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There are seven trails within Knob Noster State Park, ranging in distance from one-half mile to 7.1 miles. All trails are open for hiking. McAdoo Trail is the only trail open to equestrians and mountain bicyclists. Trails take visitors to different habitats in the park and offer a variety of animal and plant viewing opportunities. Trails are marked with different color arrows.
Discovery Trail (green arrows)
Visitors having just a few hours in the park may want to take the Discovery Trail. This three-fourths mile loop is rich in spring and summer wildflowers and offers a view of No Name Creek, where minnows, frogs, birds and deer are common sights. The Discovery Trail begins in the campground, winds around to the visitor center, then travels along the creek for a short distance before reaching the campground again.
North Loop Trail (yellow arrows)
This two-mile trail begins in the campground by the first showerhouse, and offers visitors a glimpse into the past. The forested trail opens up into a prairie management area before leading visitors through a rich, moist bottomland timberstand vivid with spring and summer wildflowers. On this trail, it is easy to imagine how the landscape appeared to settlers as they traveled through these once widespread plant communities. Possible wildlife sightings along this trail include the eastern bluebird, pileated woodpecker, turkey and deer. A connector trail marked with white arrows will shorten the length of the trail by approximately one-half mile.
Buteo Trail (white arrows)
Buteo Trail circles Buteo Lake and allows easy access to anglers wishing to try their luck at catching the "big one." Beaver, muskrat, frogs, snakes, several species of fish and even freshwater jellyfish inhabit Buteo Lake. The trail is slightly longer than a mile and has a very small section that travels on a park road due to beaver activity around the lake.
Hawk Nest Trail (red arrows)
Open woodlands dominated by oak and hickories enrich the experience of this one and three-fourths mile trail. Hawk Nest Trail shares sections of trail with both the Buteo and Clearfork Savanna trails. Due to the variety of habitats along the trail, many different kinds of plants and animals may be seen or heard. Wildflowers are abundant during spring and summer months.
Clearfork Savanna Trail (blue arrows)
This one-half mile loop allows access to a small interior section of a large open woodland management area known as Clearfork Savanna, providing a distinct contrast from the density of the Opossum Hollow Trail. Clearfork Savanna has been managed for more than 10 years, whereas the Opossum Hollow area has had limited management application.
Opossum Hollow Trail (green arrows)
This one and one-half mile trail is tucked away at the far end of Redbud Lane. Visitors located in the main campground will need to drive to access the trailhead. Many areas of the park once contained open woodland, and the Opossum Hollow area is currently being managed and restored to provide an example of this habitat.
McAdoo Trail (yellow arrows)
This 7.1-mile trail is the park's only trail open to equestrians and mountain bicyclists, as well as hikers. The trail travels through both bottomland and upland forests with several creek crossings. Travelers on this trail will pass through Christopher Woods, a section of forest that contains the oldest stand of continuous timber within the park. Clearfork Creek may be crossed by using an old iron bridge. After heavy rains, this trail has many areas that hold water, so users will want to plan accordingly. This is a very rugged trail for mountain bicyclists and hikers, due to the standing water and hoof prints that can be present.
