Missouri Hiking Trails, Missouri Biking Trails and the Ozark Trail
Arcadia Valley Region and the Black River Recreation Area

The St. Francois Mountains were formed through volcanic and intrusive activity nearly 1.5 billion years ago.  By comparison, the Appalachians started forming about 460 million years ago and the Rockies a mere 70 million years ago.  When the Appalachian Mountains started forming, the St. Francois range was already twice as old as the Appalachians are today. This range is one of the oldest exposures of igneous rock in North America.  Geologists believe that the volcanic activity that formed this mountain range is also thought to be the geological cause of the uplift of the entire Ozark Plateau. It is believed that the peaks of the St. Francois Mountains may be the only area in the American Midwest never to have been submerged in the Paleozoic seas.  Around the peaks, in the areas that were submerged, fossilized coral and the remains of ancient reef complexes can be found.  These resulted in rich ore deposits of iron, lead, barite, zinc, silver, manganese, cobalt, and nickel, as well as granite and limestone.  Today, an old granite quarry lies on the edge of Elephant Rocks State Park which is a spectacular outcropping of huge weathered granite boulders that resemble Elephants, tail to tail.  Taum Sauk Mountain is the highest peak in the range, and the highest point in the state.  In short, a hike or bike ride along trails in our region can make you feel pretty insignificant in the Earth's history.

Chief among our trails is the Ozark Trail which meanders through our richly beautiful region of the Ozarks.  In the 1970s work began on a vision to build a scenic and varied route in the Missouri Ozarks, from just outside St. Louis southwest to the Arkansas border, to eventually connect with the Ozark Highlands Trail, creating a 700-mile through-trail.  Governmental agencies, environmental groups and dedicated bands of volunteers have now completed over 350 miles of the Missouri section of the Ozark Trail.  For more information and a detailed overview of the Ozark Trail in our Arcadia Valley Region and Black River Recreation Area, please click here.

There are unlimited hiking and mountain biking opportunities in our region.  See the many recreational opportunities below and we think you will agree that this is the best place in Missouri to find hiking and biking trails.  Mountain Biking is permitted on all, or portions of, Council Bluff Trail and most sections of the Ozark Trail.  For more detailed information on the trails in our region, please see the following:

The Ozark Trail Taum Sauk Mountain State Park Elephant Rocks State Park Johnson's Shut-ins State Park The Mark Twain National Forest Bell Mountain Wilderness Area and Trail Sutton Bluff Recreation Area Crane Lake Conservation Area and Trails Marble Creek Recreation Area and Trail Council Bluff Recreation Area and Trail Silver Mines Recreation Area and Trail Millstream Gardens Conservation Area and Tiemann Shut-ins Buford Mountain State Forest and Trail Ketcherside Mountain Conservation Area & Royal Gorge Grasshopper Hollow Logan Creek Conservation Area Deer Run Conservation Area Goggins Mountain Trail is temporarily closed for construction of the new Johnson's Shut-ins campground  & redevelopment program. For maps and directions to our region, please click here.