Backpack Trail Guide

Trails / Missouri / Ozark Trail

Ozark Trail: Karkaghne Section

Mark Twain National Forest, Potosi/Fredericktown and Salem Ranger Districts (Reynolds and Shannon counties)

The Karkaghne Section carries the Ozark Trail south through the watershed of the West Fork of the Black River, from Highway J near Oates past Sutton Bluff to the junction of Highways 72 and P near Bunker. The Ozark Trail Association (OTA) lists it at 29 miles and rates it moderate.

The OTA says the lower 18 miles were built in the 1980s and a 10-mile extension to Oates was added in 2000.

The hike

From the Highway J trailhead, which the section shares with the south end of the Middle Fork Section, the Forest Service describes the trail running south through forested watershed to the Sutton Bluff campground on the West Fork of the Black River, then on to the Highway P trailhead, where the Blair Creek Section begins. The Forest Service lists four trailheads north to south: Highway J, Brushy Creek Lodge parking, Sutton Bluff, and Highway P.

A spur leads to Brushy Creek Lodge, a lodge and resort in Black. The OTA says to watch for signs near that spur to stay on the main trail. Farther along, the trail crosses Bee Fork, which the OTA warns can flood and be hard to follow.

Water is the planning problem on this section. The OTA notes “a pretty good gap without water sources between Bee Fork and Grasshopper Hollow.” Grasshopper Hollow, a side trip near the southern end, is described by the OTA as “the largest fen complex in non-glaciated North America.” Michael Shepherd Jordan, writing in Terrain Magazine about an October 2024 thru-hike, says that even in an unusually dry month nearly every water source on the OTA maps had water, but at Grasshopper Hollow he had to walk deeper than expected to find a small pool.

The OTA’s condition notes say the section was damaged by a derecho a few years ago and is now in good shape, mostly clear of fallen trees, with some seasonal growth. The trail is open to hikers, bikes, and horses, though the Forest Service says horse use is limited south of Sutton Bluff because of the trail’s design. The OTA lists about 2,700 feet of climbing north to south, and The Outbound lists about 3,980 feet over 27.93 miles.

Sutton Bluff’s campground, beside the West Fork, has toilets and showers, according to the Forest Service. Terrain Magazine’s thru-hiker used its electric hookups to recharge, and also reports that Brushy Creek Lodge would not hold mailed resupply packages.

Tips

Camping

Dispersed camping is allowed along the trail on national forest land. The Forest Service asks campers to stay at least 100 feet from trails and water sources, bury human waste at least 6 inches deep, and pack out all trash. There are no toilets, structures, trash cans, treated water, or fire grates. Potable water is not available at the Sutton Bluff trailhead.

Sutton Bluff Recreation Area is a developed loop campground beside the West Fork of the Black River, open year-round, according to the Forest Service.

Inside Intel: No camper accounts recommending a specific backcountry site on this section were found.

Trail facts

The Lowdown

Boil water before the Grasshopper Hollow gap:

The Karkaghne's dry stretch between Bee Fork and Grasshopper Hollow means cooking with the water you carried, so a stove that boils quickly and reliably helps. See which stoves testers trust.

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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.