West Fork (West Branch) FSR 509

Trail Overview

The West Fork FSR 509 is a trail branching off the Glade Top National Forest Scenic Byway, traversing through some of the most thrilling trails Mark Twain National Forest offers. The trail has great depth including 2+ foot ruts, tight trees, heavy mud hole sections, water collection holes, 2-foot deep creek crossings, 6" to 18" rock ledges, potentially off-camber, all over a mix of dirt, coarse gravel, and small rock base throughout. Some of the hard sections have bypasses but overall the difficulty still remains the same to pass the whole trail. The trail requires 4X4, great traction control, high clearances, and extended flex to safely accomplish, spotting outlines may be required and are advised. This trail is best approached with some former offroading experience and not alone.

Photos of West Fork (West Branch) FSR 509

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Difficulty

There is a little bit of everything on this trail, rock, ledges, water crossings, heavy mud, ruts, and loose gravel the ruts are very off-camber and will flex and tilt a vehicle to its limits, throw tight trees and bead-popping rocks to the edge of the trail and you are limited to crossing it with few options of passage. It's a challenge.

History

The Glade Top Trail is a Civilian Conservation Corps [CCC] built road which was designated a Scenic Byway in 1989. Portions of Forest Roads 147, 149, and 150 comprise the trail. The trail follows a series of ridgetops through the central glade area of the White River Hills. The Glade Top Trail is little changed from the original road constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the late 1930s. For twenty-three miles, the two-lane, all-weather gravel road follows narrow ridge tops rising approximately 500 feet above the surrounding rolling countryside and overlooks and passes through many limestone/dolomite glades interspersed with open and closed woodlands. Sourced from the USDA website.

Technical Rating