Route: Taum Sauk Mountain (MO)

There are 3 routes to access the Taum Sauk summit, which is the highest point in Missouri at 1,772 feet. The first route (shown on map) begins at the Highway N Trail Head and reaches the highest point in Missouri around 12.5 miles. This route is usually done as a 25 mile out and back. This trail will slow you down– you’ll find your average speed drop a mile-an-hour from your normal pace as you negotiate the rough terrain. Notable features located along the trail include the rock formation Devil's Tollgate and Mina Sauk Falls, the tallest waterfall in Missouri. One person described the tread as “a natural stair-stepping machine.” Look for the cairns in the igneous glades, as it’s easy to get lost.The second route begins at the Highway 21 trail head and climbs around 1,600 feet over 6 miles to the summit. The third route is to run up State highway CC, which is a paved and partly gravel road that is 3.6 miles from Highway 21. All three routes are located within Taum Sauk Mountain State Park, which covers over 7,500 acres in the St. Francois Mountains. There is a separate 36 mile section of the Ozark Trail that runs through Taum Sauk Mountain State Park and that route can be found on the Ozark Trail Association's website here.