Whistle Trail
Photo: Cyote, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- 0.9 mi
- round trip
- 418 ft
- climb
- 895 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov
- best months
Whistle Trail is a short, easy hike in Missouri, about 0.86 miles long, with a total elevation gain of 25 feet. It is an out-and-back route that starts and ends near Bennett Springs, a town just 0.2 miles away. The trail's high point is 895 feet, and the low point is 848 feet, with the steepest stretch at about 0.52 miles in, where the grade reaches 5%. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Lebanon show October highs around 69°F and April highs around 68°F, while July averages climb to 88°F. Bikes and horses are not allowed on this trail. The route is short enough to fit into a quick outing, and the trailhead sits right next to Bennett Spring Branch, a river fishing spot, and the Bridge Trail, another hike, both about 0.1 mile away. The Natural Tunnel Trail is 0.6 mile off, and the Niangua River, a canoeing route, is about 3.7 miles away.
- Bennett Spring BranchRiver fishing0.1 mi
Bridge TrailHikingPhoto: rjones0856, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)0.1 mi- Natural Tunnel TrailHikingPhoto: rjones0856, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)0.6 mi
Savanna Ridge TrailHikingPhoto: cm195902, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)1 mi- Niangua RiverCanoeing3.7 mi
- Mountain CreekCanoeing5 mi
- Mill Pond TrailHiking9.6 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
- Bridge TrailHiking · Next doorPhoto: rjones0856, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- Natural Tunnel TrailHiking · ~1 min drivePhoto: rjones0856, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
Turkey Pen Hollow TrailHiking · ~30 min drivePhoto: Log.base, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- Savanna Ridge TrailHiking · ~2 min drivePhoto: cm195902, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
Lake View Bend TrailHiking · ~49 min drivePhoto: Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- Red TrailHiking · ~18 min drive
Boulder Ridge TrailHiking · ~30 min drivePhoto: Semipaw, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- Cole Creek Red LoopHiking · ~46 min drive
- Paddy Creek-Big Piney TrailHiking · ~1h 17m drive
Island TrailHiking · ~31 min drivePhoto: Richard Ricciardi, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
Best time to visit Whistle 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
42° / 22°
7 wet · 1 snow
Feb
48° / 25°
7 wet · 1 snow
Mar
58° / 34°
9 wet
Apr
68° / 44°
10 wet
May
76° / 54°
11 wet
Jun
84° / 63°
9 wet
Jul
88° / 67°
8 wet
Aug
87° / 65°
8 wet
Sep
80° / 57°
7 wet
Oct
69° / 46°
8 wet
Nov
56° / 35°
7 wet
Dec
46° / 26°
6 wet · 1 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Lebanon 2w, MO, 9.2 mi away at 1,246 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
