Taum Sauk Mountain, MO

Location: near Ironton, Missouri
Summit elevation: 1772 ft (540 m)
Distance: 0.4 mile (0.6 km) round trip
Elevation gain: 30 ft (9 m)
Class: 1
Date: May 18, 2012

View from Mina Sauk Falls trail

Taum Sauk Mountain is the highest point in Missouri and located in Taum Sauk Mountain State Park in the Ozarks of the southeastern part of the state. The trail to the summit is short, flat, and paved for most of the way. The summit is surrounded by forest and has no views whatsoever. There is a view to the north from an overlook along the road to the parking area.

The summit

Shortly before the parking area there is a sign for a fire lookout tower. This tower is open to public use during the day and provides 360 degree views above the surrounding trees as long as you are willing to climb the stairs up it.

View from the lookout tower

If you would like to take a slightly longer hike from the summit you can go to Mina Sauk Falls, the highest waterfall (132 ft) in Missouri when there is water flowing. When I visited there was no water at the falls, but the hike still had a few good views and the falls location had some interesting rock outcroppings. You can hike to a from the falls on a loop trail that is probably about 2-3 miles round trip, but with around 400 feet of elevation change. If you continue on the Ozark Trail from the falls you will reach Devils Tollgate, a very narrow section of  the trail.



© Copyright 2017 Matthew Pintar. All rights reserved.