Just visited the Ozark Trail and changed my mind about loop routes

I always thought loop routes were boring compared to point-to-point hikes. Then I hit the Ozark Trail's Blair Creek section in Missouri last month. The way the trail winds through those rocky bluffs and crosses the creek multiple times really caught my attention. Each time I came back around a bend, the view looked completely different from before. The elevation changes kept it interesting even though I was technically making a circle back to my car. I ended up covering 28 miles over 3 days and never felt like I was repeating terrain. Has anyone else had a loop route surprise them like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

dylanbarnes1mo ago

Picked up what you're putting down about the Blair Creek section. That whole area has a way of tricking your brain into thinking you're somewhere new every few miles. I did a similar loop out there last fall and the creek crossings really break up the monotony, you're constantly looking down to pick your way across rocks then looking up at a completely different ridgeline. It's funny how a good loop can feel like a point-to-point if the trail designers knew what they were doing with the elevation. Makes me wonder why more trails don't use that kind of switchback magic.

danielh811mo ago

I get the appeal of the creek crossings breaking things up a bit. But I've done loops like that and I feel like trail designers just got lucky more often than not.