4 Wheeler Trails in Missouri
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4x4 Trails Near Springfield, Missouri
Jodi "Jato" Thornton, Leaf Group Updated March 21, 2018
4x4 Trails Near Springfield, Missouri (Photo: Brandon Alms/iStock/Getty Images )
Horseback Riding Trails in Southwest Missouri
Cycling in Branson, Missouri
Known as the cultural center of the Ozarks, the city of Springfield's many cultural and historic sites can keep a vacationing family busy for weeks. The rolling hills surrounding the Missouri city beg for exploration when it's time to head out of the urban hubbub, and you'll find rugged trails to explore in a 4x4 within an hour of Springfield.
In the National Forest
Jeeps, trucks and other four-wheel-drive vehicles can explore unpaved roads running through the Mark Twain National Forest about 25 miles south of Springfield. The Forest Service's motor vehicle use maps show open roads and rate them according to class. Class 1 trails are the least developed and usually have challenging obstacles that appeal to expert off-roaders. Class 3 trails are appropriate for novices and have minimal obstacles. An easy yet scenic route, the Glade Top Trail, runs 23 miles along ridges overlooking the Springfield Plateau and Saint Francois and Boston mountains.
Smaller Vehicles in the Forest
The Mark Twain National Forest also provides trails specifically for smaller 4x4s, such as ATVs and UTVs. The Chadwick Motorcycle and ATV Use Area lies 30 miles south of Springfield and offers 80 miles of rails for ATVs, motorcycles and mountain bikes. The Cobb Ridge Campground in the center of the ATV area has electricity, showers and flush toilets, giving you a convenient way to enjoy the trails for days. Trails leave directly from the campground, and campsites are large enough to accommodate ATV trailers.
Riding on the Ranch
Southern Missouri Off Road Ranch has 940 acres of trails ranging from easy to extreme, 40 miles east of Springfield. Easy roads form a spine through the central areas of the park, bringing you to loops rated as moderate, difficult, hardcore or extreme. Trails are open 24 hours a day. You'll also be able to challenge a mud pit and obstacle course, which remain open until midnight. The park has its own campground with electrical hookups, water fill station, dump station and tent camping loop. An on-site bathhouse has hot showers and flush toilets.
Four-Wheeling or Four-Hoofing
Ride 30 miles of off-road trails at Rush Springs Ranch, 30 miles southwest of Springfield. Trails range from flat lands where driving fast is okay to technical rock climbs. Several play features allow you test your skills in a variety of conditions, including a gravel pit, hill climb challenges and a mud pit. The ranch also has horseback riding trails and horses for rent. Overnight camping includes 15 sites suitable for large RV rigs or horse trailers with hookups. Six modern cabins and a primitive cabin overlooking a pond give you more options to extend your adventure for days at a time.
United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service: Mark Twain National Forest OHV Trail Riding
United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service: Motor Vehicle Use Maps
United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service: Trail Class Matrix
Scenic Drives USA: Glade Top Trail
United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service: Mark Twain National Forest Glade Top National Forest Scenic Byway
Southern Missouri Off Road Ranch
Rush Springs Ranch
City Town Info: Springfield, Missouri
Indulging her passion for vacation vagary through the written word on a full-time basis since 2010, travel funster Jodi Thornton-O'Connell guides readers to the unexpected, quirky, and awe-inspiring.
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