Stegall Mountain Fire Tower

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Features Birding · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

This hike includes a 1-mile trail that links the Ozark Trail to an access road for the Stegall Mountain fire tower. Use it for an out and back hike on the Ozark Trail. This route starts at the top of the mountain for great views and access to the igneous glades. The Ozark Trail is technical singletrack and the 1-mile connector is grassy doubletrack. The trails are located within Peck Ranch Conservation Area.

The trail starts as doubletrack just past the gate on the access road to the Stegall Mountain fire tower. It then meets the Ozark Trail (OT) after 1 mile. This hike turns north on the OT for 0.5 mile for a 3 mile out and back. You could modify the hike to go as far as you want, either north or south. The OT is technical singletrack that is well built and maintained by the Ozark Trail Association (THANKS OTA!!!). The connector trail is less travelled and less well maintained, and there can be tall grass, but is a good way to get to this section of the OT.

Collared lizards and other reptiles. Prairie Warblers, Indigo Buntings, Tanagers, Pine Warblers. Compass plant, coneflowers and spiderworts. Peck Ranch is where elk have been reintroduced to Missouri. You might see them here or watch for signs for the route of the elk driving tour.

With return of prescribed burning on the glades, collared lizard population has done well. The red rocks of the glade and trail are ancient 1.2 billion year old rhyolite from lava flows when this part of Missouri was part of the ancient supercontinent of Rodinia.