Hiking Missouri’s 2nd Highest Point | Buford Mountain & Bald Knob
#missourihighestpoint #bufordmountain #baldknob #missourihiking
Today I head to Missouri’s 2nd highest point, Buford Mountain, which stands at 1,739 feet just outside Bismarck, Missouri about 1.5 hours from St. Louis. Buford Mountain Conservation Area is part of the St. Francois Mountain Range, one of the oldest exposures of igneous rock in North America. I’ll be honest though, Buford Mountain is not the highlight of this 10 mile loop trail, that honor clearly belongs to Bald Knob 3 miles into the hike…if you go left, but more on that below.
AllTrails Stats
Buford Mountain & Bald Knob
Buford Mountain Conservation Area | Missouri
Type: Loop | Rate: Difficult | Traffic: Heavy
Length: 9.4mi | Elevation Gain: 1,876ft
Buford Mountain is the offshoot I took about a mile into the hike. There really isn’t much to see from the top. Go LEFT at the beginning of the loop to reach Bald Knob the fastest.
Is Bald Knob the same as Buford Mountain?
The answer to that is, No. The Buford Mountain summit is really just an offshoot of the trail. There is no designated area (or sign even) that tells you you’re at Missouri’s second highest point. Plus there isn’t even a descent view from the summit. To get the best views on this trail you really need to hike to Bald Knob, and it’s worth it.
The Buford Mountain State Forest trail is shaped like a balloon on a string. This initial 1 mile climb to start the hike off is steep and rocky. Decent hiking shoes are definitely recommended. I was in my Nike Wildhorse 6 trail runners and was great! About 2 miles into the hike you reach the split where the loop begins. Before my hike I read online that going right at the split was “the scenic route” as the person put it. I though, great! Better views. But what I learned is by “scenic route” the person meant longer route. Honestly though, I’m glad I went right and hiked counterclockwise because it meant arriving at Bald Knob towards the end of my hike where I was rewarded with the best views.
Head to my Instagram @mshepjordan9 to see more photos from this hike!
Bald Knob is a rocky clearing sitting at 1,575 feet of elevation, but it offers a stunning view of the valley below. You can also camp at Bald Knob! I saw several fire pits and clearings for tents. I can only imagine it would be a great camping spot in Missouri with excellent views of the stars on a clear night. I’m for sure keeping Bald Knob in mind for future camping trips.
Another Bald Knob bonus is being able to access the spot via ATV or horseback. I saw several recent 4-wheeler tracks on my hike and horseback riding markers. You can’t enjoy the right side of the loop on ATV or horseback however because the trail narrows and becomes a single track.
Overall Bald Knob is the highlight of this 10 mile loop trail. When you hike it though, you might as well hike the short off shoot to Buford Mountain just to say you’ve been to Missouri’s second highest point. Cheers!
More YouTube Hiking Videos
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