Ozarks Walkabout

We had always wanted to get out and hike among the fantastic scenery we knew our local area of the Ozarks has to offer. but we had two problems. Finding out how to get started and where to go. It all seemed to be a well kept secret. Unless you know someone who’s been there and done that, it was very difficult to find out what to do and where to go.

We started Ozarks Walkabout to bring into one place the information we’ve found about camping, hiking, backpacking and paddling so that you can get out and about too.

It’s our way of sharing what we’ve found, and hopefully we’ll also encourage you to get out there and enjoy all the natural beauty waiting to be enjoyed.

To keep up to date you can follow us on Facebook or sign up using the small form on the right there and we’ll send you an email when we add a new post. You can also ask us a question or send us a suggestion using our Contact Us form.

Some of the pictures from our posts

Watching the evening sky at Pines Overlook Campsite, Red Bluff campground

View from the tent: mist on the lake – Berry Bend, Harry S Truman Reservoir

Lanie Kayaking on Stockton Lake, June 2012

Picture of bacon sizzling on top of a Coleman Exponent stove

Bacon and eggs for Breakfast, cooked on our Coleman Exponent stove

Ginger has a look at some of the bluffs on Harry S Truman Reservoir

The bluffs at Berry Bend are very nice, well worth investigating and promise some good fishing too

Early morning mist on Harry S Truman Lake, Missouri

Piney Creek Wilderness – Descending the Tower Trail

Photograph of an MSR Mutha Hubba Tent set without a flysheet near Tar Kiln Trail, Piney Creek Wilderness

Piney Creek Wilderness – Camped off Tar Kiln Trail

Photograph of a Speckled Kings taken in Piney Creek Wilderness, Missouri

Piney Creek Wilderness – Speckled Kingsnake

Picture showing the Forest Service Tower the trailhead at Piney Creek Wilderness near Cape Fair, Missouri.

Look out tower at the Piney Creek Wilderness Pines View trailhead

Table Rock Lake at Piney Creek Wilderness

Piney Creek in Spring

Camped near the shore of Table Rock Lake, Piney Creek Wilderness – Spring 2012

The area around the lake has ample downed wood for a campfire – December 30, 2011

Ginger, Gary and Lanie cooking lunch on the Coleman Exponent stove during a day hike on the Sac River Trai

MSR Mutha Hubba tent with rain fly at a wooded campsite at Berry Bend Campground on Truman Lake

We’re thrilled with our MSR Mutha Hubba tent. Excellent quality, easy to set up, great performance.

Man and woman wearing backpacks while hiking the Berryman Trail in Mark Twain National Forest.

Ginger and Gary during a spring break backpacking trip on the Berryman Trail.

Girl sitting in the middle of the Sac River Trail in the fall, surrounded by trees.

Lanie got tired of waiting for the slower adults and had a seat on the trail while we caught up.

Christmas Break Backpacking – Storm Clouds

Back on the trail again

Hikers stopped for lunch at the Long Creek Falls, Hercules Glades Wilderness

We stopped for lunch at the Long Creek Falls. The rock formations were impressive, I’m sure much more impressive when there’s water running.

Hikers by Long Creek Hercules Glades Wilderness

A short pause to look at the ice and Long Creek with water in it. Near Devils Den, Hercules Glades Wilderness

A photgraph of the view from Coy Bald looking over toward Lower Pilot Knob in the distance

The view from Coy Bald looking over toward Lower Pilot Knob (the tallest of the hills in the distance)

Abandoned vehicle – Busiek State Forest and Wildlife Area

My Sierra Designs Lighting XT 1 Tent – in the rain

Woods Fork in the Fall

The Yellow/Red Trail near the Carter Family Cemetery

Fall color on the Red/Yellow Trail

Bluffs on the North Fork River. We watched one Jon boat and a canoe go down the river – four people, the only people we’d seen so far.

On the ridge of the Devil’s Backbone – the drop off is very steep on either side.

By the look on my face you’d think I like backpacking…

Sitting round the campfire in Mary Hollow.

Camped in Mary Hollow

The trails are quite clearly marked with colored blazes, though in the fall leaves on the ground can disguise the trail in places.

The creek can be very picturesque in the fall.

Bluff on Jacks Fork river the Ozark National Scenic Riverway.

Unoccupied campsites at the ‘Baptizing Hole’

Photograph of people in a canoe fishing at one of the many pools on Jacks Fork river, the Ozark National Scenic Riverway.

Dash & Leslie and Tom & Rebbie fishing at one of the many pools on Jacks Fork river, the Ozark National Scenic Riverway.

Photograph of a Coleman Sunlight Ridge Tent

Dry run for our new tent in the front yard.

Photograph of the entrance to the Piney Creek Tower (Pineview) Trailhead off Farm Road 2150.

The rather inconspicuous (and unmarked) entrance to the Piney Creek Tower (Pineview) Trailhead off Farm Road 2150

Picture looking up at the sky and the fall color of the leaves taken at Busiek State Forest and Wildlife Area, Missouri

Fall color on the Red/Yellow Trail at Busiek State Forest and Wildlife Area, Missouri

Photograph of home made huaraches being made

Finishing the edges of the soles on a pair of homemade huaraches

Filtering water using an MSR Sweetwater filter at Siloam Spring, Piney Creek Wilderness

View of trees and forest off the trail Tar Kiln trail, Piney Creek Wilderness, Missouri

Camping off trail near Tar Kiln Trail, Piney Creek Wilderness

Photograph of an MSR Mutha Hubba Tent without Flysheet camped at the mouth of Piney Creek and Buck Hollow

Piney Creek Wilderness – Camped at the mouth of Piney Creek and Buck Hollow

Photograph of a campfire near Table Rock Lake, in Piney Creek Wilderness

Campfire, star gazing, satellite and shooting star spotting by Table Rock Lake, Piney Creek Wilderness

Photograph of a GSI Pinnacle 1.5 Liter backpacking pot & Coleman Exponent Stove

March 2012 and the stove’s still going well – GSI Pinnacle 1.5 Liter pot & Coleman Exponent Stove

Coleman Sunlight Ridge Tent, camping at Hawker Point, Stockton Lake, Missouri

Huzzah Creek at Red Bluff Campground

Red Bluff on Huzzah Creek, Davisville, Missouri

Dillard Mill, Missouri

Camped at the Pines Overlook, Red Bluff Campground, Davisville, Missouri

Night picture of the Pines Overlook Campsite, Red Bluff campground

Pines Overlook Campsite at night

Photograph of Ginger Davis Allman watching the sun rise over the Huzzah Valley

Enjoying the view at the Pines Overlook Campsite as the sun rises

Smoking campfire and cooking breafast at Berry Bend Campground Harry S Truman Lake

Cooking breakfast at campsite A20, Berry Bend Campground – October 2010

Dead trees in Harry S Truman Lake, Missouri

View across Harry S Truman Lake from Berry Bend Campground

Camping in the Fall at Berry Bend Campground Harry S Truman Lake, Misouri

Our Coleman Sunlight Ridge Tent at Berry Bend Campground in the Fall- November 2010

Ginger Davis Allman Kayaking on Harry S Truman Lake in November 2010

Ginger kayaking on Harry S Truman Lake at Berry Bend – November 2010

Our MSR Mutha Hubba tent at Berry Bend Campground – November 2010

Sunset on Harry S Truman Lake at Berry Bend – February 2012

Mutha Hubba tent camped at Rock Pile Mountain Wilderness, Missouri. You can fit this tent into some tight places.

Cooking breakfast in the dorrway of a Mutha Hubba tent.

Ginger getting breakfast ready sitting in our Mutha Hubba tent. Bell Mountain Trail, Missouri

Mutha Hubba tent tucked under a ledge near Hawksbill Crag, Arkansas

Broken Shell

Big Bay Campground, Mark twain National Forest

A Town and Country Minivan with two Ascend kayaks on the top

Our Ascend kayaks on top of the van, campsite No. 27, Big Bay Ca

Big Bay campground runs all around the ridge to the right.

Cedar trees provide the shade at Big Bay

Table Rock Lake from Big Bay Campground

20″ Therm-a-Rest Prolite Sleeping Pad and a 25″ Therm-a-Rest Neo

Coleman Exponent Stove – Heating the water for our morning coffee, Rock Pile Mountain Wilderness, Madison County, Missouri – March 2012

Photograph of Gary Allman snuggled up in a Montbell Super Spiral Down Hugger sleeping bag.

Gary, all snuggled up in his Montbell Super Spiral Down Hugger #0 sleeping bag.

Mutha Hubba Tent and Chysler Town and Country Minivan at the Berryman Trail campground, Missouri

We camped a little close to the van, but it was the highest – and therefore driest spot around.

between the Berryman Trail head and Edward Beecher Recreation Area. These were fairly typical conditions for the higher parts on this section of the trail.

Forrest Road – CR-205 (Floyd Tower Road)

Sundown at Little Brazil Creek, Missouri

Our Mutha Hubba tent set up with out the flysheet

My Hiking Huaraches – Taking a break on the Berryman trail

Camping in the wild, Smith Mill Hollow, Berryman Trail

Our campsite in Smith Mill Hollow on the Berryman trail

Photograph of Ginger Davis Allman and Gary Allman on the Berryman trail March 2011

Ginger has some (of my) munchies on the trail

Between the Berryman Trailhead and Edward Beecher Recreation Area. These were fairly typical conditions for this part of the trail.

Peeper – We found this very noisy little fellow on a tree near our tent. Unfortunately my first picture which showed his throat ballooning out was too over exposed to use. After that, obviously intimidated by our lights and the camera flash he refused to make a sound.

We were up early and ventured down to the lakeside to see the sunrise. Fortunately the water was still very warm as I had to wade in up to my waist to get these pictures of two fishermen who were quietly trolling the lake.

Ginger booked us this very nice campsite in the Big Bay public use area on Table Rock Lake. The area was very clean the facilities good and the views from the lake shore magnificent.

Ginger sat in the shade and read, while I threw lures at non-existent fish, stood up to my chest in the warm water of the lake throwing lures at non-existent fish, and just floated around on the lake. It was a very nice way to spend time on a day when temperatures were in the upper nineties.