Trail Overview
New Prospect (FS 3813) is a semi-maintained gravel Forest Service road within the Poplar Bluff Unit of Mark Twain National Forest. New Prospect likely gets its name from the former School of the same name to the east, which likely got its name from the 3 mines that existed in the area on its west end along the Lone Star School (FS 3824), where the New Prospect begins heading east. The road follows the gentle ridge line, climbing only mild grades as it cuts through the lush treelines, midway passing Prospect A (FS 3813A) that goes south, only to meet a 4-way intersection with New Prospect turning north, Prospect B (FS 3813B) going south, and Prospect C (FS 3813C) going straight. The endpoint comes 700 feet after this intersection, shortly going downhill to the MVUM-sanctioned legal endpoint and turnaround.
Difficulty
New Prospect (FS 3813) is given a base rating of 1/10, being a semi-maintained gravel road, riding the spines of the ridge top, having mild hills, with spots of small active erosion, soft spots of surface mud, small loose cobbles, and natural rock poking out at the surface. It is safe to expect all the normal gravel road complications of washboards, mounding, and potholes. The difficulty could increase due to a lack of maintenance or extremely wet and inclement conditions.
