Backpack Trail Guide

Trails / Missouri / Mark Twain National Forest

Bell Mountain Wilderness Loop

Mark Twain National Forest, Potosi/Fredericktown Ranger District (near Belleview)

Bell Mountain Wilderness covers 9,143 acres of the St. Francois Mountains in Iron County, which the Forest Service calls “one of the oldest landforms in North America.” Elevations run from 1,702 feet at the summit down to 970 feet in the Joe’s Creek drainage.

The standard overnight is a lollipop loop from Highway A with a camp on the summit, where the overlook faces east toward sunrise.

The hike

The loop starts on the Ozark Trail. Terrain Magazine (2020) describes an 11.8-mile lollipop with about 1,683 feet of gain from the parking area on the west side of Highway A, a few miles south of Highway 32 and about 70 miles south of St. Louis. The first 2 miles follow the Ozark Trail’s Taum Sauk Section, then a 1-mile connector reaches the 5.8-mile loop. The Forest Service lists the Bell Mountain Wilderness Trail at 11.9 miles, rated moderate with average grades of 10 to 12 percent and limited markings.

The Outbound gives 12.1 miles and splits it into a 7.5-mile first day and a 4.5-mile, mostly downhill second day. Its route crosses Highway A, climbs gradually about 2 miles to the loop junction, then turns left and descends to Joe’s Creek before climbing about 4 miles to the summit. It warns that the turn toward Joe’s Creek is sharp and easy to miss.

Direction matters for water. Terrain says the clockwise route passes Joe’s Creek on the way up, while counterclockwise has no water stop before camp, so you’d have to carry water for the climb, dinner, fire-dousing, and the next morning. Terrain adds that the clockwise route is longer to camp, while counterclockwise makes for a more strenuous second day.

On top, the Outbound calls the east-facing overlook “one of the best views in the state,” and Terrain mentions views over the rolling hills of the national forest and clear-night stars. Terrain quotes REI St. Louis camping specialist Jerry Liberstein: “It has everything a good backpacking trip should have.”

The Forest Service also lists the 2.2-mile Lindsey Mountain Trail, which it rates difficult, rocky, and unmarked. It warns of steep slopes, talus, shut-in gorges, feral swine, biting insects, poison ivy, and summer heat, and says much of the wilderness borders private land.

For a longer overnight on the other side of the St. Francois Mountains, see the Mudlick Trail at Sam A. Baker State Park.

Tips

Camping

Dispersed camping is allowed along the trail and in the wilderness, according to the Forest Service. Camp at least 100 feet from trails, other camps, and water sources. The forest’s wilderness order bans fires, including stove fires, within 100 feet of an established trail and limits groups to 10 people. There are no toilets, fire grates, or treated water, and no camping in trailhead day-use areas. No permit is required. Bury human waste at least 6 inches deep and pack out trash.

Inside Intel: Terrain Magazine says the summit sites are first come, first served and that “the best sites are those situated among the rock outcroppings with unobstructed views of the surrounding hills.” The Outbound points to the same summit for the east-facing sunrise. Terrain adds that wood must be gathered on site.

Trail facts

The Lowdown

Sleeping on Bell Mountain's rock outcrops:

The best summit sites sit among bare rock above the St. Francois Mountains, so the pad under you matters more than usual.

Read the full guide →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.