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Whether you have a horse of your own or just want to rent one for a few hours, there are plenty of places where you can enjoy the scenery from a saddle.
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The Yellow Trail
Busiek State Park, east entrance of Busiek State Park/N. Hwy. 65 at the intersection of the red and yellow trail
Distance: 4.2 miles
Payoff: Woods Fork Creek views and crossing
Camp: Available on the east side of Hwy. 65. Must have a permit; call 417-895-6880 for details.
Difficulty: Two horseshoes
Any horseback rider living in 417-land knows that Busiek State Park is a great spot to take your horse for riding. The park’s hilly terrain, creeks and heavily wooded areas make it the perfect spot to trot along for an enjoyable and scenic ride. The yellow trail meanders through the southeastern portion of the park and offers a variety of hill climbs, descends and beautiful forest views. The ground is very rocky in some areas and grassy in others, so a few bumps may occur. Horses traveling on this path have several opportunities to cross through Woods Fork Creek, which can be anywhere from ankle- to waist-high depending on recent rainfall. Be sure to bring some waterproof boots.]
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Long Hollow Trail
Trail head to falls loop, Mark Twain National Forest
Distance: 2.5 Miles
Payoff: Long Creek Falls
Camp: dispersed camping throughout the forest
Difficulty: Three and a half horseshoes
The Mark Twain National Forest’s Hercules Glades Wilderness Trail features more than 30 miles of rugged terrain for hiking, biking and horseback riding. The Long Hollow Trail is a portion of Hercules Glades, and it offers a slightly more moderate ride for horseback riders. After leaving the trailhead, riders follow the trail down a long hill to reach a great payoff: Long Creek Falls. The falls are beautiful and flow fast after a good rain, and the spot contains many large rocks for sitting and enjoying a long lunch. Nature lovers will enjoy a variety of trees along this path, including oak hickories, pines, eastern red cedars, dogwoods and redbuds. After seeing the falls, riders can circle back to the trailhead, or they can travel on to one of many connecting paths to enjoy a longer ride.
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Bear Creek Trail
Bear Creek Rides, 3400 Hwy. 65, Walnut Shade, 417-337-7708
Distance: 2.5 miles per one-hour ride
Payoff: Bear Creek views
Difficulty: One-hour ride: Two and a half horseshoes
Two-hour ride: Three and a half horseshoes
You don’t need to own a horse to enjoy a good trail ride. In fact, you don’t even have to have riding experience. About 20 percent of Bear Creek Trail Rides’ customers have never ridden a horse. Bear Creek Trail Rides features scenic trails that wind through dense oak forests and canyons and on to bluffs. A one-hour ride goes along a path that travels up and down hills, into a wooded area and then along Bear Creek, which they cross.
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Wooded Trail
Cedar Mountain Stables, Big Cedar Lodge
Distance: 3 miles
Payoff: Table Rock Lake views
Difficulty: Two horseshoes
You don’t have to be a guest of Big Cedar Lodge to enjoy a guided ride on the lodge’s 3-mile trail. Staff at Big Cedar take a group of up to 12 riders on a trail ride through the scenic property’s rolling hills and a mostly wooded area, but there is a stretch of wide-open land that offers great views of Table Rock Lake, neighboring resorts and the Highway 86 Bridge.
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