The FINAL DAY of my Ozark Trail Thru Hike! The day started with rain in the early morning hours, the first significant rainfall on my entire 18-day thru-hike, but it was gracious enough to stop by the time I started hiking. I hiked 23.1-miles on the Courtois Section passing by Bass’ River Resort, hiking through the Huzzah Creek Conservation Area, and ending at Onondaga Cave State Park, Ozark Trail Mile 0.

Can I backpack 25 miles in a single day!?? When I set out on my Ozark Trail thru hike the idea of hiking 25 miles in a single day was beyond me. Covering that many miles in a day was something only “true” thru hikers could achieve. My plan for the 48-mile Courtois Section of the Ozark Trail was to break it up over three 16-mile days. And then I started walking.

It’s Day 16 and after a night spent in Ironton, Missouri at an AirBnB with Abby for my final resupply, I’m back on the trail for the final push of my Ozark Trail thru hike. Abby dropped me off at the HWY DD / 32 Trailhead which is near the Middle Fork / Trace Creek connection. I’m hiking north half the Trace Creek Section from Trace Creek mile 17 to Hazel Creek Campground.

I hike passed Missouri’s tallest waterfall, Mina Sauk Falls (132ft), and summited Missouri’s tallest peak, Taum Sauk Mountain (1,772ft), all with in a 6.2 mile hike on the Taum Sauk Section of the Ozark Trail.

Possibly the most beautiful day on the Ozark Trail, and the most physically demanding. It’s Day 14 of my Ozark Trail Thru-Hike and I cover 13.4 rocky and rugged miles on the Taum Sauk Section from Goggins Mountain to Proffit Mountain (1,703ft) straight through the heart of Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park.

It’s still Day 13 on the Ozark Trail. I’ve just finished breakfast at Ottery Creek and I’m about to set out on the Taum Sauk Section from the Hwy A trailhead. The next 10 miles will take me through the Bell Mountain wilderness, past several Missouri glades, and up Goggins Mountain for a beautiful night camping with a view.

At 1.1 pounds the NEMO Tensor Trail Ultralight was pretty great keeping my pack-weight down. 3.5 inches fully inflated also gave me ample ground clearance and supported my 6’1, 165lb frame. Add in the 2.8 R-Value and it’s a great 3-season sleeping pad.

Day 13 on the Ozark Trail started on the Trace Creek Section hiking 5.6 miles from Panther Branch to Ottery Creek on Highway A, which happens to be Mile 0 of the Taum Sauk Section. I figured it was a good idea to split the day into two posts to give the Taum Sauk Section two dedicated posts. But that doesn’t mean this stretch of Trace Creek doesn’t have anything to offer!

It’s Day 12 of my Ozark Trail Thru-Hike and I complete the Middle Fork Section and head back south on the Trace Creek Section to make my way to the Taum Sauk Section. Along the way I pass Wolf Pen Hollow, a beautiful waterfall, and twice cross the surprisingly small Middle Fork. Turning south onto the Trace Creek Section is tough knowing that the end of the thru-hike is a mere three days hike further north.