Greer Spring Trail is a 1.4 mile lightly trafficked out and back trail located near Alton, Missouri that features a waterfall and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
Greer Springs trail is a 1.8 mile trail that takes you through old growth forest to the pristeen setting of Greer Springs, the second largest spring in the state of Missouri. The daily flow is 220 million gallons.
Site maintained by the Mark Twain National Forest. A small parking lot and primitive rest rooms at the entry.
Mark Twain National Forest 401 Fairgrounds Road Rolla, MO 65401 (573) 364-4621
The trailhead for Greer Spring Trail is located on the west side of Missouri Highway 19 about 8 miles north of Alton, Missouri, or about 1 mile south of the Highway 19 bridge over the Eleven Point River.
January 22, 2021January 9, 2021December 29, 2020December 26, 2020Good stairs at the end- a few more areas up and down river at the end of the trail to explore.
December 5, 2020Great water feature for a Missouri hike. Love it can be as challenging or as easy as you want to make it. Rushing water so not a friendly swim.
November 11, 2020November 11, 2020trail was a bit slippery but nothing to bad, it had just been raining. definitely worth the view of the spring. :)
October 30, 2020October 25, 2020Best views we have enjoyed in a while. Do not skip this short trail! Read the other reviews for points to explore.
October 16, 2020October 16, 2020One of the best short hikes in the state, hands down. Go see it for yourself.
October 3, 2020September 21, 2020This is a very easy trail to follow, and the spring at the end is absolutely incredible. I made a YouTube video to document my hike, but this is something you must see in person! https://youtu.be/YYP4Seyb-Sc
September 20, 2020I would highly recommend this hike! The trail is narrow and scenic. The view at the end is spectacular! Hike down to the left of the lookout and you can see several up close views of the beautiful blue spring water rushing from the cave. While you’re down in that area travel to the right of the lookout along the rapids then come across the second spring of blue water boiling up in a large whirlpool. If you keep hiking in that direction there is a metal cable you can hang onto to pull your self up slopes and continue hiking along the rapids! This hike is a must!!!
September 9, 2020absolutely breathtaking scenery. easy in and out trail. Highly recommend!
August 29, 2020Easy Hike in....the Hike out was tiring. This is a straight in straight out lil hike (no loop) and you do not realize how tiring it is until the way out. The spring and rock formations were beautiful.
August 6, 2020Perfection, best hike this summer
August 3, 2020Greer Springs is beautiful! The hike to the springs was enjoyable. It does get a little tiring walking back up, but it’s completely worth it!
July 4, 2020Awesome stroll through the woods, as always.
May 30, 2020Great trail, watch out for poison ivy!
May 26, 2020We took my 4 and 6 year old and had a great time. There are definitely a few places you have to be careful. The hardest part is at the end of the trail right by the spring and by the boil. The trail down to the spring is beautiful there were two parts of the trail that required us to maneuver through a tree that was down and a place that was really muddy and a little steep.
April 18, 2020Great trail! Walking down to the water is is a beautiful but walking along it is pristine! There are a few spots where the trail is very thin and elevated so I made sure to keep a hand on my 7 year old.
April 7, 2020This was a beautiful trail to a beautiful spring. At the end of the trail is a viewing area or you can continue down to the waters edge. There are caves all around and it is very serene. The hike out is way harder than the hike in. Not hard in the trail is bad but hard in climbing elevation. If you are not in shape it will be tough not impossible but you will definitely use the benches on the way out!!
March 31, 2020So worth it. This was definitely the best one out of Alley Springs and Welch Springs. The moss on the rocks made it that much more beautiful
August 3, 2019We love this trail for the area. Easy enough hike, may require a few stops on the way out for some.
July 27, 2019excellent waterfall.
June 1, 2019Beautiful, well-maintained trail with a parking area and primitive bathroom at the trailhead. We took our corgi on the trail and she handled it easily. The trail does become slippery and rocky once you reach the springs. The spring is absolutely amazing. Crystal clear water and an impressive amount of water flowing through the area.
May 19, 2019Wooded trail that leads to a spring that consists of a portion that flows out of a cave and a much larger portion that flows to the surface about 50 yards or so down from the cave. Turning left at the bottom of the stairs leads to the entrance of the cave where a small part of the spring flows out. If you turn right at the stairs the trail continues on and passes by the main portion of the spring and ultimately leads to a solar powered government water monitoring station. It’s easy to miss the main Greer Spring if you just go to the cave. There are some beautiful bluffs along the main spring section of the trail. Well worth the stop.
April 19, 2019Great trail with awesome view at the end! It's all downhill there and all uphill back. I took my dog, and the steps toward the bottom were a little tough for him.
