Attractions and Places To See in Mark Twain National Forest - Top 19

Greer Springs Recreation Area features a short, shaded trail that descends to Missouri’s second-largest spring, where 220 million gallons of icy water surge daily from a cave and underground aquifer. The hike winds through old-growth hardwoods and pines, with dogwoods, sassafras, and impressive rock formations lining the canyon, making it a favorite for photographers and nature lovers. While the spring itself is off-limits for fishing or wading, Greer Crossing offers campsites, picnic areas, and river access for paddling and trout fishing along the Eleven Point National Scenic River.

The Between the Rivers Section of the Ozark Trail stretches roughly 28 miles through remote forested terrain between the Current and Eleven Point Rivers, though it touches neither. Along the way, you'll navigate creek crossings, ridge climbs, and hollows like Devil’s Run and Gold Mine Hollow, with occasional glimpses of beautiful white oak stands and lichen-covered boulders. This is a great stretch for seasoned hikers, although strategic water supply and navigation skills are essential to enjoy the quiet trek through this fantastic section.

A couple named Munger opened a barbecue restaurant in 1929. According to Mr. Mungers, his widow married a man named Emmett Moss. This is how the Munger Moss Sandwich Stop operation became. When the road was laid through the Hooker Cut in 1946, operations moved to Lebanon where it is still known and loved as the Munger Moss Motel. But the restaurant was by no means closed. New operators were found and it can be said that it is the oldest continuously operated building along Route 66. Today the restaurant is particularly popular with motorcyclists and you can almost always see a Harley parked in front of it. Already in 1923 this bridge was built, which first carried the Missouri Route 14 over the Big Piney River. When Route 66 was laid across the country 3 years later, this small detour via Devils Elbow was used to save the cost of building a larger bridge. Only in the late 1930s, when the whole world was at war, was an army base built nearby, but the bridge was too small for its needs and a four-lane direct connection was created.

The large rock cutting at Hooker was created for strategic reasons in the 1940's. It was war years and a huge rock stood in the way of the most important east-west connection across the country. It is said that a heavily loaded truck took a full day to drive from Devil's Elbow to the top of the rock. In 1943 the new four-lane road was completed. At the time, the Hooker Cut was the deepest man-made indentation in the country. Today, most parts of the road are still in their original condition and are in surprisingly good condition for their age, considering the amount of traffic that passed through them.

Vernelle's was built by EP Gasser in the late 1930s. Originally called Gasser Tourist Court, the business - consisting of six rooms, a gas station and a novelty shop - changed hands in the early 1950s when EP Gasser's nephew Fred and his wife Vernelle bought and expanded the property. The new Vernelle's, named after its owner, was quite complex. In addition to the motel, the property included - as pictured on the vintage postcard above - a restaurant serving steaks, fried chicken, shrimp, and other delicacies to refresh hungry travelers. At one time there was also a petting zoo on the premises. In 1957, the restaurant was demolished and the motel was moved a few yards north to accommodate Route 66's widening to four lanes. The motel is still pretty run down and no longer in use.