For this month’s article I asked our office manager, Lonetta Welch, to write down her thoughts on what the Mark Twain National Forest has to offer.
Fall in the Ozarks… do you enjoy the serenity of a fall morning as the sun is breaking over the horizon and touching the leaves that are beginning to turn color? Or watching deer as they meander thru the forest, or a squirrel hopping from tree to tree?
Do you enjoy snapping a photograph of a beautiful sunset? Or, wildflowers blooming along the roadside? Or, hiking along a trail wondering what you might venture upon next? Then don’t miss the opportunity to get out and enjoy the Mark Twain National Forest. You can capture all these things plus so much more! 
The great thing is, all this is available within a short drive of where you live. A fall day out by yourself or taking the family along for an outing is a very inexpensive trip. Fall is a wonderful time of year to be outdoors… crisp mornings, cool evenings, beautiful red, yellow and gold leaves.
There are many places to get that scenic vista view. To name a few of the recreational opportunities awaiting you, camping in the general forest, hiking the Ozark Trail, ATV and UTV riding at Sutton Bluff ATV area, canoeing the Meramec River or Huzzah Creek, fishing at Loggers Lake, mountain biking, and the list goes on.
If you enjoy hunting, and especially deer hunting, the Missouri Department of Conservation rules and regulations apply when hunting on national forest land; the forest is open for you to hunt on. If you use a tree stand to hunt from, be aware you need to tag your stand with your name, address, and phone number.
A great place to gather more information is by visiting the Mark Twain website at www.fs.usda.gov/mtnf. In case you didn’t know, there are district offices in Houston, Ava, Doniphan, Salem, Potosi and Poplar Bluff, Missouri. Each of these Ranger Districts offer similar recreational opportunities.
Starting this December, the Mark Twain Nation Forest, in partnership with Mount Adams Institute and AmeriCorps, will offer two VetsWork internships for our military veterans. The two internships will begin on March 6, 2017 and end on January 12, 2018.
