Ozark Trail: Blair Creek Section

Mark Twain National Forest, Roger Pryor Pioneer Backcountry, and Ozark National Scenic Riverways (Shannon County)

The Blair Creek Section was among the first parts of the Ozark Trail to be built. The L-A-D Foundation says Sierra Club volunteers cut it with hand tools in the late 1970s across Pioneer Forest, and Missouri State Parks calls it part of the trail’s first completed section. Backpacker, in 2001, suggested Ozark Trail newcomers “start small, hiking ridgelines on the 26.5-mile Blair Creek section.”

The Ozark Trail Association (OTA) lists it at 27 miles, from the junction of Highways P and 72 near Bunker south to the Current River at Owls Bend.

The hike

The Forest Service says the section begins at the Highway P trailhead, which it shares with the Karkaghne Section, and runs about 8 miles through mature oak-pine forest to the edge of the Salem Ranger District. From there it crosses private land under use easements to reach Ozark National Scenic Riverways. The OTA says the northern six miles follow the ridge between Big Creek and Blair Creek before the trail drops into the Blair Creek watershed and follows the creek south “through a deepening valley” to the river.

The middle of the section crosses the Roger Pryor Pioneer Backcountry, Pioneer Forest land whose backcountry trails were leased to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources in 2004, making them part of the state park system, according to the L-A-D Foundation. Missouri State Parks describes the route there: south into Laxton Hollow, along a west-facing hillside, up a narrow ridge of shortleaf pine, down to Cedar Point, and along Blair Creek before climbing to bluffs above the Current River and ending at Highway 106 near Owls Bend. It notes cemeteries, including Blairs Creek Cemetery, which is still in use, old home foundations, spring houses, and root cellars. McIntyre Spring, at the mouth of Jims Creek, is one of the larger springs. The L-A-D Foundation says the Pioneer Forest stretch “remains hiking only.”

The OTA describes the bluffs at the south end as offering “the most outstanding views of the river along the entire trail.” It warns that seasonal growth can be heavy in low areas and near creeks, that Ozark Trail markers on road stretches can disappear, and that red paint and markers belong to a parallel equestrian trail, not the Ozark Trail.

Missouri State Parks rates its part of the trail rugged and lists unbridged stream crossings, steep grades over 10 percent, and shifting rock. The OTA lists about 1,900 feet of climbing north to south.

At Owls Bend, the trail continues south as the Current River Section.

Tips

Follow the Ozark Trail markers, not red blazes, which mark the equestrian trail.
Check your map at road crossings, where the OTA says markers can go missing.
Treat all water. No treated water is available along the trail.
Wear orange in November. Missouri’s November firearms deer portion runs Nov. 14 to 24, 2026 (MDC), and the NPS encourages hunter orange in the riverways’ backcountry.
Plan the south end around NPS rules, which differ from the national forest’s.

Camping

On national forest land, the Forest Service allows dispersed camping at least 100 feet from the trail, with no facilities. No written camping rules were found for the Pioneer Forest stretch now in the state park system; the L-A-D Foundation mentions Laxton Spring as a possible overnight camp. Confirm before camping there.

The southern end lies in Ozark National Scenic Riverways. The NPS allows Ozark Trail campers to camp without a fee or reservation. That differs from the park’s backcountry campgrounds along the rivers, which the NPS says have required a Recreation.gov reservation and a fee year-round since April 15, 2025. The compendium requires sites at least 100 feet from water and scenic areas, prohibits camping on roads and in historic structures, and limits stays to two nights.

Inside Intel: In a 2008 SummitPost campsite guide for this section, Arthur Digbee lists five sites: two on the bluffs above the Current River (he calls the multi-tent one “prettier”; both are about a 10-minute walk from water and catch road noise from Highway 106), one he calls “a pretty, forested site away from road noise” along Bloom Creek, one by Pogue Creek with good water, and an open, flat area by a ford of Little Blair Creek, where he warns about poison ivy. He adds that none of them meet the 100-foot setback.

Trail facts

Distance: 27 miles (OTA, Forest Service); 26.2 to 26.5 miles in other sources
Route type: Point-to-point
Difficulty: Moderate (OTA); rugged (Missouri State Parks)
Campsites: Dispersed; rules vary by land manager (see above)
Water: Blair Creek, McIntyre Spring, smaller creeks, Current River; treat all water
Permits: None found
Uses: Hiking only across Pioneer Forest (L-A-D Foundation)
Trailheads: Highway P, CR 235, Powder Mill (Highway 106)
Last verified: October 17, 2026

The Lowdown

Dinner on a Current River bluff:

Blair Creek finishes on bluffs high above the Current River, a fine place to linger over a trail dinner that's worth the carry. See the backpacking meals testers like.

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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.