Recreation
Mark Twain National Forest has a wide range of popular recreation opportunities. With seven Wilderness Areas, the Ozark Trail, the Eleven Point Wild and Scenic River, many campgrounds and day use areas, springs, and areas such as Fuchs House at Markham Springs you are sure to discover your place to unplug and make the Mark Twain part of your story.
Recreation Fee Free Days
2025 dates
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: January 20, 2025
- National Get Outdoors Day: June 14, 2025
- Juneteenth: June 19, 2025
- National Public Lands Day: September 27, 2025
- Veterans Day: November 11, 2025
Visitors to Ava/Cassville/Willow Springs District will find different landscapes from oak-hickory forests , shortleaf pine forests, and glades.
The Eleven Point Ranger District takes its name from the Eleven Point River, designated a National Wild and Scenic River in 1968.
The Houston/Rolla/Cedar Creek District covers about 207,000 acres in seven counties in south/central Missouri.
The Ozark Trail is 230-miles between Onondaga Cave State Park and the western edge of the Mark Twain National Forest.
The Poplar Bluff Ranger District has 150,000 acres located at the southeastern edge of the Ozarks, where the forest starts to give way to the Mississippi River lowlands.
The 201,582 acres of Potosi Ranger District offer many developed and undeveloped sites for camping and picnicking.
The Salem district encompasses approximately 175,000 acres within the Salem Plateau of the Ozark Highlands.
This 9,143 acre wilderness is part of the St. Francois Mountains, one of the oldest landforms in North America.
This is a great, family-friendly river for those looking for a leisurely trip with beautiful scenery.
Nearly 80 miles of multi-use trails for ATV, UTV, motorcycle, and mountain bikes wind in and out of deep forested hollows and down long ridge tops.
With 6,687 acres inside the Wilderness boundary, this is an ideal area for day hiking or overnight backpacking.
The Eleven Point National Wild and Scenic River meanders through the picturesque Ozark hills of southern Missouri.
Council Bluff Lake Trailhead
Council Bluff Recreation Area
Coy Bald Trailhead
Crane Lake Recreation Area
Crossroads Access
Current River
Deer Leap Recreation Area
Devils Backbone Wilderness
Dewitt Pond trailhead
Dry Branch Access - Gasconade River