Contains up-to-date information on traveling to the Ozark Mountains and the surrounding areas, with recommendations on lodging, restaurants, regional events, family activities, entertainment, and natural landmarks.

This in-depth, native’s-eye view of this varied region, which sprawls from Missouri to Arkansas, gives travelers the best of the Ozarks. The Ozarks has become the destination of choice for music lovers seeking bluegrass jams or classical , foodies of all stripes looking for down-home rib shacks or 5-star cuisine, culture mavens searching out the gems of Branson, and outdoor enthusiasts gliding along lazy rivers snaking among the rolling hills which make this area so beautiful. This in-depth, native's-eye-guide to this varied region sprawling from Missouri to Arkansas will give travelers the best of the Ozarks, flavoring discriminating information with anecdotes and historical facts.

Mention St. Louis and most people think of the famous arch. Residents and visitors-in-the-know appreciate the many outdoor recreational opportunities the Gateway to the West has to offer. With new hikes and updated text and maps, 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: St. Louis points hikers to the best outdoor trails and rambles within easy reach of the city. Whether walking in the footsteps of Louis and Clark, exploring amazing rock formation in the Pickle Springs Natural Area, or trekking along a portion of the longest rails-to-trails paths in the U.S., hikers are sure to be amazed at the diversity of outdoor experiences awaiting them. The included hikes are located in Missouri as well as its neighbor, Illinois.

"The Ozark Mountains reach into Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas, forming a region with great natural beauty and a distinctive cultural and historical landscape. This comprehensive volume, a fully updated edition of a beloved classic, reaches into history, anthropology, economics, and geography to explore the complex relationships between the Ozarks' people and land through times of profound change. Drawing on more than thirty years of research, field observations, and interviews, Rafferty examines this subject matter through a range of topics: the settlement patterns and material cultures of Native Americans, French, Scotch-Irish, Germans, Italians, African Americans, Hispanics, and Asians in the region; population growth; the guerrilla warfare and battles of the Civil War; the cultural transformations wrought by railroads, roads, mass media, and modern communication systems; the discovery, development, and decline of the great mining districts; the various forms of agriculture and the felling of the region's vast forests; and the built landscape, from log cabins to Victorian mansions to strip malls. This new edition also explores the new and potent forces which have reshaped the region over the last twenty years: tourism and the growing service industry, suburbanization, rapid population growth and retirement living, and agribusiness. Lavishly illustrated with historic and contemporary photographs, maps, and charts."--Publisher's description.

Vance Randolph was perfectly constituted for his role as the chronicler of Ozark folkways. As a self-described “hack writer,” he was as much a figure of the margins as his chosen subjects, even as his essentially romantic identification with the region he first visited as the vacationing child of mainstream parents was encouraged by editors and tempered by his scientific training. In The Ozarks, originally published in 1931, we have Randolph’s first book-length portrait of the people he would spend the next half-century studying. The full range of Randolph’s interests—in language, in hunting and fishing, in folksongs and play parties, in moonshining—is on view in this book that made his name; forever after he was “Mr. Ozark,” the region’s preeminent expert who would, in collection after collection, enlarge and deepen his debut effort. With a new introduction by Robert Cochran, The Ozarks is the second entry in the Chronicles of the Ozarks series, a reprint series that will make available some of the Depression Era’s Ozarks books. An image shaper in its day, a cultural artifact for decades to come, this wonderful book is as entertaining as ever.

The Ozarks region-spanning parts of Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma-overflows with visible fragments of the past. A Living History of the Ozarks is a guide to the region through landmarks and sites which offer clues to its intriguing history. This splendorous land inspired Phyllis Rossiter, a native of the Ozarks, to write about the area to help people learn to appreciate its beauty and to recognize our dependence upon nature. "I feel that it's important to safeguard what we have left," says Rossiter. "In my writing, if I can help achieve that, then that's what I want to do-to help people acquire an appreciation for nature." Abounding with sparkling lakes and rivers (including the great Lake of the Ozarks), clear blue springs, rugged mountains, ancient caves, and windswept prairies, the Ozarks are a visitor's wonderland of natural beauty and legendary mystique. Author Phyllis Rossiter explores the major areas that make up the storied Ozarks. The Lake of the Ozarks region, the Springfield plateau, Ozark mountain country, the Buffalo National River, White River Hills, and the Big Spring region are all covered in depth. A detailed appendix lists places to view ongoing history such as caves and rock formations, Indian artifacts, bridges and ferries, gristmills, Civil War monuments, heritage crafts, mountain music, hiking trails, floatable rivers, national parks, and more. Offering keen insight on the area's history, as well as a complete guide to the sites and scenic spots of this popular American vacation destination, this book is a marvelous documentation of "living history" for tourists and interested area residents alike. Phyllis Rossiter resides in Gainesville, Missouri, where she is an active writer, photographer, conservationist, and lecturer. She is a member of the Missouri Writers Guild, the Ozarks Writers League, the Society of Children's Book Writers, and the Outdoor Writers of America.

With gushing springs, clear-water streams, lush hardwood forests, and limestone bluffs rising hundreds of feet, the Ozarks offer enough paddling to fill a lifetime, including seven streams in the National Wild & Scenic Rivers system and three rivers protected by national parks. Paddling the Ozarks details 40 of the region's best paddling trips—classic floats, hidden gems, scenic lakes, and challenging whitewater. Waterways ranging from southern Missouri to northern Arkansas to Oklahoma’s Cookson Hills with year-round classics like the Current River, Jacks Fork, NF White, and Eleven Point make this the essential guide to paddling the Ozarks. Paddling the Ozarks reveals that what some call flyover country is better described as paddle-through. Look inside to find: GPS coordinates for every put-in/takeout Detailed river descriptions Maps showing access points and river miles Level of difficulty, optimal flows, rapids, and other hazards