Towns Along the Trail - Poplar Bluff

Poplar Bluff boasts having two sections of the Ozark Trail just outside the community. The Wappapello Lake Section is nestled deep within the beautiful scenery that surrounds Lake Wappapello. This 31.1 mile section of trail is open to hikers, bicyclists (non-motorized) and horseback riders. It crosses public lands administered by the US Army Corps of Engineers, US Forest Service, Missouri Department of Conservation and private lands.  The Victory section runs to the east of town through the hardwoods of the Mark Twain National Forest.

"Gateway to the Ozarks"

Looking for a safe place to relax and unwind? Then you’re looking for Poplar Bluff, Butler County Missouri. Our community offers a safe, hometown atmosphere with lots of natural attractions along with all the amenities of a large city. Poplar Bluff is about 150 miles from St. Louis, Missouri; Memphis, Tennessee and Little Rock, Arkansas. Poplar Bluff serves an eight county trade area with a total population of 175,000.

After a beautiful day on the trail, visitors can enjoy the many wonderful restaurants that Poplar Bluff and Wappapello have to offer. There are also nice hotels and cabins for visitors to get a good night’s rest before heading out to the trail again.

A new convention center, historical museums, art museums, rivers, a lake and a national forest are just some of the places to visit when you come to Poplar Bluff. Poplar Bluff is in the approximate center of an eight-county trade area with a population of about 175,000.

Discover the newest place for entertainment in Southeast Missouri. The new Black River Coliseum is located in historic downtown Poplar Bluff along the banks of the celebrated Black River. This state-of-the-art 115,000 square foot multi-purpose facility houses concerts, sporting events, family shows, trade shows, conventions and banquets, just to name a few. It has a seating capacity of 5,000 for concerts, 4,500 for sporting events and 4,000 for rodeos, and has facilities to accommodate business meetings, training classes, receptions, and seminars.

Poplar Bluff is home to four very unique museums. The Poplar Bluff Historical Museum houses information on the history of Poplar Bluff and Butler County as well as having displays on Public Schools, bowling/golf, Poplar Bluff Sports Hall of Fame, Veterans, Conservation Commission/U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Postal Service and the Boy and Girl Scouts. The Margaret Harwell Art Museum is an active and vital cultural resource for southeastern Missouri. As one of only five city art museums in Missouri, it offers a comprehensive program of traveling exhibits, art classes, educational programs for children and a growing permanent collection of works by contemporary Missouri artists. Learn the wonderful ways of thirteen different cultures and view the beautiful art they have to offer at the Epps-Houts Museum. This unique museum has displays from Africa, South Korea and even Saudi Arabia. The Moark Regional Railroad Museum offers visitors the chance to see displays of model trains and photographs of early railroading days, which depict logging, lumber mills, factories, area train depots, the early steam engine and a dining car display. The train room features a model train layout, which takes visitors on an imaginary train ride through an interesting countryside, featuring farms, cities, mountains, mining, the desert, rivers and industrial sites.

During your stay in Poplar Bluff, you are invited to tour the Bloodworth House, which headquarters the Claudia Foundation founded in 1989 by television writer, producer and director Linda Bloodworth-Thomason. The original red brick Queen Anne style cottage built around 1910 was the home of the C.T. Bloodworth family for many years. Today, this home has been restored as an English Baroque stately home in the style of the William and Mary Period (1689-1702).

If hunting or fishing is your sport, then southeast Missouri has plenty to offer. The Mark Twain National Forest boasts thousands of acres of timber that is home to whitetail deer and eastern wild turkey, along with small game such as rabbit, squirrel and quail. Perhaps you would like to match your skills with the majestic flights of the Canadian geese or any of the other waterfowl species found in nearby wetlands. Poplar Bluff, Missouri was blessed with an abundance of lakes, ponds and impoundments linked with beautiful clean rivers such as Black River, Current River and St. Francis River. Fishing has always been a favorite sport with many species of game fish such as bass, crappie, bluegill and catfish. So if you are planning a visit to our area, don’t forget your hunting and fishing gear.

St. Francis and Black Rivers offer visitors and residents countless opportunities to enjoy both their beauty and sporting activities. Nestled in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains, Wappapello Lake, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project, offers activities for all walks of life. Several annual special events are held at the lake, such as the Old Greenville Black Powder Rendezvous, Intertribal Living Indian Village, Disabled Persons Fishing Day, Annual Drag Boat Races, Waterfest, Old Greenville Days and the Festival of Lights. Wappapello Lake has over 44,000 acres of public lands and water, which welcomes hunting, fishing, swimming, boating, camping and picnicking.

The Poplar Bluff Ranger District of the Mark Twain National Forest contains 150,000 acres open to the public for hiking, camping, hunting, bird watching, bike riding and canoeing. This District manages several developed recreation areas, including Pinewoods Lake, Markham Springs Recreation Area and Hendrickson Boat Launch and Trailhead.

Is golf your sport of choice? The Midwest’s “Best-Kept Secret” can be found at Ozark Ridge Golf Course, an 18-hole public facility operated by the City of Poplar Bluff. Ozark Ridge is a great course with low rates. Poplar Bluff is also the home of Westwood Hills Country Club, a private 18-hole course founded in 1936.

Are you looking for a place to relax on your trip to or from Branson, Missouri; Nashville, Tennessee; St. Louis, Missouri; Little Rock, Arkansas or Memphis, Tennessee? Poplar Bluff is the perfect location! We are located at the approximate halfway point between most of these destinations. Spend a couple of days relaxing in our safe community before driving to your next destination.

For more information on the Poplar Bluff area, please call our Chamber of Commerce at 573-785-7761. A host of information is available on our web site at www.poplarbluffchamber.org. While visiting our web site, don’t miss our interactive Community Calendar for information on local events.

Come relax with us!