Sumac turns red in the fall Photo MDC
Nearly a third of the state is covered with forests. Fall color is bright throughout Missouri most of October. The peak foliage season is usually the two weeks in mid-October. Most every road in Missouri offers colorful view. Here are three standout tips in the Ozarks.
1. Glade Top Trail is Forest Road 147, a 23-mile, gravel road runs through the Mark Twain National Forest. Keep the Glade Top trail map and return for a spring drive.
The trail can be accessed from from State Hwy. 125 about four miles north of the intersection with U.S. Hwy. 160. Or, take State Hwy. 5 south to State Hwy. A and Douglas County Road A-409.
Ava is southeast of Springfield. On October 19, Ava hosts the “Flaming Fall Review,” a county town festival including bluegrass music, barbecue, pumpkin painting and a pie auction. On the trail, look for Caney picnic Area - site of the "Flaming Fall Review" barbecue and music show and the Caney Lookout Tower - a fire observation tower designed by one of Forest Service’s first landscape architects in 1937. See National Scenic Byways Online
2. Sugar Camp Scenic Byway forest drive that runs between Highway 112 near Roaring River State Park and Highway 86 near Eagle Rock. Sugar Camp scenic byway forest road 197, between Route 112 and Route 86.
The abundance of sugar maples brought settlers to the ridge every spring to tap the maple trees for syrup. Camps were set up for several weeks, hence the name Sugar Camp. Select a starting place on a map of the drive.
3. Hwy 160 from Poplar Bluff to Springfield MO is a little less than 200 miles across the bottom of the state. Use this as a stating to point to plan a trip to Branson or Cape Girardeau. Hwy 160 weaves in and out of the Mark Twain Forest. The drive takes about 3 ½ hours. In the southernmost areas of the state, it will peak a little later than rest of the state.
Missouri’s only national forest, the Mark Twain, encompasses roughly 1.5 million acres, located in the Ozark Highlands stretching across southern Missouri and northern Arkansas. Learn more about Mark Twain National Forest
Check weekly fall color updates from the Conservation Commission of Missouri.
You might also like: Travel 101 Fall foliage Tips in Missouri
Show Me 3 statewide fall foliage drives in Missouri
More Information: To see more of Patsy’s travel articles click here. Get an Email when a new articles are posted, sign up at the top of this page. Your Email address will not be shared. Patsy also has a gardening blog: Oh, Grow Up!
Comments
Fall colors will be spectacular. Come to Ava for the Glade Top Tour and Heritage Days at the Missouri Fox Trotter Grounds October 17th and see blue grass bands, horse pulling contest and much more. At 5:00pm there will be a ride on a first time colt by Cecil Huff the Winner of the 2009 Ulimate Equestrian Challenge(TM) sponored by MFA. Go to the versatility arena.
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!