Missouri trails · Paddy Creek-Big Piney Trail
Paddy Creek-Big Piney Trail
A 15.9-mile out-and-back in Missouri, with 429 ft of climbing. Reaches Paddy Creek Natural Arch. Managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
Elevation profile
The climbing leans toward the middle third: 44% of the ascent falls between mile 5.3 and mile 10.6. It gives back about 1,457 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Reaches
- Paddy Creek Natural Arch (arch)
Heads up
Getting there
ROBY LAKE — parking nearby. 37.52309, -92.12470 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On August 31, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:10 a.m., the sun rises at 6:37 a.m. and sets at 7:39 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 8:06 p.m. (CDT) — 13 h 02 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 31.9-mile round trip takes roughly 12 h 15 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 6:52 p.m. — 47 min before sunset.
Loop options
- PADDY CREEK-BIG PINEY TRAIL + PADDY CREEK-BIG PINEY SPUR — 10.4 mi loop, 1,595 ft gain