Black River Trail System
Photo: SymphonicPoet, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- 3.1 mi
- round trip
- 251 ft
- climb
- 908 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Mar–Jun, Aug–Oct
- best months
The Black River Trail System is an easy out-and-back hike in Missouri, about 1.8 miles from the town of Monterey. The route is 6.2 miles long, with a total elevation gain of 251 feet, and it starts and ends at roughly 837 feet. The trail is rated easy, and the climb is gentle, with the steepest stretch at about 2.2 miles in, where the grade reaches 10 percent. Bikes are allowed on the trail, but horses are not. The trip takes about two hours, and the trail is open year-round. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Potosi show October highs around 68°F with lows near 46°F, and May highs around 74°F. Summer runs hotter, with July highs near 86°F. The trail sits close to several other outdoor spots. EM: Johnson Shut-Ins and Upper Cliff are climbing areas about half a mile away, and the Scour Trail and Horseshoe Glade Trail are hikes within a mile.
EM: Johnson Shut-InsRock climbingPhoto: Kbh3rd, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)0.5 mi
Upper CliffRock climbingPhoto: Wikipedian Kbh3rd, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)0.7 mi
Scour TrailHikingPhoto: CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)0.8 mi- Horseshoe Glade TrailHikingPhoto: CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)0.8 mi
- Campground Trail SystemHikingPhoto: CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)1 mi
Goggins Mountain Equestrian TrailHikingPhoto: Kbh3rd, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)2.4 mi- East Fork Black RiverCanoeing3.4 mi
- Middle Fork Black RiverCanoeing9.6 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
- Scour TrailHiking · ~1 min drivePhoto: CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- Goggins Mountain Equestrian TrailHiking · ~4 min drivePhoto: Kbh3rd, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
Ozark Trail - Taum SaukHiking · ~11 min drivePhoto: cm195902, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
Bell MountainHiking · ~12 min drivePhoto: cm195902, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- Horseshoe Glade TrailHiking · ~1 min drivePhoto: CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- Ozark Trail - Middle ForkHiking · ~19 min drive
- Lindsey Mountain TrailHiking · ~10 min drive
- Bell MountainHiking · ~14 min drive
- Campground Trail SystemHiking · ~2 min drivePhoto: CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- Brushy Creek - RedHiking · ~16 min drive
Best time to visit Black River Trail System
Best months: March–June and August–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
40° / 21°
8 wet
Feb
45° / 25°
8 wet
Mar
55° / 33°
10 wet
Apr
66° / 44°
11 wet
May
74° / 54°
12 wet
Jun
82° / 63°
10 wet
Jul
86° / 67°
9 wet
Aug
85° / 65°
8 wet
Sep
78° / 57°
7 wet
Oct
68° / 46°
9 wet
Nov
54° / 35°
8 wet
Dec
43° / 26°
8 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Potosi 4 Sw, MO, 24.1 mi away at 1,105 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
