You never know who (or what) you'll run into in the backcountry of Missouri. One hiker on the Ozark Trail came face-to-face (or is that face-to-snout?) with a herd of wild elk and he has the video to prove it.

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If you're not familiar with it, the Ozark Trail is considered one of the best long trails in America by Backpacker Magazine. It's a 350 mile route full of nature.

Infographic, Backpacker
Infographic, Backpacker
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The fun Follow Bigfoot YouTube channel chronicled their hike of the Ozark Trail with the following backstory:

My first couple days during my NOBO hike of the Ozark Trail. I saw everything from snow to a herd of wild ELK as well as the tough challenge of tracing the trail.

He was not exaggerating.

Follow Bigfoot via YouTube
Follow Bigfoot via YouTube
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That was just one of the sights he saw along this impressive Missouri trail. Especially during the cold weather months, you never know what might appear on the trail or in the woods adjacent to you.

One positive aspect of the Ozark Trail is there are different chunks of it that you can take on depending on how much time you have to invest. You can download .pdf maps of the routes or the entire trail from the official website. Perhaps you'll have an unforgettable with some curious elk like this hiker did.

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