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Because of construction taking place in the valley, the Ozark Trail through Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park remains closed. Construction is pending on a new route that will avoid the damaged areas and construction zones. When complete, this new trail segment will follow the East Fork of the Black River high above the shut-ins with nice views of the river valley and rejoin the original route further downstream. New trailheads and backpack campsites are included in the park redevelopment plan.
Until this new segment opens, the Taum Sauk Section of the Ozark Trail remains closed through the valley of the East Fork of the Black River. This includes access to the shut-ins and the main park valley. From the Taum Sauk Mountain State Park trailhead, hikers may hike to Mina Sauk Falls or continue into Taum Sauk Creek valley as far as the "trail closed" sign, approximately five miles from the trailhead. No access is permitted beyond the closed sign.
The Western Taum Sauk Section of the Ozark Trail from Highway A at Bell Mountain Trailhead to Highway N is now open. There is no parking available where the Ozark Trail meets Highway N.
An easy walk from the parking lot leads visitors to the state's highest point rising to 1,772 feet above sea level. The Taum Sauk Mountain overlook is accessible to people with disabilities and provides an opportunity to view the expansive mountainous landscape to the north. Interpretive displays are placed at the overlook providing visitors with a detailed history of the region.
Beginning in close proximity to the parking lot is the moderately rugged, three-mile Mina Sauk Falls loop trail, which takes visitors to the state's tallest waterfall dropping 132 feet. The best time to view the wet-weather falls is after heavy rainfall, particularly in the spring and fall seasons.
One mile below the falls along the Taum Sauk Section of the Ozark Trail lies Devil's Tollgate. This eight-foot-wide passage takes visitors through 50 feet of volcanic rhyolite standing 30 feet high.
The 33-mile Taum Sauk Section of the Ozark Trail is one of the most scenic and rugged sections along the entire Ozark Trail. It crosses numerous mountains, including Bell Mountain, Goggins Mountain, Proffit Mountain and Taum Sauk Mountain. These mountaintops, and associated valleys, contain outstanding scenic attributes ranging from panoramic glade vistas to rock strewn streams to the cascading Mina Sauk Falls. The trail crosses several significant drainages, including Padfield Branch, the East Fork of the Black River, which has a footbridge, and Taum Sauk Creek. The Ozark Trail connects Taum Sauk Mountain State Park to Johnson's Shut-ins State Park, which is 12.8 miles to the west, providing solitude and beautiful scenery to hikers and backpackers seeking a day's adventure.
The Ozark Trail will eventually connect St. Louis with the Ozark Highlands Trail in Arkansas.
