West Loop
- 1.0 mi
- loop
- 10 ft
- climb
- 743 ft
- high point
- Loop
- route
- Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov
- best months
West Loop is a short, easy loop hike in Missouri's Harry Truman Recreation Area, managed by the Army Corps of Engineers. The trail is about a mile long, with a total elevation gain of 10 feet, so it's a flat, low-effort outing. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Clinton show October highs around 69°F with lows near 44°F, and May highs around 76°F. July is the warmest month, with typical highs near 90°F. The loop is a simple walk, and the trail stays mostly flat. The steepest part comes at about 0.37 miles in, with a grade of about 2 percent. Bikes and horses are not allowed. East Loop is about 0.2 miles away, and Wetland Loop is about 0.4 miles away. For time on the water, Sparrowfoot offers lake fishing about 4 miles off, and Deepwater Creek, a canoeing spot, is about 8 miles away.
- East LoopHiking0.2 mi
- Wetland LoopHiking0.4 mi
SparrowfootLake fishing4.1 mi- Deepwater CreekCanoeing8 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Clearfork Woodland TrailHiking · ~51 min drivePhoto: nousernameforme, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- Opossum Hollow TrailHiking · ~50 min drive
Katy TrailHiking · ~1h 8m drivePhoto: MoBikeFed, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- Lakeview TrailHiking · ~1h 26m drive
- East LoopHiking · Next door
- Wetland LoopHiking · Next door
- Western Wallflower TrailHiking · ~31 min drive
- Bluff Ridge TrailHiking · ~31 min drive
- 1000th Mile TrailHiking · ~32 min drive
- Hawk Nest TrailHiking · ~51 min drive
Best time to visit West Loop
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
41° / 19°
6 wet
Feb
46° / 23°
6 wet
Mar
57° / 33°
9 wet
Apr
67° / 43°
11 wet
May
76° / 54°
12 wet
Jun
85° / 64°
10 wet
Jul
90° / 67°
8 wet
Aug
89° / 65°
8 wet
Sep
81° / 56°
8 wet
Oct
69° / 44°
9 wet
Nov
56° / 33°
7 wet
Dec
45° / 24°
7 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Clinton, MO, 3.7 mi away at 770 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
