Highway 172 Trailhead

The Highway 172 trailhead provides access to the middle of the Wappapello Lake section of the Ozark Trail (OT). The trailhead offers substantial parking for multiple vehicles, including trucks with trailers. More than half of the 35-mile long Wappapello Lake Section of the Ozark Trail is managed by the Mark Twain National Forest &-; the balance of it is managed by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, State Parks and the US Army Corps of Engineers. Wappapello Lake was created in 1938 with the construction of a rolled earth fill dam to control flooding of the St. Francois River. The trail's proximity to water lends itself to an abundance of waterfowl. A hike of any desired length is feasible on this section due to numerous trail access points, and connector trails. There is also a 10 mile loop trail (the 172 Loop Trail) from this trailhead. From the 172 Loop Trail, hikers can connect to the Wappapello State Park (managed by Missouri Department of Natural Resources)