After Middle Fork, head into the 29-mile Karkaghne section, which mixes sweeping wetland prairies and ridge-lined valley views through the Sutton Bluff Recreation Area. Camp riverside on a natural gravel beach along the West Fork of the slow-moving Black River, or set up a dispersed camp anywhere in the Mark Twain National Forest that’s at least 100 feet from the trail. Keep an eye out for a short spur trail between Sutton Bluff campground and Highway TT which leads to Grasshopper Hollow, the largest fen (peat-forming wetland) in non-glaciated North America.
If you do need a fits-in-a-knapsack chair, we recommend the Helinox Chair One. We found this model to be slightly more comfortable and easier to pack than other, similar chairs. Wakonda State Park, in Lewis County, Missouri, features six lakes, making it a top choice if water sports rank high in your list for outdoor activities in Missouri. The Spot 400’s main button, which turns the headlamp on and changes its brightness, sits slightly higher than the top of the headlamp’s body (the 350’s button sat flush). This small improvement is surprisingly helpful when you need to find the button quickly with your finger.
Aim just right of the middle fairway bunker to hit the widest part of the landing area. The elevated green slopes from back to front with a dangerous false front on the left side. This eye-catching peninsula green requires a solid iron shot to stay dry. The putting surface is sloped with a high central mound feeding the ball away from the center of the green. Enjoy the views as you take the cart bridge across the lake. Wetlands give way to ridgelines at the start of the Blair Creek section.
The OT trail features a range of well-maintained backpacking campsites, allowing you to have a convenient and comfortable place to recharge during your trek. Backpackers may also consider taking a short detour from the main trail to see Rocky Falls, a steep cascading waterfall that leads into a large pool of water that can be visited year-round. This headlamp is USB-rechargeable only, so you’ll want to make sure you plug it in after a few shorter runs or one longer one—you won’t be able to swap in fresh batteries while you’re out on a run.
I also like the fact that for my outdoor activities, it’s designed to hold a hydration bladder. It even has a rain cover built in, which is great when I’m riding my bicycle across town on a rainy day. At a whopping 28”, this chair can accommodate just about anyone.
Plus, you’ll ride through small towns, learning about the rich heritage and rural history of the area. For the kids’ headlamps, we sent them off to two very discerning kids (who’ve been living with gear testers for years), and we asked them to use the headlamps for all ozark trail backpack manner of adventures. Whether you’re headed into the backcountry or just taking your dog on a nighttime walk, with a good headlamp you’ll never be caught in the dark. This uphill par 4 has a generous fairway with a large natural limestone formation on the right.