Trail Overview

The Madison County Road 406 is a gravel county road within the Fredericktown sector of Mark Twain National Forest. The road is useful to know within the network of hitting all the trails or shortcutting between the Matthews Mountain FSR 2127 and Central School FSR 2100 area to Bill Smith Hollow FSR 2064 and Arnett Mountain FSR 2191 area, it is significantly shorter than going the long way on state routes, plus you are off the pavement. The road is easy only encountering a few small hills, the steepest being on the western end of the road, and the typical gravel road complications (potholes, dust), yet full of the Mark Twain National Forest scenery and beauty. In the spring and early summer it is full of wildflowers, in the fall and winter is it cool to see the leaves change and all the rocks in the forest become so much more apparent.

Photos of Mad-Co Road 406

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Difficulty

The Madison 406 is easy going, the most complications you would have on this road is finding it in a late maintenance cycle or heavy rain, it may feel like a rough gravel road in these scenarios, but this road is typically well graded and hit often, the most you will encounter on a normal day is dust (if it is dry, lots of dust) and the typical potholes, washboards, and mounding.

Technical Rating

Chris Menz

Mar 09, 2024

Open

The road is a little dusty but is not unbearable. Still an amazing spot to breeze by the short-leaf Missouri pines. There was a prescribed burn done in this area, within the last month, so don't be surprised by the barren black ground on the west side of the 406.

Chris Menz

Oct 28, 2023

Open

Road is seeming to need a good grading. More washboards than normal, but still not terrible, especially if aired down a little from normal highway PSI. Leaves were beautiful on this day despite the rain.

Tim Vollmer

Sep 17, 2023

Open

Chris Menz

Sep 16, 2023

Open