The 26-mile route follows Blair Creek south as it carves down a valley through oak-hickory-pine forest before merging with the emerald waters of the Current River. Here the 30-mile Current River section picks up, following the river for two miles before veering south toward Stegall Mountain. Enjoy views of the Ozark landscape as you gain 500 feet of elevation up 2.5 miles to the top of Stegall Mountain. Camp out at the top overnight, catching a glimpse of a full sky of stars if it’s clear.
The next section along Trace Creek is an enjoyable, quiet walk in the woods. Some hikers may choose to continue on Trace Creek to the Taum Sauk section, but OT thru-hikers should head west onto Middle Fork/John Roth Memorial section to complete the longer route. This hilly 26-mile segment gains over 2,600 feet of elevation over a contoured landscape crossing brooks, streams, and wetlands, as well as small savannahs of oak and hickory hardwoods. Camp at Highway DD trailhead near the section’s start or Harper Spring around the 15 mile-mark. We’ve scouted the best routes, from easy day hikes to epic overnight bike-packing.Find detailed itineraries, directions, and maps right here.
All told, I’ve had the pack on my back for about 50 miles. Keeping the load under 15 pounds seems to be the key. I really wanted to use it for our fall two-nighter on the AT, but was unable to fit my bivy with a 20 degree Kelty Cosmic down bag inside. I contemplated stepping down to the 45 degree bag, but thankfully, did not. A perk of hiking lesser-traveled trails are fewer (or non-existent) permits and parking fees. The Ozark Trail does not have permit, parking, or registration requirements for its trail sections.
On one of the hottest days, the remote sensor reported temperatures exceeding 107 Degrees Fahrenheit while the air temp was in the high 80’s. The set-up was understandably a few ozark trail chair steps shorter, which is always nice when setting up in the dark. More than once in the dark I’ve attached a rain fly upside down and we had to restart that particular step.
It’s also small enough that it wasn’t inconvenient for them to have it with them everyday. We recently took a camping trip to the mountains and I needed a lightweight pack ozark trail backpack to hold my toiletries (soap, shampoo/conditioner), fresh clothing change and my crocs/hiking boots and my towel. This daypack came in handy just for what I intended.
The Ozark does need those pegs in the ground to be self-standing so setting up on rocks would be infeasible (at least without applying some clever tenting skills). Walmart has up to 50% off select Ozark Backpacks and Daypacks! Grab a hydration compatible backpack for $13.96 or Go Bag for $15.53. Backpacking Light community posts are moderated and here to foster helpful and positive discussions about lightweight backpacking. Please be mindful of our values and boundaries and review our Community Guidelines prior to posting. Not the best choice for long trips or hikers who need to carry a large amount of gear.