On our second day we entered the Ozark Plateau and realized our trip plans would have to change. Missouri Route 19 bisects the vast woods and rugged terrain of this ancient mountain range.

The highlight of my week came on the day I got to hike a section of the Ozark trail. The trail has over 430 miles divided into sections. Most of the sections are linked, though some are not.

Seeping from springs high on the Ozark Plateau, a number of limestone-fed streams tumble southward through the eastern Oklahoma hill country on their way to a rendezvous with the Arkansas River ...