Ozark Trail: Trace Creek Section | Day 16
Hiking 18.6 miles on the Trace Creek Section of the Ozark Trail.
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My Ozark Trail Backpacking Gear List
It’s Day 16 and after a night spent in Ironton, Missouri at an AirBnB with Abby for my final resupply, I’m back on the trail for the final push of my Ozark Trail thru hike. Abby dropped me off at the HWY DD / 32 Trailhead which is near the Middle Fork / Trace Creek connection. I’m hiking north half the Trace Creek Section from Trace Creek mile 17 to Hazel Creek Campground.
Trace Creek Section
Day 16 - October 29, 2024
HWY DD / 32 Trailhead to Hazel Creek Campground
Rate: Moderate | Traffic: Low
Distance: 18.6mi | Elevation Gain: 1,631ft
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Trace Creek Section Ozark Trail Association Map
US Forest Service
Mark Twain National Forest
Potosi/Fredericktown Ranger District
10019 West State Highway 8
Potosi MO 63664
573-438-5427
www.fs.usda.gov/mtnf
Mid-day meat stick snack on the Trace Creek Section of the Ozark Trail.
Trace Creek Section
It was nice to be back on the Trace Creek Section of the Ozark Trail, this time heading north to my final destination at Onondaga State Park. When I set out from the HWY DD Trailhead I knew it was going to be a big day, 18 miles, but I was able to hike a total of 18.6 miles in 7 hours and 3 minutes. Pretty darn good! That’s a hiking pace of 2.66 mph, plus breaks.
I was able to hike that many miles so quickly because the trail from Trace Creek Mile 17 to Hazel Creek Campground was smooth, clear, and relatively flat trail. It was mostly rolling hills despite the 1,631 feet of total elevation gain. I was cruising.
Trace Creek Miles 17 to 15
My favorite stretch of trail was the first two miles north of the Trace Creek / Middle Fork connection, Trace Creek Miles 17 to 15. I don’t know what that type of forest is called, but it features mature trees and small leafy undergrowth. I hiked it at the perfect time with the fall colors in full effect.
Telleck Branch
At Trace Creek Mile 15 the Ozark Trail crosses the Telleck Branch. There wasn’t any water for me at the crossing itself, but a short hike down the trail, just past the spur to Council Bluff Lake the trail enters into a beautiful valley for the next mile where there is ample water along the Telleck Branch. In fact, it seems as though this is the home of a beaver as there are a series of dams that create tiered pools which the trail parallels. It’s quite lovely.
The Next 13 Miles
The next 13 miles is pretty straight forward woods walking. It’s fast, and you can put down some miles in a hurry. The trail crosses Trace Creek around Mile 8 and the Piney Branch around Mile 4, both had water and were very easy crossings. The only major crossing was Hazel Creek one mile south of the campground.
Hazel Creek Crossing
The Ozark Trail crosses Hazel Creek in a pretty silly location. It was about a 12 foot wide crossing when I arrived a couple inches deep, deep enough to fully submerge my shoes. This was October, dry conditions, in wetter conditions this crossing could be rather formidable.
Thankfully the Ozark Trail Map notes that there is an easier crossing downstream. I headed the maps advice and found a much shorter and more shallow crossing point. Bonus! There was a even a small log someone had placed across so I could get over the creek without having to take my shoes off. Thank you kind hiker!
Hazel Creek Campground
The final mile to Hazel Creek Campground felt like 10 miles. Honestly, any mile you hike after 15 feels like double the distance. Partly because your body is exhausted from carrying a fully loaded pack all day, and partly because you’re ready to be at your destination. When I arrive at the campground I was more than happy to be finished with this stretch of trail.
Campsite at Hazel Creek Campground.
Hazel Creek Campground is a primitive campground along the banks of the creek with no cell service or amenities other than parking, picnic tables, and fire rings. Large enough for RVs and trailers, it’s a popular spot for OHV/ATV riders, equestrians, and mountain bikers, but that essentially had the grounds to myself for the evening. There was one RV on the other side of the campground, but we didn’t interact or really even see each other, which is pretty standard for the campgrounds I stayed at while thru-hiking the Ozark Trail.
Recapping the day for the YouTube video.
WARNING: According to the U.S. Forest Service, “Hazel Creek is part of the Old Lead Belt, where much of the nation’s lead ore was once mined. This site features a foundation from a historic lead smelter,” at the north end of the campground. It’s fenced off. “Recent test results indicate that there may be some health risk to children six and younger from exposure to lead in areas around the smelter.”
End of Day 16 self portrait.
Missouri’s Ozark Trail
The Ozark Trail contains over 430 miles of trail divided into 14 mostly connected sections throughout southeast Missouri. The established thru-hike covers eight of the connected sections and runs from Onondaga Cave State Park in Leasburg, roughly 84 miles southwest of St. Louis, to the Eleven Point Terminus near Thomasville, 23 miles north of the Arkansas border. Throw in the off-shoot Taum Sauk Section and you have nearly 300 miles of thru-hikeable trail.