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Park Trails

at Mark Twain State Park

Barefoot Sam Trail

  • Hiking

Length: .40 Mile View map

This trail allows you to take a short hike before or after stopping at the nearby Mark Twain Birthplace Museum.

Length Estimated Hiking Time Type Blazes Trailhead
.40 Mile 15 minutes Loop Yellow  

Dogwood Trail

  • Hiking

Length: 2.25 Miles View map

This trail gives you a glimpse of a mature oak-hickory forest on the lake hillside on the northern portion, and a contrasting view of the secondary forest of the park interior on the southern portion. The campground road dissects the trail east to west, allowing you a chance to complete just one of the two portions. White connector 1 allows you to access Post Oak Trail from the southwest portion of Dogwood Trail.

Length Estimated Hiking Time Type Blazes Trailhead
2.25 Miles 1 hour, 40 minutes Loop Yellow

Buzzard’s Roost Overlook area where Whitetail Trail starts; or Two places along the hard surface campground road

Post Oak Trail

  • Hiking

Length: 1.75 Miles View map

This trail traverses the steep hillsides overlooking the South Fork of Mark Twain Lake on the north section of the trail, and takes you around the outskirts of the campground on the south section. The hard surface campground road dissects the loop east to west and gives you the opportunity to break at a bath house or attempt the trail in smaller segments at a time. 

Length Estimated Hiking Time Type Blazes Trailhead
1.75 Miles 1 hour, 15 minutes Loop Red  

White Oak Trail

  • Hiking

Length: 1.25 Miles View map

This trail travels the steep hillsides overlooking the lake and follows a good portion of the large peninsula jutting west of the campground. 

Length Estimated Hiking Time Type Blazes Trailhead
1.25 Miles 1 hour Loop Green

Campground boat ramp access parking lot

Whitetail Trail

  • Hiking

Length: .50 Mile View map

This trail begins and ends at the scenic Buzzard’s Roost Overlook Area but also gives you a chance to move onto the slightly longer Dogwood Trail at its halfway point. The portion of the trail that borders the lake hillside showcases rock cliffs carved out by the Salt River that once flowed freely before it’s damming in the early 1980s.

Length Estimated Hiking Time Type Blazes Trailhead
.50 Mile 30 minutes Loop Blue

Buzzard's Roost Overlook area