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Busiek State Forest and Wildlife Area
4.7 ★★★★★ 291 Google reviews · Running trail in Highlandville, Missouri · Dawn to dusk
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Paved
- Distance
- 18 mi
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Dawn to dusk
Confirmed from Busiek State Forest and Wildlife Area's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
2,700-acre park with trails for hikers, bikes & horses, plus permitted camping & a shooting range.
What runners say about Busiek State Forest and Wildlife Area
“Parking is easy, and while the facilities are simple, they’re clean and get the job done.”
“Went today after hearing they had a free outdoor shooting range, the park was beautiful and I had a great time on the range.”
“The trails are well-marked with a good mix of easy walks and more challenging sections, and the scenery changes enough to keep things interesting the whole time.”
“Busiek State Forest & Wildlife Area is such a peaceful and beautiful place to spend the day.”
Beautiful place to go to be outside and get piece of mind. Absolutely free. Lots of trails to hike and view the beauty around. Creek is absolutely amazing. Old cemetery is something to see. It’s a very humbling experience to see old stone markers and to know they lived on the land your enjoying today.
Can't believe this is right off the highway and it took me years to finally visit! I went early in the morning and didn't encounter anyone until I was almost back to the parking lot. Decided to trail run the red trail all the way down to the yellow/blue and back.
Beautiful trail with some good elevation and switchbacks. Daw lots of deer and streams from the hillside. The creeks are 6" - 2 feet at the crossings currently. I tried to go around initially bit just ran through them on the way back around. Will come back and do the 9 mile loop next time.
Due to the closures at Andy Dalton and Pleasant Hope gun ranges , it was time to explore further and Busiek fit the bill . We encountered several other groups at the open range and they were friendly and very safety conscious , asking and recieving cease fire while we set targets and vice versa.
Trail conditions & character
“Went today after hearing they had a free outdoor shooting range, the park was beautiful and I had a great time on the range.”
“I went early in the morning and didn't encounter anyone until I was almost back to the parking lot.”
“The trails are well-marked with a good mix of easy walks and more challenging sections, and the scenery changes enough to keep things interesting the whole time.”
“We walked a total of 6 miles on this hike, by far my favorite trail I’ve ever been to.”
“Busiek State Forest & Wildlife Area is such a peaceful and beautiful place to spend the day.”
“We didn't find a restroom or portapotty but we didn't look hard for one , we saw horses on the equestrian trail on the way out and several backpackers taking a hike.”
Plan your run at Busiek State Forest and Wildlife Area
The practical stuff
- AccessDawn to dusk — the gates close, so do not plan a run that finishes after dark
- SurfacePaved — asphalt or concrete. Fast and predictable, runnable year-round, and fine with a stroller
- Distance18 mi as reported — check whether that is one way or a round trip before you commit. Long enough for a real long run.
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- At the trailheadparking, restrooms — reported by runners
- DogsWelcome, per reviewers. Leash rules vary by park — the trailhead sign is the authority.
- Websitemdc.mo.gov
- Phone(417) 895-6880
- Social Instagram · Facebook
Hours
| Monday | 4 AM–10 PM |
| Tuesday | 4 AM–10 PM |
| Wednesday | 4 AM–10 PM |
| Thursday | 4 AM–10 PM |
| Friday | 4 AM–10 PM |
| Saturday | 10 AM–10 PM |
| Sunday | 4 AM–10 PM |
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