"Flights for work into Memphis were all on time but my reserved Budget rental was nowhere to be found. They said they ‘had no more cars’. 🤦‍♂️ Once I got that sorted out and checked into my hotel at 12:30am in MO I started to get geared out for Taum Sauk in the morning (2.5 hours away) - I realized then that my Garmin charging cable pins were broken and I couldn’t charge my watch and I knew that if it wasn’t on Strava it clearly didn’t count at all and all would be lost! 😂 So after I sacrificed a USB cable to Macgyer a makeshift charging cable it was 2am. So with little sleep, I drove the 2.5 hours to Johnson’s Shut In’s State Park - named for the resulting gorges and rock gardens (shut-ins) from the east fork of the Black River. Fun fact: Johnson’s Shut In’s was the site of one of the most cataclysmic dam failures in American history. In the predawn blackness of December 14, 2005, the Taum Sauk Reservoir atop nearby Proffit Mountain suddenly collapsed and in only twelve minutes sent 1.3 billion gallons of water roaring seven thousand feet down the mountainside and into the heart of the park. I could have simply driven to the top of Missouri, but what fun would that be. Instea..." — wiweasel • Oct 8, 2024

"Visited "the rock" after a short walk on the Mina Sauk trail. Went over to the lookout tower nearby but with the tree growth, views are getting limited. Almost missed the Jack's Glade trail and memorial along the Ozark Tr. Glad i stopped! #30 State H.P. with this one!" — SteveM_StickMan • Aug 17, 2024

"Included this peak on a 20-mile segment of the Ozark Trail. The summit is pretty ho hum but the trail is fantastic! So much water due to recent storms, I hiked in my sandals 95% of the trail." — beaucheminjess • Apr 11, 2024

"Since this was a "reverse" hike (with the trailhead being at the summit and winding down to a waterfall) I decided to hike the quarter-mile to and from the high point and then drove to a Walgreens in Ironton until a tornado watch cleared up. I began around 1:45 PM and reached the Mina Sauk Falls roughly 45 minutes later. The trail was rocky and wet, but that was worth it since the waterfall only flows during wet weather (a thunderstorm had blown through earlier in the morning). The trail also offered occasional views of the Taum Sauk Mountain State Park. The hike back to the trailhead was drier and the waterfall's tributary flowed on the right." — JCalautti • Mar 31, 2023

"Decided to revisit Taum Sauk for the 11th time. It's just a short walk from the parking lot but it's a state highpoint that has some good memories for me. It was Jack Longacre's favorite view from his glade across the road from his home. Jack, known to state highpointers as Guru Jakk started the club in the late 80's after he posted an inquiry in Outside Magazine wondering if anyone else had completed their quest to reach all 50 highpoints. Climbers answered and a Club was born. There are over 3,000 members now, some have completed the quest, others are lower 48 finishers and some are new to the hobby. Sadly, Jakk lost his battle to cancer some years ago but his legacy lives on. We created a memorial called Jakk's Glade at his view point with a bench, a plaque and sign posts of all the distances to each highpoint. It now sits along the Ozark Trail. The trail begins at a kiosk and reading on the CC Road for Russell Mountain. As a highpointer, I decided it would be fitting to visit Taum Sauk to remember Jakk as it marked the 500th time I have stood on a state highpoint since joining the Club in '92." — StoneMan • Nov 25, 2022

"An interesting story, but... not one I'm willing to put in print. We got the peak, I'll come back again a different day to enjoy the small state park. I'd love to do the waterfall hike next time, the Mina Sauk trail. We didn't get to do that this time, for... reasons. It's a very easy, paved trail. ADA accessible to get to the high point, which is marked by a nice granite plaque. State high point #28 for me and #10 for Mom. " — psychikingjes • Dec 8, 2020

"I left the hotel near St Louis at 2 pm, which I thought was plenty of time. Rain, slow traffic, wrong turn, rain, wrong turn, truck in ditch causing slow traffic, more rain. Finally made it to the parking lot at 6 pm. Sunset it just after 8, and it says the trail is 3 miles. I'll have to hurry, but I can do this. I run a couple hundred metres, and there it is in the grove! The trail to the waterfall is 3 miles, but the peak marker is right by the parking lot. It's a rock. I got some pics of me standing on the rock; skipped the waterfall." — JethroElfman • May 27, 2016

"Been up Taum Sauk many, many times, but on this date it was special. The park ranger just happened to be going to the top of the lookout tower, unlocking the gate and letting myself and a couple who were there go all the way to the top. The fall colors were in full swing at that time, great views!" — rshepard737 • Oct 4, 2014

"Traveling with Joan. I enjoyed view from tower. We saw Model T and its owners at Tower parking area. They were all the way from California. We visited official highpoint also." — barbaratraver • Jul 26, 2013

"Another revisit of the state highpoint. Also stopped at Jakk's Glade just down the road to check on the highpoint signs and install a Highpointers Foundation bench. The Glade offers nice views of Taum Sauk and it's only a short walk from the Russell Mtn. Ozark Trailhead." — StoneMan • Apr 29, 2012