Wes Johnson

WJOHNSON@NEWS-LEADER.COM

Missouri's 360-mile Ozark Trail is competing against 11 other trails across the country to win a financial windfall from a beer company.

The Ozark Trail Association has teamed up with American Hiking Society and Michelob Ultra to win money to help restore and maintain the Ozark Trail, which winds through some of Missouri's most scenic areas between St. Louis and the Arkansas border.

Ozark Trail spokeswoman Abi Jackson said St. Louis-based Michelob Brewing Company is donating a portion of every case of Michelob Ultra purchased between Sept. 4 and Nov. 26 to help restore 12 trails across the United States.

"Each of the 12 trails will get at least $5,000," Jackson said. "But they also have a contest where you can vote for your trail. The more votes you get, the bigger percentage you get from sales of Michelob Ultra. The more beer they sell, the bigger the pool of money they'll have for the trails."

So far, Missouri's Ozark Trail has more votes than any of the other trails. Visit www.michelobultra.com/theextramile to cast a vote and learn more about the contest, which carries the catchy logo "Every pack gives back."

Contest rules allow only one vote per person, but as of Friday the Ozark Trail had 22 percent of all votes cast. The next closest trail was San Diego River Trail in San Diego, California, with 16 percent of the votes cast so far.

Michelob will share up to $200,000 for restoring trails.

"It takes a lot of money to maintain and restore trails that are already built," Jackson said. "We could use this money to pay for fuel, tools and tool repairs and meals for our volunteers who help us maintain our trail. We could sure use it, oh yeah."

The 12 trails competing for Michelob funding are:

• St. Louis, Missouri: Ozark Trail

• San Diego, California: San Diego River Trail

• Denver, Colorado: Herman Gulch Trail

• New York City, New York: Van Cortlandt Park

• Columbus, Ohio: The Buckeye Trail

• New Orleans, Louisana: Woodlands Trail

• Houston, Texas: Spring Creek Nature Trail

• San Antonio, Texas: Joe Johnson Route

• Chicago, Ilinois: Palos Trails

• Los Angeles, California: Backbone Trail

• Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, Florida: The Florida Trail in Big Cypress National Preserve

In Missouri, money from the contest will also help provide a financial match for the construction of the new Round Spring Trail near the Ozark National Scenic Riverways.

According to the Ozark Trail Association, the idea for a Round Spring Trail began about 10 years ago when hiker John Roth befriended a misguided groundhog he met while scouting the route of a new back country trail in one of the most scenic areas in the Midwest, the hills and hollows next to the Current River.

This is the last trail conceived by Roth to be built. The Ozark Trail Association has been waiting for the go-ahead to complete the Round Spring trail, which will connect the Ozark Trail to Round Spring on the Current River in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways.

The National Park Service completed the environmental clearance this summer. Planning for the 2017 construction is now underway by the Ozark Trail Association, which will match federal funding with volunteer labor.