A discussion of the "real" Ozarks: camping, floating, etc.

Do a trip report here....go to another city and want to relate it to what KC is doing right or could do better? Give us a summary in here.
Post Reply
User avatar
warwickland
Oak Tower
Oak Tower
Posts: 4834
Joined: Wed Sep 21, 2005 6:29 pm
Location: St. Louis County, MO

A discussion of the "real" Ozarks: camping, floating, etc.

Post by warwickland »

I took a trip down to the Silvermines area of the Ozarks near Fredericktown, MO this weekend. I Really like this area and I took a few photos around the old silvermine and a popular kayaking area, as well as the Knob Lick lookout around Farmington. Stayed in a cabin within spitting distance of National Forest Silver Mines campgrounds. For those unaware, there are a number of national forest as well as campgrounds managed by the national park service? scattered around the ozarks that are worthy camping/fishing/tubing destinations in/of themselves. There are also lesser known shut-ins usually only known by locals that have been intentionally "hidden." I have spent a good amount of time the last few years running around down there and would like to start a thread talking about the popular and unknown spots of the Ozarks in Missouri and Arkansas.

Image
P1040193 by wmh95970, on Flickr

midwestern scree slope.

Image
P1040191 by wmh95970, on Flickr

St. Francois River.

Image
P1040196 by wmh95970, on Flickr

Silver mine entrance - mines all over this area were bought out by the US Govmnt' for a strategic reserve pertaining to a number of minerals...don't know if I'm supposed to say anything?

Image
P1040201 by wmh95970, on Flickr

Where the red fern grows.

Image
P1040208 by wmh95970, on Flickr

Near Knob Lick, MO and the former Plummer Family Theatre.

Image
P1040215 by wmh95970, on Flickr

old fire stand.

Image
P1040218 by wmh95970, on Flickr
User avatar
warwickland
Oak Tower
Oak Tower
Posts: 4834
Joined: Wed Sep 21, 2005 6:29 pm
Location: St. Louis County, MO

Re: A discussion of the "real" Ozarks: camping, floating, etc.

Post by warwickland »

Probably the wrong spot...
User avatar
bbqboy
Broadway Square
Broadway Square
Posts: 2920
Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2005 10:25 am

Re: A discussion of the "real" Ozarks: camping, floating, etc.

Post by bbqboy »

wrong spot for what? 8)
Everybody needs to get away sometime.
User avatar
rxlexi
Penntower
Penntower
Posts: 2290
Joined: Sun Dec 14, 2003 10:30 pm
Location: Briarcliff

Re: A discussion of the "real" Ozarks: camping, floating, etc.

Post by rxlexi »

  awesome thread idea, and great pics.  I think we'll be heading down to near Lesterville/St.Francois Mtns to float/camp/4wd over Memorial Day.  If all goes to plan, I'll try to post a few pics too. 

  MO (and parts of KS, too!) has so many accessible outdoors opportunities that I feel it doesn't get enough credit for...yeah, there's no skiing/snowboarding or crazy extreme stuff, but plenty of great hiking/biking/streams.

  I was talking to some guy that moved here from Salt Lake City at Parkville Microfest last week, and he was all like yeah I like the city a lot, good people, but had to give up al ot of his outdoors activity in the midwest.  I asked if he had checked out any nearby trails or streams or camping or whatever.  Of course he hadn't, but there wasn't a big obvious mountain range or somesuch to go play on...not to fault such wonderful amenties.
are we spinning free?
User avatar
warwickland
Oak Tower
Oak Tower
Posts: 4834
Joined: Wed Sep 21, 2005 6:29 pm
Location: St. Louis County, MO

Re: A discussion of the "real" Ozarks: camping, floating, etc.

Post by warwickland »

rxlexi wrote:  awesome thread idea, and great pics.  I think we'll be heading down to near Lesterville/St.Francois Mtns to float/camp/4wd over Memorial Day.  If all goes to plan, I'll try to post a few pics too.  

 MO (and parts of KS, too!) has so many accessible outdoors opportunities that I feel it doesn't get enough credit for...yeah, there's no skiing/snowboarding or crazy extreme stuff, but plenty of great hiking/biking/streams.

95 degrees and the cool Current River equals bliss...I love paddling up into that cave. It's my favorite outdoor experience in the midwest. Something like Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore or any of the good Michigan beaches are a close second when the weather holds out in summer, but it doesn't always, my experience is about 50/50. Southern Missouri is pretty reliably warm in the summer, and part of the fall, electrical storms aside.

I've done the Bell Mountain overnight backpacking loop, and it was really funny, the majority of the zip codes for the weekend I went signed into the ledger were either 64111 or 63116. It could have been a big group of Missouri urbanists of some kind, who knows.  :lol: I definitely recommend backpacking in Missouri in early spring and late fall...or even good winter weekends.
Last edited by warwickland on Mon May 09, 2011 7:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
hd87sportster
Parking Garage
Parking Garage
Posts: 9
Joined: Thu Jun 30, 2005 9:06 pm

Re: A discussion of the "real" Ozarks: camping, floating, etc.

Post by hd87sportster »

Ahhhh yes - the only place in the state of MO where the water is clear, cold and deep. Did Elephant Rocks, Johnson's Shut Ins State Park (AWESOME) Floated the Black River (ok, not clear) Stayed in Ironton and drove around alot. Very nice and relaxing place to go. We'd go back in a minute too!

Sportster
...tam sauk here we come
Post Reply