Gasconade River White’s Ford to Jerome Historic Circuit

White’s Ford to Jerome traces 22 miles of forgotten county and forest roads along the upper Gasconade River, connecting the ghost settlements that once thrived during Missouri’s timber boom. From White’s Ford crossing on County Road 419, the route follows the river through dense oak-hickory forest and past the crumbling foundations of Jerome, a railroad town abandoned in the 1940s. Mile 12 brings you to Devil’s Elbow Ford, a technical river crossing that requires scouting and steady nerves when water levels rise above the concrete low-water bridge.

This is genuine Missouri backcountry requiring 4WD and self-recovery gear for the river crossings and muddy timber roads. Avoid during spring floods and winter freeze-thaw cycles. No permits needed, but inform someone of your route — cell service disappears completely, and you might not see another soul all day. Dispersed camping is allowed on forest service land. The payoff is solitude in some of Missouri’s wildest remaining country, where you can still find places that look exactly like they did 150 years ago.