail for all users.

Our New Year's Resolution: Rebuild Taum Sauk

We know that many of you have been itching to get your hands on a pulaski and dig into the purple rocky hillsides of the St. Francois Mountains. Starting January 3rd, you'll get your wish as we start the process of rebuilding the Taum Sauk section of the Ozark Trail running through Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park. We have a dozen outings scheduled from January through May to build and reopen one of the best trails in Missouri, and you'll all invited to help.

In case you missed it or just forgot, a December 2005 reservoir breach wiped out most of the Johnson's Shut-Ins campground and a good portion of the Ozark Trail. While the shut-ins have been periodically open for the summer swimming season, the remainder of the park (including the Ozark Trail) has been closed for three years. The reconstruction process is now in full-swing and a "new-and-improved" Park will open in 2009. The OTA is going to pitch-in by rebuilding two miles of the Taum Sauk trail and building a 1.5 mile loop trail that will connect the OT to a new trailhead on Highway N.

The work will be tough and the weather might be cold, but we know our great OTA volunteers are up to the task. Check out our work party page and sign up today! Be a part of history as we build some of the neatest trail in the Missouri.

(Participation is capped at 50 for our January & February events. The work along the scour will be strenuous and may not be suitable for children.)

The Best Gets Better

The Ozark Trail Association hosts construction and maintenance events throughout the year, but our "MegaEvents" get the most attention. They're a ton of fun, and when the weather is right, we get huge turnouts.

It was perfect weather for trail building on October 25th, so it's no wonder that we set a new record—155 volunteers! It was frosty in the morning as we gathered at 9am, but by the time we hit the trail the temperatures were darn-near perfect for the largest event in Ozark Trail history. Volunteers opened a new section of trail from Bass' River Resort to the border Huzzah Conservation Area, plus added another half-mile of trail to the east above the Courtois River valley.

After a good day of trail building, we gathered near Jeff Goetter's grill where everyone enjoyed a great meal. Redwood Creek served up complimentary wine as Kathie B.'s raffle raised $650 to support OT programs. A few people skipped rocks in the creek while others played Ultimate Frisbee. Our live music started with an acoustical guitar duo, which grew to a five-member jam session (including a dulcimer and a banjo) as the crowd moved over to a roaring bonfire on the banks of the spring-fed Courtois Creek.

Our MegaEvents are a celebration of the great trails in the Missouri Ozarks and to the people that build them. One volunteer succinctly summed it up with this comment: "This has become my second family of friends."

You can meet your new family of friends by signing up for a future OTA event—visit our work party page for a complete list of outings (with new outings for winter/spring coming soon!) [ picture gallery ] [ slideshow ]

150 Volunteers Make for MegaSuccess

The OTA's fall construction season started with a roar as 150 volunteers convened in the beautiful Courtois Valley for a weekend of fun and great trail building. We added 1 1/4 mile of new trail to the "Courtois Gap" section of the Ozark Trail between Huzzah Conservation Area and Bass' River Resort.

A record number of campers took advantage of free camping on Friday night. We kicked-off Saturday's activities with a group photo (gallery) at 9am then hit the trail under sunny skies. It was a warm but comfortable day, and around 2:30pm the crews took a last walk along their newly-built trail and headed back to the campground.

Late-afternoon was a treat as people swam in the Courtois, rode bikes, took hikes, kayaked or just chatted in the campground. The bluegrass music kicked-in just before we sat down to a fine meal (thanks, Jeff!) As dusk arrived the crowd moved to the gravel bar to enjoy the creek-side bonfire, more music and a little stargazing.

Quite a few people stayed for Sunday activites. Some hit the river in canoes, some went biking and 20 people took advantage of the free OTA shuttle to hike the newly completed trail.

We raised over $1,000 at the raffle, which will be used to offset the cost of volunteer meals. Many thanks to REI for their donations. As always, many thanks to all the volunteers who helped make this event a MegaSuccess!

This was the first in a series of four "MegaEvents" the OTA will host over the next nine months. Our next Mega is October 25th and will be headquartered at Bass' River Resort. You can view our current schedule and sign up for outings at our Work Parties page.

Credit Card / Paypal Your Membership!

The Ozark Trail Association is membership-supported. Your membership fees equip volunteers with tools, chainsaw supplies, signage, hammers, nails... a whole host of things to keep the trail open and to build new trail. There's also a newsletter! And free online maps! Your membership is important to the ongoing success of the trail.

And now: you can pay for your membership or make a donation using your credit card or PayPal account! Visit our main membership page today for an easy way to renew your membership, start a new membership or to make a contribution!

Adopt-A-Trail

200 miles of through-trail opened for use in 2006, part of the 350 total miles of Ozark Trail in Missouri.  That's a lot of trail to keep clear of trees and brush.  You can help out by maintaining a short section of trail through our Adopt-A-Trail program.  Adopters work on two- or three-mile sections a few times a year, lopping back limbs, putting up new signs and reporting on trail conditions.  It's a good way to give back a little to the OT.  And it's a great excuse to get away for a day on the trail!

Interested?  Learn more by visiting our Adopt-A-Trail page or contacting our
Adopt-A-Trail coordinator.