Five-Star Trails: The Ozarks: 43 Spectacular Hikes in Arkansas and Missouri

Discover 43 five-star hiking trails in Arkansas and Missouri, including popular routes and hidden gems throughout the Ozark Mountains.

Peaceful waterfalls, dramatic mountain vistas, and untamed streams, the Ozarks region is a popular and beloved destination--and there’s no better place to hit the trails. This diverse geographical area offers a variety of easy, moderate, and strenuous hikes. Visit pristine natural springs in the Mark Twain National Forest. Traverse the rugged mountain canvas of the Ozark National Forest. See the towering Cedar Falls in the Arkansas River Valley.

Explore 43 of the region’s best, five-star trails with this easy-to-carry and easy-to-use guidebook. In the updated edition, acclaimed author, expert hiker, and former board member of the Ozark Highlands Trail Association Jim Warnock presents everything you need to know about spectacular outings that lead to mountain panoramas, remote wilderness, amazing wildlife, and more.

Inside you’ll find:

• Descriptions of 43 five-star hiking trails for all levels and interests


• GPS-based trail maps, elevation profiles, and detailed directions to trailheads


• Insight into the history, flora, and fauna of the routes


• Ratings for scenery, difficulty, trail condition, solitude, and accessibility for children

Save time and make the most of your hiking adventures. From the banks of Lake Alma to the broken-down buildings of the Rush ghost town, you’ll experience the best of the Ozarks’ breathtaking scenery and varied terrain. Lace up, grab your pack, and hit the trail!

Growing up in Arkansas, Jim Warnock enjoyed day hikes with his parents on family camping trips and in the woods behind his home. He found hiking to be essential to his physical health and in maintaining relationships with family and friends.

His love of hiking led him to like-minded friends who have hiked Arkansas, Missouri, New Mexico, and Colorado and have made repeated trips into the Grand Canyon of Arizona. He thru-hiked the Ozark Highlands Trail in January 2014 and completed the John Muir Trail in the summer of 2016.

While he’s come to love the long and legendary trails, he relishes the joys of day hikes and finds that they provide endless discovery and pleasure with limited travel time and expense. As an educator and school principal, he has unique insight into the needs of young hikers. In his book, you’ll find trails for the experienced outdoors enthusiast seeking a challenge as well as for the novice or young hiker who benefits from shorter hikes that hold interest and provide new learning.

Jim was designated as a National Distinguished School Principal in 2006 and has served as president of the Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators. He has served as a board member of the Ozark Highlands Trail Association (OHTA) and maintains memberships in both the OHTA in Arkansas and the Ozark Trail Association in Missouri.

Jim has written numerous articles on hiking and travel for Do South Magazine and Entertainment Fort Smith. He has also written for state and national educational leadership publications and has served as an editorial advisor for Principal Magazine.

When not hiking and writing about trails, Jim might be found maintaining his adopted 4-mile section of the Ozark Highlands Trail from Jack Creek to Dockery Gap. He enjoys photography, blogging, drumming, and daily hikes on the Lake Alma Trail with his black Lab, Hiker-dog.