Sortor's Bluff Trail
- 7.0 mi
- round trip
- 1,381 ft
- climb
- 973 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov
- best months
Sortor's Bluff Trail is a 14-mile out-and-back hike in Missouri's Stockton Recreation Area, managed by the Army Corps of Engineers. The trail rises from about 908 feet to a high point of 973 feet, with a total elevation gain of 215 feet. The steepest stretch comes at about 6.2 miles, where the grade reaches 19 percent. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from the nearby Stockton Dam weather station show October highs around 71°F with lows near 48°F, and May highs around 76°F. July and August average highs of 90°F. Bikes are allowed on the trail, but horses are not. The route is rated moderate. The trailhead sits within the Stockton Recreation Area, and the surrounding area offers plenty to pair with the hike. Hawker Point, a lake fishing spot, is about 1.7 miles away, and the Nyblad Trail and Lakeview Trail are both within about 2 miles. Paddlers can reach the Stockton State Park Water Trail, roughly 2.3 miles off.
Hawker PointLake fishing1.7 mi- Nyblad TrailHiking1.9 mi
- Lakeview TrailHiking2.2 mi
- Stockton State Park Water TrailCanoeing2.3 mi
MastersLake fishing4.4 mi
Cedar RidgeLake fishing4.4 mi
Ruark Bluff WestLake fishing5 mi
Orleans TrailLake fishing5.1 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Gibson's Mill TrailHiking · ~1h 5m drivePhoto: SlapTheWorld, Public Domain Dedication (CC0) (via Flickr)- Lakeview TrailHiking · ~4 min drive
- Red TrailHiking · ~1h 23m drive
- Gibson's Mill Trail ExtensionHiking · ~1h 6m drivePhoto: SlapTheWorld, Public Domain Dedication (CC0) (via Flickr)
Bloody Hill Trail SpurHiking · ~1h 6m drivePhoto: SlapTheWorld, Public Domain Dedication (CC0) (via Flickr)- Bloody Hill TrailHiking · ~1h 6m drivePhoto: SlapTheWorld, Public Domain Dedication (CC0) (via Flickr)
Ray Cornfield TrailHiking · ~1h 6m drivePhoto: SlapTheWorld, Public Domain Dedication (CC0) (via Flickr)
Manley Uplands TrailHiking · ~1h 7m drivePhoto: SlapTheWorld, Public Domain Dedication (CC0) (via Flickr)
Southwest TrailHiking · ~1h 8m drivePhoto: SlapTheWorld, Public Domain Dedication (CC0) (via Flickr)- Nyblad TrailHiking · ~3 min drive
Best time to visit Sortor's Bluff Trail
Best months: March–June and September–November. 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
43° / 23°
7 wet · 1 snow
Feb
48° / 27°
7 wet · 1 snow
Mar
58° / 35°
9 wet
Apr
68° / 45°
11 wet
May
76° / 56°
12 wet
Jun
85° / 66°
11 wet
Jul
90° / 70°
9 wet
Aug
90° / 68°
8 wet
Sep
82° / 60°
7 wet
Oct
71° / 48°
9 wet
Nov
58° / 37°
8 wet
Dec
47° / 28°
7 wet · 1 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Stockton Dam, MO, 7.5 mi away at 922 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
