Roaring River State Park Deer Leap Trail – Cassville, Missouri
Posted by: 
BruceS
N 36° 35.514 W 093° 49.958
15S E 425520 N 4049924
Trail constructed by the CCC during the Great Depression at Roaring River State Park near Cassville, Missouri.
Waymark Code: WMNTT3
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 05/02/2015
Views: 2
Deer Leap Trail at Roaring River State Park is a man-made trail, approximately 3/10 of a mile in length, that rises to the east of the trout hatchery, ascends a steep bluff, circles the spring lake formed by the dam, and descends along the edge of the bluff to the area of the rental cabins north of the swimming pool. Between 1933 and 1939, the Civilian Conservation Corps laid out this spectacular trail, placing rough stone steps and stone retaining walls at the starting and ending points and at points of the steepest ascent and descent. A dramatic feature of the trail is the Deer Leap Overlook, a Rocky projection of the bluff that offers a panoramic view of the spring at the source of the Roaring River, the hatchery complex, and the wooded hills to the north. According to local legend, Deer Leap takes its name from a dramatic incident that occurred in the 1870s when a deer and a pursuing hound leaped from the edge of the bluff and plunged into the pool of the spring water below. Deer Leap Trail is an attractive man-made feature that allows park visitors to enjoy a spectacular view of the spring and hatchery at Roaring River State Park.
– National Register Nomination
The trail is in good condition. In recent years, a wood platform has been added at the overlook for safety reasons.
The trail was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.