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The water crossing on the Ozark Trail that everyone maps wrong
I hiked the Blair Ridge section last weekend and the map shows a shallow creek ford at mile 9, but it was actually a 4-foot deep ravine after the spring rains. Has anyone else found other spots on that route where the official map just lies?
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jessec395mo ago
Dude, same thing happened to me on that exact section last fall. The map showed a simple creek crossing but I showed up to a washout that was at least chest deep. I had to bushwhack half a mile upstream to find a spot that was actually fordable. There is another spot around mile 14 where the map shows a trail junction that just does not exist anymore, the sign is gone and the path is completely overgrown.
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harper_owens5mo ago
Kinda sounds dramatic tbh. A little rain never killed anyone.
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evab524mo ago
Have you ever actually tried crossing a creek after two days of heavy rain? Because "a little rain" can turn a gentle stream into a dangerous river. Maps don't update overnight, and washouts happen fast in the backcountry. I've seen perfectly good trails get erased by a single storm. Being cautious about something like that isn't dramatic, it's just smart.
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