23.1 miles point-to-point. Located east of Marshall, north of Mountain View. This is like the Buffalo River on a smaller scale – lots of bluffs, scenic vistas, interesting geology, and swimming holes. June ’11 trip. April ’12 trip. March ’17 trip.
The trail goes through 3 USFS Recreation Areas where one can camp (daily fee). Barkshed and Gunner Pool are relatively primitive while Blanchard Springs is developed and features a cave (with daily tours), a small spring-fed lake, and several swimming holes.
Flooding and a tornado in spring ’25 left a large number of obstructions on, and considerable damage to the trail, especially between the Gunner Pool and Allison areas.
Some of the trail and facilities are closed.
Update: After a May 21-23 cleanup effort, the trail between Blanchard Springs and Gunner Pool is now passable. The USFS will officially reopen it soon.
Maps
My maps are a 3-page PDF that will print at about 1:24000 scale on 11×17″ paper. A small part of the Ozark Highlands Trail, which intersects this trail, is included.
Trail Heads
- Cripple Turkey, 36.0566°N 92.3184°W. Parking only – no facilities. Shared with the Sylamore section of the Ozark Highlands Trail.
- Barkshed Rec Area, 36.0191°N 92.2511°W
- Gunner Pool Rec Area, 35.9941°N 92.2123°W
- Blanchard Springs Rec Area, 35.9697°N 92.1730°W.
- Allison, 35.9418°N 92.1267°W. Parking only – no facilities.
The Cripple Turkey to Barkshed RA section is 9.1 miles(with Barkshed Creek about halfway between), Barkshed RA to Gunner Pool RA is 4.0 miles, Gunner Pool RA to Blanchard Springs RA is 5.3 miles, and Blanchard Springs RA to Allison is 4.7 miles.
The Compulsive Hiker 