Shawnee National Forest
~102 mi from St. LouisIllinois
Shawnee National Forest protects 289,000 acres of southern Illinois hill country, featuring dramatic sandstone formations, canyon overlooks, and the only national forest in Illinois.
6 min read
MO · Midwest
National Forests Near St. Louis, MO
6 forest guides within driving distance
National Forests Near St. Louis
Mark Twain National Forest
~142 mi from St. LouisMissouri
Mark Twain National Forest spans 1.5 million acres across southern Missouri's Ozark Highlands, offering rugged hills, clear spring-fed streams, seven wilderness areas, and 750 miles of trails.
6 min read
Hoosier National Forest
~203 mi from St. LouisIndiana
Hoosier National Forest covers 204,000 acres of southern Indiana's hill country, encompassing limestone canyon hikes, lake recreation, and the rugged terrain of the Knobstone Escarpment: the most topographically dramatic landscape in the state.
7 min read
St. Francis National Forest
~266 mi from St. LouisArkansas
St. Francis National Forest in the Arkansas Delta offers bottomland hardwood forest, two scenic lakes, and Crowley's Ridge in one of the smallest and most ecologically distinct units in the national forest system.
5 min read
Ozark-St. Francis National Forest
~272 mi from St. LouisArkansas
Arkansas's Ozark-St. Francis National Forest spans 1.2 million acres of Ozark highlands with sandstone bluffs, wild rivers, caverns, and some of the most distinctive rock formations in the Central United States. Home to Pedestal Rocks, Sam's Throne, and Blanchard Springs Caverns.
6 min read
Holly Springs National Forest
~289 mi from St. LouisMississippi
155,000 acres of hardwood forest in northern Mississippi covering the rolling loess hills of the Tennessee-Tombigbee watershed, with Civil War heritage, quality deer hunting, and quiet nature trails.
5 min read
Trails Near St. Louis
easyloop
Council Bluff Lake Loop
3 mi200 ft gain
~66 mi from St. LouisApril through November
A 3-mile loop around Council Bluff Lake in Mark Twain National Forest, offering easy lakeside hiking through oak-hickory forest with views across a 900-acre reservoir.
3 min read
moderateloop
Little Grand Canyon Loop
6 mi600 ft gain
~82 mi from St. LouisApril through June and September through November
A 6-mile loop through the most dramatic canyon in Illinois, descending into a sandstone slot canyon with a seasonal waterfall and traversing the canyon rim in Shawnee National Forest.
4 min read
easyloop
Jackson Falls
1.5 mi200 ft gain
~118 mi from St. LouisApril through October
A 1.5-mile loop to a sandstone waterfall grotto in Shawnee National Forest, one of the most photogenic natural features in Illinois with excellent swimming in summer.
3 min read
easyout-and-back
Camel Rock Trail
2 mi200 ft gain
~121 mi from St. LouisApril through November
A short 2-mile out-and-back hike to Camel Rock, a distinctive sandstone formation in the Garden of the Gods area of Shawnee National Forest, with views across Illinois hill country.
3 min read
easyloop
Garden of the Gods Loop
1 mi100 ft gain
~122 mi from St. LouisApril through November
A 1-mile loop at the Garden of the Gods in Shawnee National Forest, passing ancient sandstone formations and a dramatic overlook with some of the best views in the Midwest.
4 min read
easy-moderateout-and-back
Ozark Trail Mark Twain Section
10 mi600 ft gain
~127 mi from St. LouisApril through June and September through November
A 10-mile out-and-back section of the Ozark Trail through Mark Twain National Forest, covering hardwood ridges and creek drainages in classic Missouri Ozark terrain.
4 min read
easy-moderateout-and-back
Ohio River Bluffs Trail
5 mi400 ft gain
~128 mi from St. LouisApril through November
A 5-mile out-and-back trail along limestone bluffs above the Ohio River in Shawnee National Forest, with panoramic river views and access to one of the largest rivers in North America.
3 min read
easy-moderateloop
Paddy Creek Wilderness Loop
5 mi400 ft gain
~130 mi from St. LouisApril through June and September through November
A 5-mile loop through the Paddy Creek Wilderness in Mark Twain National Forest, following a spring-fed creek and hardwood ridges in a federally protected Ozark ecosystem.
3 min read
moderateout-and-back
Big Piney Trail
12 mi800 ft gain
~132 mi from St. LouisApril through June and September through November
A 12-mile out-and-back trail along the Big Piney River in Mark Twain National Forest, covering remote Ozark hardwood terrain with river access and backcountry camping opportunities.
4 min read
easyloop
Pounds Hollow Recreation Area Loop
3.5 mi200 ft gain
~135 mi from St. LouisApril through October
A 3.5-mile loop around Pounds Hollow Lake in Shawnee National Forest, through oak-hickory forest with lake views and access to one of the few public swim lakes in southern Illinois.
3 min read
easy-moderateloop
Rim Rock Trail
3 mi300 ft gain
~136 mi from St. LouisApril through November
A 3-mile loop in the Shawnee National Forest passing ancient Kaskaskia Indian grinding stone, sandstone cliff overlooks, and dense bottomland hardwood forest near Elizabethtown, Illinois.
3 min read
easy-moderateloop
Smuggler's Cave Trail
3 mi300 ft gain
~137 mi from St. LouisApril through November
A 3-mile loop near Cave-in-Rock in Shawnee National Forest, visiting a large cave used by river pirates in the 1800s and traversing limestone bluffs above the Ohio River.
3 min read
easyout-and-back
Lost Valley Trail
2 mi300 ft gain
~140 mi from St. LouisApril through November
A short 2-mile out-and-back trail along a spring-fed creek in Mark Twain National Forest, suitable for families and anyone wanting an easy introduction to Ozark woodland hiking.
3 min read
easy-moderateout-and-back
Ridge Runner Trail
8 mi600 ft gain
~150 mi from St. LouisApril through June and September through November
An 8-mile out-and-back trail following an Ozark ridge through the Eleven Point Ranger District of Mark Twain National Forest, with long views and access to the Ozark Trail corridor.
3 min read