Location: Iron & Reynolds County in Missouri passing through the Mark Twain National Forest.

Distance: about 24-miles if you count the two miles or so north from the Hwy DD trailhead to the junction with the Trace Creek Section.

Water: Water is available from several creeks with the major creek being Henderson Creek. See the comments below by Gwen Fuehring for additional water sources.

Parking: Official overnight parking is available near the north terminus on Hwy DD just north of Highway 32 in Iron County and at the southern terminus south of Hwy J at Oates, MO. There is an easement here for parking but don't block the gates or the road on the north side of the creek. There is also parking on the south side of the creek if you have a vehicle that can cross the creek. See the comments for other parking areas.

Comments - 7 Febraury 2006 - Trip report: 3-day backpacking trip on Middle Fork section of Ozark Trail By Gwen Fuehring

On February 3, 2006, Robert Smith, David Fuehring and I commenced a 3-day backpacking trip of the Middle Fork section of the Ozark Trail. We covered 22 miles, starting from the Highway 32 and DD trailhead and going south to the Highway J trailhead east of Oates. Maps of the Middle Fork section can be found on at www.ozarktrail.com.

It was a perfect, sunny winter day when we departed the 32 and DD trailhead in mid-morning. Robert brought Floppy, his cocker spaniel, along to lead the way on the trail and entertain us in camp. After lunch, we flushed a flock of turkeys from the trees beside the trail. In mid-afternoon after covering 6 miles, we reached the charming little waterfall in Wolfpen Hollow and decided to camp on a knoll a little further down the trail. A cheery campfire kept us warm and awake until bedtime.

We awoke to temperatures in the 20's and slush in our water bottles. The day was sunny and windy but not very warm. A short hike down the trail and across Highway 49 brought us to a pine forest and a creek with picturesque rapids. Robert tried to filter water from the creek but his filter was frozen. The highlight of the day was crossing Neals Creek and hiking the foot path above Bartons Fen. The height of the large beaver dam in Neals Creek has been limited by a cage-like device inserted into the dam to prevent the dam from flooding the fen. We lunched on the stone walkway built during the American Hiking Society Volunteer Vacation in May 2005. The walkway carries the foot path along Neals Creek next to a cliff. A few miles further we filtered water from the creek in Gunstock Hollow hoping that no beavers lived upstream. We climbed out of the hollow and over another ridge to camp near Little Creek next to the beaver dams and pond beneath a cliff. After dark, we heard several barred owls hooting and competing for territory as we enjoyed bright stars in the sky. Floppy growled and barked at the owls. Our hiking distance for the day was 10 miles.

Saturday night and Sunday morning were even colder than we anticipated. The low just before dawn was about 19 degrees but, even so, we were greeted with bird song at dawn. The remainder of the hike was on the most recently finished portions of the Middle Fork section. A short distance down the trail, a number of large maple trees were being tapped for sap. Each tree had 1 or 2 taps attached to hoses which ran to covered plastic buckets. We reached Strothers Creek after about 1.5 miles and crossed on a tree fallen across the creek. Dave dropped his hat and gloves in the creek while crossing and had to chase down the bank after them. Robert carried his pack across and then came back for Floppy. We stashed our packs in the woods near Asher Cemetery and walked the last 4 miles unburdened to the Highway J trailhead which we reached about 11:30 am. The packs were retrieved at the cemetery and we returned to the 32 and DD trailhead. Our hiking distance for the day was 6 miles.

Observations: Winter is a fine time of year to hike the Middle Fork (or any other part of the Ozark Trail). The trail itself is moderate in difficulty, with good tread and switchbacks to ease the climbs on big hills. We noted a few trees fallen in the trail and a few places where reassurance markers are needed, and we've reported these minor maintenance problems to the Ozark Trail Association. The streams were running making water easy to find. Some of the creek crossings such as Neals Creek may require water shoes after a heavy rain. Water from streams should always be filtered or purified prior to drinking. It may be a good idea to avoid drinking water from Neals Creek or Little Creek below the beaver dams to avoid Giardia (beaver fever). We also avoided drinking from Strothers Creek and Neals Creek as they lie below tailings ponds. Poison ivy, insects and ticks were not problems. We enjoyed solitude and did not encounter anyone outside of our group on the trail during the 3 days.

Maps: Maps of this section are only available online from the Ozark Trail Association website.