Cedar Creek Trail - Moon Loop

Cedar Creek Trail – Moon Loop is an easy, 6.2-mile loop in the Mark Twain National Forest managed by the US Forest Service, near Columbia, Missouri (latitude 38.8455, longitude -92.1665). It’s set up as a short out-and-back style long-distance day hike loop that keeps the grade modest for most of the route.

The Moon Loop is marked with yellow diamonds and is routed over a mix of unsurfaced native/gravel road sections and pasture crossings. Terrain is described as relatively flat, with the loop repeatedly crossing Big Branch Creek via two stream crossings that have no bridges—expect to wade/cross at the low-water crossing points.

The route’s “Moon Loop” name comes from a moon-like, heavily eroded look created by soil erosion in the 1930s; the area has since been restored. The loop generally stays in open, prairie-like ground while also running through a transition of oak-hickory forest and pasture.

For route logistics, the trail is open to hiking and is also used for mountain biking and horseback riding on the broader system; the Moon Loop portion is marked and signed as part of the Cedar Creek Trail system.

A convenient starting point is the Moon Loop Trailhead (on Barnes Chapel Rd.), which leads directly to the Moon Loop of the Cedar Creek Trail. That trailhead has no restrooms or potable water, and there are no amenities at the site; come prepared with your own drinking water.

Plan for stream-crossing reality and foot travel conditions: because Big Branch Creek has no bridges on this loop, water level and footing matter for the two crossings. Bring a map/compass and be ready for insects, poison ivy, and heat during temperate months, plus be aware of hunting seasons if you’re hiking when hunters are active.

More information: Visitor information, Visitor information, Mark Twain National Forest - COMO Trail Association