Beginner Off-Road Trails
Near Chaffee, Missouri

General Watkins Park Road is a mile-long gravel road leading into the General Watkins Missouri Conservation Area. This road takes you off US-61 straight into some gorgeous wilderness and hiking areas, with a great area to set up camp for a night. The road is light and easy, but traverses a few mild-...
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The General Watkins Cemetery Road is the farthest west entrance into the General Watkins Conservation Area off US Route 61. It is a gravel road that leads up a hillside to the ridge top where General Watkins' resting area is located, as well as a large parking area and the point where the 1.8-mile h...
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The Clear Creek Levee Road parallels IL Route 3 North and South connecting the dots with a lot of routes that lead to Shawnee National Forest and other trails. It's a simple gravel road with the occasional pothole or dirt section but is worth adding to your drive if you want to avoid main roads or t...
Learn more about Clear Creek Levee Road

Laflin Road, or Bollinger County Road 408 (and a very small portion of the BCR 450), is a gravel road traversing the center-east portion of Bollinger County. The southwestern end of the road begins at the small town of Leopold, Missouri, leaving the history-rich town on the hill it rests, heading to...
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The Bollinger Mill Road, also known as Cape Girardeau County Road 360, is a gravel county road that leads to the Bollinger Mill State Historical Site. The gravel road is well maintained but comes full of views and scenery of the farmland neighboring the Mill and Upper Whitewater River, the road come...
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The Scott County Road 405, is a sand flat road in lower Scott County, Missouri, which shows one of the more unique terrains the state has to offer. The road features a few turns and bridges crossing over water-diverting channels of the area. The road is mostly sand with gravel near each end, at time...
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Leopold Road, or Bollinger County Road 402, is a gravel road traversing the center-east portion of Bollinger County. The southern end of the road begins at small town of Leopold, Missouri, leaving the history rich town on the hill it rests, dropping into the valley of the Crooked Creek, where the tr...
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Wolf Creek Road is a gravel road running through a section of the Shawnee National Forest. It clocks in at 3.8 miles, leading slowly downhill from the hills of the Mississippi Bluffs into the low-laying land of central southern IL. It has 2 concrete-bottomed low-water bridges that may turn into shal...
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The Slick Ridge FSR 262G is a mildly challenging natural fire road that has the reward of a great view of Shawnee National Forest. It features an off-camber eroded section that will test your articulation and clearances. It runs you through several small mud holes and a small grade with tree roots. ...
Learn more about Slick Ridge FSR 262G

Goose Pond Hills Road is a gravel back road that leads through the Goose Pond Hills northwest of Advance Missouri. The road dances on the Bollinger and Stoddard County lines, featuring Bollinger County 652, and Stoddard County 206 and 211. At 37.12510, -89.94084 there is a decent overlook at the tre...
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Old Goat SFR 625 and 625A is a State Forest Road in Shawnee National Forest. The road is short at only 1.1 miles long, but packs a punch, dipping through a creek bottom shortly after climbing a steep grade while circling around the first main hill. The hill features small ruts and gravel fading to d...
Learn more about Old Goat SFR 625 & 625A

McCraven SFR 220 is a very scenic nature-viewing gravel road in Shawnee National Forest. It is a very easy trail with a minimal challenge, but there are a few muddy crossings and water collection spots within its medium-grade graveled hills. It also features a couple of branch trails, the SFR 504 an...
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The Old Scopus Road, or Bollinger County 302, is a gravel back road connecting Marble Hill, MO to Scopus, MO, that features hill climbs, low land hollows, washed-out rutted edges, low water bridge creek crossings, and swimming holes. The road is an ideal cruising back road, has great rolling hills, ...
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Delta Road and Moad Hollow Road are the precursors to the Opossum Trot Trail System within Shawnee National Forest. This gravel road features an easy cruise leading you through the Illinois countryside showing off its lowland valley beauty. You'll eventually be going into the rolling hills of Shawne...
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The Reynolds Ford Road is a road compromised of two county roads, the Bollinger County Road 336, and the Cape Girardeau County 350, that directly connect at the county line. The Cape Co side is the well-maintained smoother riding and the Bollinger Co side is more neglected and beaten in feel. The ro...
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Opossum Trot Road SFR 628 is a scenic well-maintained gravel road through Shawnee National Forest. The trail features great views and ease of driving, but if you are looking for a thrill, it has a few branch trails that lead off it with some medium to hard challenges. Overall, the Opossum Trot is yo...
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Old Plantation Access Road, also named Cape Girardeau County Road 485, is a gravel road in Millersville, Missouri, that also doubles as a Missouri Department of Conservation land access road. The road features beautiful rolling hills and farmland scenery in the bottoms, with two low-water bridges th...
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Cut Off or Bollinger County Road 340 is a gravel road that has an edge. The road on either end will shortly give you signs that it is not a typical county road, natural rock shows at the surface, lite water erosion, sections fade to dirt/mud, and potholes are prevalent. Meanwhile, the road climbs an...
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Burner Hill FSR 620 is an old gravel forestry road in the southern area of the Mississippi Bluffs sector of Shawnee National Forest. The road seems near-forgotten, and shows little signs of use or maintenance. Fallen trees add to the fun and challenge of weaving your way to the top of the road. The ...
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Hartle Ford Road consists of Cape County Road 352 and Bollinger County Road 368. It is a gravel road that features rolling hills leading into two separate creek bottoms with really impressive low-water bridges. The Cape Girardeau side is well-maintained gravel, showing signs of being well-kept, and ...
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The Slick Ridge FSR 262G is a mildly challenging natural fire road that has the reward of a great view of Shawnee National Forest. It features an off-camber eroded section that will test your articulation and clearances. It runs you through several small mud holes and a small grade with tree roots. ...
Learn more about Slick Ridge FSR 262G

McCraven SFR 220 is a very scenic nature-viewing gravel road in Shawnee National Forest. It is a very easy trail with a minimal challenge, but there are a few muddy crossings and water collection spots within its medium-grade graveled hills. It also features a couple of branch trails, the SFR 504 an...
Learn more about McCraven SFR 220

The N Hamburg Hill Spur 266AA, within Shawnee National Forest, is a trail that once was traversable by full-width vehicles, but in its current state should only be trekked by dirt bikes and 4-wheelers, within the first .1 mile there is a turnaround/parking area to unload, but from there on, the trai...
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This is a maintained gravel road with an occasional flat natural rock sticking up in the middle of the road. This trail features beautiful tall pines and areas you can see for miles. The road leads up a steep grade that may include washboards and mild washes when the season is wet and conditions are...
Learn more about Natural Bridge Road

The Clear Creek Levee Road parallels IL Route 3 North and South connecting the dots with a lot of routes that lead to Shawnee National Forest and other trails. It's a simple gravel road with the occasional pothole or dirt section but is worth adding to your drive if you want to avoid main roads or t...
Learn more about Clear Creek Levee Road

Laflin Road, or Bollinger County Road 408 (and a very small portion of the BCR 450), is a gravel road traversing the center-east portion of Bollinger County. The southwestern end of the road begins at the small town of Leopold, Missouri, leaving the history-rich town on the hill it rests, heading to...
Learn more about Laflin Road - BCR 408

Leopold Road, or Bollinger County Road 402, is a gravel road traversing the center-east portion of Bollinger County. The southern end of the road begins at small town of Leopold, Missouri, leaving the history rich town on the hill it rests, dropping into the valley of the Crooked Creek, where the tr...
Learn more about Leopold Road - BCR 402

The Slick Ridge FSR 262G is a mildly challenging natural fire road that has the reward of a great view of Shawnee National Forest. It features an off-camber eroded section that will test your articulation and clearances. It runs you through several small mud holes and a small grade with tree roots. ...
Learn more about Slick Ridge FSR 262G