Berry Bend West

Dogs Unknown

Features Birding · Lake · River/Creek · Wildflowers · Wildlife

Mainly a horse trail, this is rugged with lots of ups and downs. It is a great hike for fall and winter in Missouri as the rarely used in cooler months can be quite quiet.

Deer hunting IS ALLOWED at Berry Bend out on the trails. You'll see several no hunting signs when you are driving in to the area; however, that only applies to a few parts of the trail and the campground areas. When you get away from the facilities out on the trails, hunting is allowed. Everywhere online says hunting is NOT allowed; however, especially on the east trail, you'll see dozens of deer stands and signs that sign public hunting. DEER HUNTING IS ALLOWED OUT ON THE TRAILS. Best to avoid during firearms season.

Don't expect to find many other hikers using this trail. It is popular as a horse trail and most of the activity on it will be during the spring and summer months. While the trail is well-marked, there are many places, due to mud, blowdowns, or water, that you may lose trail. Especially along the lakeside, the trail gets hard to find at times. During the fall and winter, don't expect to see anyone else.

For Missouri, this is a very challenging trail. The trail has a lot of ups and down and a lot of rock on the pathl. If you are familiar with hiking on a horse trail, you know how it will be. If not, be prepared for your feet to hurt. Navigation, GPS, and a map are musts for this trail. The west side consists of 2 trails (orange and blue). If you start on the orange side, you'll reach a gravel road at approximately 6 miles which signifies the start of the blue trail. Prepare for numerous water crossings and mud. Lots of overgrowth on trail. Prepare for thorns on trail.

In spring and summer (I can't imagine being on this trail then but if that's your thing), prepare for snakes, poisonous plants, ticks, and lots of other bugs.