Ozarks Springs Guide: Major Springs, Trails and Public Access

Big Spring — Van Buren, Missouri

Big Spring is Missouri's largest spring and one of the largest freshwater springs in the country.

• Location: about 4 miles south of Van Buren.
• Manager: National Park Service.
• Average flow: roughly 286–289 million gallons per day.
• Access: developed public area with parking and trails.
• Nearby: campground, picnic areas, Current River access and Civilian Conservation Corps historic structures.
• Best for: an easy-to-reach major spring with river and park access.

The spring sends a huge volume of cold groundwater directly toward the nearby Current River.

Official information

Alley Spring — near Eminence, Missouri

Alley Spring combines one of the Ozarks' major springs with the historic red Alley Mill.

• Location: about 6 miles west of Eminence on Highway 106.
• Manager: National Park Service.
• Average flow: roughly 89 million gallons per day.
• Access: developed public area with parking.
• Nearby: Alley Mill, campground, Jacks Fork access and trails.
• Best for: spring scenery plus Ozarks cultural history.

The spring branch flows into the Jacks Fork, and spring water historically powered the mill.

Official information · Visitor and directions information

Blue Spring — Current River hills, Missouri

Blue Spring is Missouri's deepest known spring and one of the most visually distinctive springs in the Ozarks.

• Manager: Missouri Department of Conservation.
• Depth: about 300 feet.
• Average flow: about 90 million gallons per day.
• Access: about 0.25 mile from the Blue Spring parking area.
• Alternative trail: about 1.5 miles from Powder Mill.
• Best for: a short public hike to a deep blue spring.
• Important: swimming, wading, fishing and boating are prohibited in the spring and spring branch.

A canoe approach from the Current River is also possible, but water entry into the spring itself is prohibited.

Official information and access

Round Spring — north of Eminence, Missouri

Round Spring rises in a nearly circular pool and flows through a natural opening toward the Current River.

• Location: about 13 miles north of Eminence on Highway 19.
• Manager: National Park Service.
• Average flow: roughly 26–30 million gallons per day.
• Access: accessible paved trail from the developed public area.
• Nearby: campground, picnic area, Current River access and ranger station.
• Best for: easy spring viewing combined with river recreation.
• Important: swimming and wading are prohibited in the spring and spring branch.

Official information

Welch Spring — near Akers, Missouri

Welch Spring combines a large spring with the ruins of an unusual early-20th-century hospital.

• Manager: National Park Service.
• Trail: about 0.8 mile round trip.
• Access: trailhead off Highway K north of Akers.
• Trail type: easy walk on uneven natural surfaces.
• Nearby: Welch Hospital stone ruins and the Current River.
• Best for: short spring hike plus unusual Ozarks history.
• Accessibility: trail is not wheelchair accessible because of uneven surfaces, inclines and rocks.

Official trail information

Greer Spring — Oregon County, Missouri

Greer Spring is Missouri's second-largest spring and one of the most important water sources for the Eleven Point River.

• Manager: Mark Twain National Forest.
• Public natural area: recognized by Missouri Department of Conservation.
• Average flow: about 210 million gallons per day.
• Trail: about 1 mile one way from the Highway 19 trailhead.
• Spring branch: just over 1 mile before entering the Eleven Point River.
• Best for: a substantial spring hike and a direct look at how Ozarks springs feed major rivers.

Official access information

Bennett Spring — near Lebanon, Missouri

Bennett Spring is both a major Ozarks spring and one of Missouri's best-known trout parks.

• Manager: Missouri State Parks.
• Average flow: more than 100 million gallons per day.
• Public use: trout fishing, hiking, camping and picnicking.
• Facilities: nature center, lodging, campground and dining facilities.
• Best for: developed spring access with trout fishing and trails.

Fishing seasons, tags, hours and zone rules change. Check current Missouri State Parks and MDC information before fishing.

Official park information · Current trout information

Montauk State Park springs — near Salem, Missouri

The springs at Montauk State Park combine with Pigeon Creek to form the headwaters of the Current River.

• Manager: Missouri State Parks.
• Combined spring and creek flow: more than 40 million gallons per day into the Current River.
• Public use: trout fishing, hiking, camping and picnicking.
• Nearby: historic 1896 gristmill.
• Best for: seeing a spring-fed river at its headwaters.

Montauk's headwaters are a spring system rather than one isolated spring pool.

Official park information

Roaring River Spring — near Cassville, Missouri

Roaring River Spring rises in a steep canyon-like gorge in the southwestern Missouri Ozarks.

• Manager: Missouri State Parks.
• Flow: more than 20 million gallons per day.
• Water temperature: about 57 degrees.
• Public use: trout fishing, hiking, camping and nature-center visits.
• Nearby: Roaring River Hills Wild Area and multiple park trails.
• Best for: southwest Missouri spring scenery combined with developed recreation.

Official natural-feature information · Current park trails

Maramec Spring Park — near St. James, Missouri

Maramec Spring Park is publicly visitable but privately managed by the James Foundation.

• Management: private nonprofit park; trout management is coordinated with Missouri Department of Conservation.
• Public use: trout fishing, walking, historic iron works and park recreation.
• Location: about 6 miles southeast of St. James on Highway 8.
• Important: vehicle entry fees and current park hours may apply.
• Best for: a major spring with trout access and industrial history.

Because it is not public land, check the park's current access rules before visiting.

Official park information · Current MDC fishing information

Ha Ha Tonka Spring — Camdenton, Missouri

Ha Ha Tonka Spring sits below a dramatic karst landscape of bluffs, caves, sinkholes and a natural bridge.

• Manager: Missouri State Parks.
• Spring rank: Missouri's 12th-largest spring.
• Flow: more than 48 million gallons per day.
• Access: trails and boardwalks through the karst area.
• Alternate spring access: the Spring Day-Use Area provides a lower-elevation approach.
• Nearby: castle ruins, natural bridge, sinkholes and Lake of the Ozarks.
• Best for: seeing a spring as part of a larger Ozarks karst landscape.

A roughly half-mile paved path from the Lake Picnic Area leads toward the spring overlook; beyond that, stairs and boardwalk terrain may limit some users.

Official natural-history information · Accessibility information

Mammoth Spring — Mammoth Spring, Arkansas

Mammoth Spring is one of the largest springs in the region and the source of the Spring River.

• Manager: Arkansas State Parks.
• Designation: National Natural Landmark.
• Flow: roughly 9 million gallons per hour.
• Spring lake: about 10 acres.
• Public use: walking, picnicking and historic interpretation.
• Nearby: depot museum, former hydroelectric plant and Spring River trout water.
• Best for: the clearest Arkansas example of a major spring becoming a major river.

Official state-park information · Spring River fishing context

Blanchard Springs — Stone County, Arkansas

Blanchard Springs emerges from the hillside in the Ozark National Forest near North Sylamore Creek.

• Manager: U.S. Forest Service.
• Access: public recreation area with paved access to the spring.
• Nearby: North Sylamore Creek, hiking, fishing and Blanchard Springs Caverns.
• Best for: an easy public spring visit paired with a larger forest recreation area.

Cavern tours, roads and individual recreation facilities can close independently, so check current Forest Service status before visiting.

Official Ozark-St. Francis National Forest information

Cave Springs Cave Natural Area — Cave Springs, Arkansas

This natural area protects a groundwater-fed cave stream and sensitive Ozark cave habitat.

• Manager: Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission.
• Trail: 1.45 miles round trip.
• Difficulty: easy to moderate.
• Access: lower loop follows Partners Lake and passes Cave Springs Cave; upper loop climbs above the cave.
• Parking: available near the Illinois River Watershed Partnership Sanctuary / local trail approach.
• Ecology: important habitat for Ozark cavefish, gray bats and other sensitive species.
• Best for: northwest Arkansas spring/cave ecology on a public hiking trail.
• Important: this is a protected natural area, not a recreational cave-entry site.

Official natural-area information and trail map

Rock Creek Natural Area / Bubbling Springs — Sharp County, Arkansas

Rock Creek Natural Area combines spring-fed creek habitat with a short public hiking trail.

• Manager: Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission; co-managed with Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.
• Location: within Harold E. Alexander Spring River WMA.
• Trail: about 1.2 miles round trip.
• Difficulty: easy to moderate; not ADA accessible.
• Route: trail parallels Bubbling Springs Hollow.
• Highlight: Bubbling Springs at the end of the trail.
• Best for: a less-developed Arkansas spring hike in protected natural habitat.

The surrounding WMA allows hunting, so check current seasons and take appropriate precautions.

Official natural-area information and trail map