Hiking Missouri

Explore the beauty of Missouri on foot! Whether you're looking for a short and simple hike or a longer, more challenging trek, Hiking Missouri will lead you to the right trail.

Author Kevin Lohraff-former national park ranger, natural history biologist, and state park naturalist-has hiked every trail in Hiking Missouri. In fact, he hiked more than 250 Missouri trails before selecting the 102 best routes for the book. All of the trails can be hiked in a day, although some trails can be linked together for a multiday hike.

Filled with 148 easy-to-read park and trail maps, Hiking Missouri features hikes in every corner of the state, from Mark Twain's old stomping grounds in the north to the tourist mecca of the Ozarks in the south. For each of the 58 parks and nature areas in the book, you'll find the following:

- Selected trail descriptions-including the length and difficulty of each trail-plus detailed information on featured trails
- Maps of the park and of each featured trail
- Practical information on how to get to the park, park hours, available facilities, permits and rules, and a contact address and phone number
- A brief description of the park's history and terrain
- Details on nearby parks and recreational opportunities, including contact phone numbers

The book guides you through every turn in the trail, pointing out plants, wildlife, and special features you'll see along the way. The convenient trail finder summarizes essential information about each featured trail so you can select an ideal hike.

Kevin M. Lohraff has worked in the natural resource management field since 1987. As a park naturalist at Meramec State Park, he led presentations, tours, and programs for groups of park visitors concerning local flora, fauna, caves, and natural habitats and communities. He also spent two years as a natural history biologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation, learning about the state's native plants and becoming familiar with its natural areas. As a national park ranger in New Jersey, he independently pioneered an entomological study that helped lead to an endangered species-a beach tiger beetle-being reintroduced to the park.

Lohraff holds a bachelor's degree in biology from Southwest Missouri State University. A resident of Jefferson City, Missouri, he enjoys canoeing, fishing, and gravel bar camping on Ozark streams.