Trail Overview
Smith Chapel (FS 3758) is a dirt and gravel Forest Service road within the Poplar Bluff Unit of Mark Twain National Forest. Smith Chapel begins at Carter County Road 257, heading west into the dense tree lines of the forest, splashing through a water collection spot or well-shaded wet area at the entry, turning right into the first and main grade of the track, tracking uphill over a dirty, potentially surface mud, eroded path with exposed tree roots. At the top of this hill, the road shifts to full gravel, with small potholes along the way, passing a notable grove of tight evergreens, marking the point of highest elevation, before shedding elevation going downhill to the western end point at a large opening, marking the modern MVUM end of the road, with the now overgrown former section of road going further west blocked off by a berm of dirt; here users must turn around and head back out the way they entered.
Difficulty
Smith Chapel is given a base rating of 2/10 for having splash-level water collection holes and exposed tree roots along the rutted and eroded mild-graded hill on the eastern end of the track. When in wet conditions, there is a high potential for several sections of surface mud throughout the track, mixed with natural coarse gravel and small loose cobbles. It is also safe to expect all the gravel road complications, such as potholes, washboarding, and mounding of the gravel. Difficulty can increase in times of wet conditions, rainy seasons, and through a lack of maintenance or heavy use.
History
The still-standing Smith Chapel is located at 36.88727, -90.77064, based off the Carter County Road 238; this being 0.45 miles to the west of the western end of FS 3758. The Smith Chapel was built in 1904, with the adjacent Smith Chapel Cemetery being established in 1884, marked by its first burial, followed by 175+ other souls being buried here, representing lives that lived between 1830 and 2025 (as of 6/2026). Please respect those who lived before us, leaving the Chapel and Cemetery as is or better than it was found. Documented by Christopher Menz 6/2026
