Beginner Off-Road Trails
Near Chester, Illinois

Bidwell FSR 2199, is a gravel forestry road that travels through Mark Twain National Forest. Bidwell is one of the longest forestry routes on the eastern side of the forest clocking in at 8.6 forestries serviced miles or 11.85 with the gravel roads that feed into it. Bidwell features many steep grad...
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Johns Creek FSR 2170 is a half gravel half dirt forestry route through the northeasternmost section of Mark Twain National Forest, which resides in lower Ste Genevieve County Missouri. The trail is focused on being a hunting destination, full of campsite cutouts amongst the tall pines, and is genera...
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This road starts as well-maintained gravel for the first 300 feet and then quickly turns to a light gravel/dirt 2-track. This road will take you through Mark Twain National Forest land and dead-ends 2.8 miles in. On this road, you will find a beautiful drive through the hills and may get to experien...
Learn more about Anderson Hollow (FSR 2168)

Whitewater Presbyterian Church Road, also known as Bollinger County Road 256, is a scenic and mildly challenging 2.2-mile gravel route perfect for stock four-wheel-drive vehicles, SUVs, and SxSs seeking an off-the-beaten-path connection between Missouri Route KK and Route K. Spanning a brief but eng...
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The Happy Hollow FSR 787 is a gravel forestry route in the northwest Mississippi Bluffs sector of Shawnee National Forest. The trail specifically goes up into the hills along the Mississippi River north of Grand Tower, IL. It climbs just shy of 300 feet over the first .7 mile of the gravel, which is...
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Whitewater Creek Road is an easy, scenic gravel route ideal for beginners, overland families, and stock four-wheel-drive vehicles looking to enjoy a peaceful drive along the Whitewater River. Spanning approximately 2.75 miles and connecting Bollinger County Road 930 with Perry County Road 722, this ...
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The Oakwood Bottoms FSR 786, and Turkey Bayou FSR 786R, also know in the forestry maps as Johns Spur Road, is a gravel forestry road through the wetland bottoms in the northwest Mississippi Bluffs sector of Shawnee National Forest. Through there is two separate road names and IDs the road seamlessly...
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The Big Muddy River Levee Road is the southern publicly accessible 10-mile-long gravel road following the ridge top of the Levee, along the lower southern section of the Big Muddy River in Jackson County Illinois. Note that the Northern 3.4 mile section of this road has transferred from the public-o...
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Tower Rock Road or Perry County Road 460 is a gravel road that parallels the Mississippi River, leading you to the historic Tower Rock Natural Area. The road has a few steep grades and is amongst the forest. Expect some serious washboarding and gravel mounding due to heavy use. Near the end you cros...
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The Bollinger County 918 is a gravel county road connecting to other county roads in the area. It has mild rutting, washboarding, and mounding and shows signs of wear near its low-water bridge and hilly sections. This adds excitement to using it as a route to get around. Water collection spots, natu...
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The Cape Girardeau County Roads 521 and 520 form a great scenic gravel road and loop with the main road of the area (US-61, with help from Cape Co 510). The roads were constructed around two creeks in the area, Hughes Creek and Buckeye Creek. It features a natural low-water bridge traversing over be...
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Mount Gilead Church FSR 2148, is a gravel forestry road that travels a small area of the Fredericktown sector of Mark Twain National Forest, within the northern hills of Madison County, Missouri. It features course gravel that was recently hauled in for logging purposes, there are a few mild hills a...
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The Bollinger County Road 238 is a gravel county road snaking through the country's low land, along the Whitewater River. The road provides great access to the river for fishing and a swimming hole. It also is conveniently placed in between some of the area's main artery roads, Route K to Sedgewickv...
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The Bollinger County Road 200 is a county backroad through northern Bollinger County. The road connects a few of the bigger funner county roads in the area. The main features of the road are mild-graded hills interlaced with low-water bridges in the valleys. In typical Bollinger County fashion maint...
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The Castor River Shut-ins Road, also known as Madison County Road 253, is a simple gravel road leading to the Missouri Department of Conservation Area of the same name. The road features smooth riding with well-maintained gravel, at the halfway point is the entrance to the parking lot for the Shut-i...
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Rattlesnake Ferry - FS 345 is maintained gravel transforming to a natural forest service road in Shawnee National Forest, north of the LaRue-Pine Hills/Otter Pond Research Natural Area, a part of the greater Mississippi Bluffs unit. The Rattlesnake Ferry features smoother gravel from the higher elev...
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The Bollinger County Road 376 is a gravel-based road that traverses the northern Bollinger County Hills and parallels the Little Whitewater Creek. The road goes from being well maintained at the ends to mildly rough at the center, in typical Bollinger County fashion. It features a handful of low wat...
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The Lovejoy Creek Road, also known as the Cape Girardeau County Road 532, is one of the last true creek bottom roads in Cape Girardeau County. The road on both ends is maintained with gravel by the County Highway Department, but the center section still travels over the natural creek bed of Lovejoy ...
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The Bollinger County Road 878 is a gravel-based road, that climbs through the hills and feeder creeks west of Patton, Missouri. The road in typical Bollinger County fashion starts out maintained on the ends and shows its character towards the middle less used section. The road features washboarding,...
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Pine Hills Road SFR 236 within Shawnee National Forest is a very lovely gravel Shawnee National Forest Road with access to hiking trails, scenic overlooks, and a campground all in one. Its biggest obstacles are a few steep grades with lite water washes, mounding loose gravel, and mild washboarding. ...
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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

This trail starts as an unmaintained trail, light gravel/dirt, and turns into an all-dirt road. Along this road, you will not only have a beautiful drive through the woods but will also be welcomed with much wildlife. Towards the end of this trail, you will come to multiple water/mud holes of unknow...
Learn more about Miller Chapel FSR 2501

This trail starts as a light gravel/dirt two-track. About 100 feet in is an uphill section with shallow washouts. As you get to the top of the hill, it becomes a little soft. Some of this road will be slightly overgrown as well. There is a little cut-out that would make a good campsite. As you conti...
Learn more about South Windy FSR 3304

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 road starts as well-maintained gravel for the first 300 feet and then quickly turns to a light gravel/dirt 2-track. This road will take you through Mark Twain National Forest land and dead-ends 2.8 miles in. On this road, you will find a beautiful drive through the hills and may get to experien...
Learn more about Anderson Hollow (FSR 2168)

Bollinger County Road 366, known by local residents as BOCO 366, is your typical Bollinger County road. There is a large creek gravel road surface with multiple deep potholes and washouts. Located in approximately the middle of the route, you will come to a low water bridge that typically has 1-3 in...
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Mayfield Road, also known as the Bollinger County Road 356, is a coarse-gravel road traversing the hills of the southeastern Missouri countryside. The road logistically connects Missouri Route 72 on the north end to the village of Mayfield, MO, and Missouri Route JJ on the south end. In typical Boll...
Learn more about Mayfield Road - BCR 356

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