Current River / Ozark National Scenic Riverways Trail

Ozark National Scenic Riverways preserves 134 miles of free-flowing Current River and Jacks Fork River in southeast Missouri, United States, constituting the first federally protected river system in the country. The National Park Service administers the area from the Visitor Center at 404 Watercress Dr, Van Buren (phone: 573-323-4236), reachable via private vehicle approximately 150 miles south of St. Louis along I-55 S to MO-67 S to US-60 W. Free parking is available at the visitor center and at multiple river access points. No entrance fee is required for day hiking. The trail network is extensive and varied. The Big Spring Trail — a 2-mile round trip accessible from the Big Spring campground — is the most visited route, tracing the base of a dolomite bluff above the Current River to Big Spring itself, one of the largest springs in the world, discharging an average of 276 million gallons per day. Trail surfaces range from compacted gravel near visitor facilities to hard-packed dirt, limestone rock, and occasionally muddy stretches through riparian bottomland. Shade is generally good under the Ozark hardwood canopy. Elevation change depends on trail selection: ridgeline routes above the river corridor can involve 200 to 500 feet of gain, while bottomland trails along the river remain essentially flat. Longer backcountry routes extend to 15 miles through remote Ozark woodland where black bears, copperheads, and timber rattlesnakes are present. Key landmarks include Big Spring, Alley Spring National Historic Landmark (featuring a 19th-century grist mill), and Blue Spring (known for exceptional water clarity and vivid deep-blue colour). Potable water is available at major campgrounds and the visitor center. Primitive and developed camping is available throughout the Riverways; summer reservations are strongly recommended.