THE MISSOURI SCENIC RIVERS GREAT CIRCLE ROUTE

Highlights

• 658 mile Hike and Paddle starting on the Meramec River at Meramec Spring Park and ending on the Courtois Creek at Ozark Outdoors landing
• This is a late spring only hike and paddle or year round with good water.
• You will hike all 410 miles of the OT except the OT North Fork section
• You will hike over Missouri's tallest peak, view Missouri's tallest waterfall, bivouac in shelters built by the CCC in the 30's, see old grist mills built in the 1800's
• You will float 174 miles of the Meramec, St. Francis, Eleven Point, Jacks Fork, Current River, and Courtois Creek
• You will visit all three of Missouri's National scenic rivers
• 60 miles of road walk are involved
• Figure 60 days if you don't laze around fishing and swimming.

The Trails

1. Paddle 40 miles of the Meramec River from Meramec Spring Park to Ozark Outdoors landing
2. Hike 48 miles of the OT Courtois section
3. Hike 26 miles of the OT Trace Creek section
4. Hike 36 miles of the OT Taum Sauk section
5. Hike 33 miles of the OT Marble Creek section
6. Roadwalk 2.3 miles of the OT St. Francis River section to Stacy hollow landing at Jewett
7. Paddle 24 miles of the St. Francis River to Sam A. Baker State Park landing
8. Hike 34 miles of the OT Wappapello section
9. Hike 19 miles of the OT Victory section
10. road walk 26 miles of the OT Big Spring section
11. Hike 29 miles of the OT Between the Rivers section
12. Paddle miles of the Eleven Point River
13. road walk miles to the OT Eleven Point section western terminus
14. Hike 29 miles of the OT Eleven Point section
15. road walk 24 miles to Buck Hollow Landing on the Jacks Fork River
16. Paddle 40 Miles of the Jacks Fork River from Buck Hollow Landing to Two Rivers landing
17. Paddle Miles of the Current River from Two Rivers landing to the Landing at Van Buren, MO
18. Hike 30 miles of the OT Current River section
19. Hike miles of the OT Blair Creek section to the Intersection with the OT Upper Current River section
20. Hike 29 miles of the OT Upper Current River section
21. road walk miles to the Pultite landing on the Current River section
22. Paddle Miles of the Current River from Pultite landing to OT Blair Creek section Powder Mill landing
23. Hike miles of the OT Blair Creek section
24. Hike 29 miles of the OT Karkaghne section
25. Hike 24 miles of the OT Middle Fork section
26. Hike 26 miles of the OT Trace Creek section
27. Hike miles of the OT Courtois section to the Bass river resort landing
28. Paddle 25 Miles of the Courtois Creek from the Berryman Bridge landing to the Ononadoga landing

Loaded canoes and rafts should avoid the section above Alley Spring at 31.0 miles on the Jacks Fork River except after heavy local rains or in early to mid-Spring. Alley Spring is the tenth largest spring in Missouri, and pumps a large volume of water into the Lower Jacks Fork. While the upper section may be more difficult for paddling due to wide, shallow and slow or low flowing water.

The Current River segment is floatable year round.

• Coordinate with Ozark Outdoors Resort phone: 573.245.6837 for your canoes on the Meramec river and Courtois Creek
• Coordinate withFranklin Floats phone: (573) 637-2205 for your canoes on the St. Francis River
• Coordinate withSam A. Baker State Park phone: 888-210-3889 for your canoes on the St. Francis River
• Coordinate with Richard's Canoe Rental phone: 417-778-6186 for your canoes on the Eleven Point River and shuttle to the Thomasville landing
• Coordinate with outfitter at Two Rivers Canoe Rental phone: (888) 833-4931 phone: (573) 226-3478 for your canoes on the Jacks Fork River.
• Coordinate with Current River Canoe Rental Phone: 1-800-435-5050 at Pultite for your canoes on the Current River
• Coordinate with Bass River Resort phone: (573) 786-8517 for your canoes on Courtois Creek

The rivers are spring fed and cold (65 Degrees F) but warm up a bit downstream. During April and May the nights are chilly but when the sun is out it is comfortable for hiking. The OT and rivers are pretty remote. You may encounter river otters, feral hogs, bears, bobcats, elk and other things that go bump in the night (opossums, raccoons)