Taum Sauk trail update from John Roth

posted to MOTRAILS

I spoke with DNR this weekend about the status of the Taum Sauk trail, which is currently closed through Johnson Shut-Ins.

The long-range plan is to build a new through-hike bypass from the scour area at the base of Proffit Mountain, up the next ridge and through a scenic and rugged area overlooking the Shut-Ins, then down to the Black River to reconnect with the existing trail north of the lower reservoir. This portion of the trail will be scoped out in the coming weeks/months, and (cross your fingers) built with the OTAs help in the fall. This will be a neat section of trail.

The short-term plan is still uncertain. There was hope to obtain an easement through private land on the old Boy Scout trail to take the trail off Proffit down to Highway N and terminate at a new parking lot just north of the entrance to JSI. Easements are land contracts and problematic, and it just isn't going to happen quickly, so this option isn't viable by May 27th, which was DNR's original target date.

Another option is to rebuild the damaged trail through the scour or just above the scour, then connecting to either a new trailhead at Highway N or to an interpretive trail in the remodeled JSI park. Since the park is going through major renovations, and some of the designs are still fluid, it will require more time to finalize this route.

The positive news is that the rebuilding of the damaged trail is still a priority with DNR. But it's going to take some more time. I'll update the ozarktrail.com website and this group with information as it becomes available.

In other news, MDC had a controlled burn on Proffit three weeks ago, and the trail there is really tough to find. Work is ongoing to reestablish this route. You should avoid this area until it's cleared and new markers are hung.

A social trail has developed between the Goggins 'equestrian' trail and the Taum Sauk trail atop Goggins. DNR is considering officially placing a trail here, allowing hikers to travel from the Highway A trailhead at Bell Mountain Wilderness to the Goggins trailhead on Highway MM. Several people from this group have already hiked this route.

I think that's it for now. Any questions I can't answer I'll forward to DNR.

John (john.roth@gmail.com)