Glade Top Trail Driving Directions

Print and Bring These Directions - They Are The Best You Will Find!
With the exception of the Forest Service map for the area, we have not found any maps showing the Glade Top Trail. Google Maps does not show it. State and County maps do not show it. We don't recommend using the freebie county maps which are horribly confusing. Same for the State maps. If you want a good map we highly recommend going to the trouble of buying the $10 Forest Service Map.

Directions to Entrance Points

Entering Glade Top from the South End
In Theodosia Missouri head west on State Highway 160, go about 1.5 miles. Look for State Hwy 95, go north (right), then go about 5.6 miles. Look for a little town called Longrun, there is not much to see. Look for Ozark County roads 908 and 881. Turn left off Hwy 95. Wind around the sharp turns until you see a little cemetery (Graham Cemetery). At the cemetery the road turns to dirt and you are on your way to the Glade Top Trail. Just follow the Detailed Stops list in reverse order, then follow the directions in reverse at the north exit.

Entering Glade Top from the West End
Look for the town of Rueter, Missouri on Hwy 160 about 10 miles west of Theodosia, Missouri. At Rueter turn north (right) and go about 4 miles through Fairview, and turn right when you see signs for the Glade Top Trail, ( also may be marked as Skyline Drive, Forest Service road number 149, or County Road 932). Follow the road to Wolf Junction where you can keep going, or turn onto FS 147 which is also part of the Glade Top. Regardless of which way you go, follow the Detailed Stops in reverse.

Entering The Trail From The North End (our favorite)
From the intersection of State Hwy 5 and State Hwy 76 in Ava, Missouri, travel about 4 miles south on State Hwy 5. If you are coming from the south toward Ava, and you come to the intersection of State Hwy 76 and State Hwy 5, you missed the turn.

Regardless of which way you are coming, look for a brown metal sign with white letters saying "Mark Twain National Forest Gladetop Trail 7MI." There is one of these signs for each direction. At the intersection of State Hwy 5 and State Hwy "A" turn onto State Hwy "A".

Stay on State Hwy "A" for about 3.8 miles. The road is a two lane hard top that winds around country farms and homes. At about 3.8 miles you'll come to the intersection of State Hwy "A" and County Road 409. Just before the intersection you'll see another brown metal sign saying " Gladetop Trail 3 MI." You will also see a small County Road (CR) sign saying "A 409". Turn onto A 409.

Stay on A 409 for about 3.2 miles. You'll drive through more rural countryside. When the pavement ends and the road turns to dirt you'll see the signs saying Mark Twain National Forest Glade Top Trail. There are signs on both sides of the road. At this point A 409 turns into County Road 449 if you are looking at a state or county map. If you are looking at the Forest Service map the road becomes Forest Service Road (FS) 147. You will see the little brown Forest Service sign which simply says "147".

Important Road Identification Details
If you are looking at a County or State map it will show that County Road (CR) 449 turns into CR 932. You will not see any sign marking CR 932. I give it only because that is what some maps show. CR 932 and FS 147 are one and the same road.

About 8.8 miles from the north entrance you'll come to another fork in the road. This is the intersection of FS 147 and FS 149. FS 147 bears to the left, FS 149 bears to the right. FS 149 may show on other maps as Skyline Drive, or even State Hwy "W", but it stays as CR 932 on all maps except the Forest Service map, which calls it "Glade Top Trail West" as well as FS 149. All of this takes place at Wolf Junction. Both roads remain dirt, not pavement.

If you bear right at Wolf Junction and follow FS 149 (Skyline Drive, or Gladetop West) about 6 miles it brings you to paved State Hwy 125, which will take you either north or south to major highways and towns having food, gas, and lodging.

If you bear left at Wolf Junction and follow FS 147 it is about 7 miles to the little town of Longrun where you run into paved State Hwy 95, which takes you either north or south to major highways. The town of Theodosia where you can find food, gas, and lodging is about 6 miles away.