[1] It stretches from Lake Fort Smith State Park, across the Ozark National Forest, to the Buffalo National River. When can I hike Ouachita Trail? Ozark-St. Francis National Forests - Hiking:Day Hiking - US Forest Service Call the visitor information center at 870-757-2211 if that might impact your plans. (479)964-7200 Water: There is so much water on the Ozark Highlands Trail that flooding can be an issue. *As others have noted, the trail can be pretty rocky at points. Plans for more trails in the Lower Buffalo Wilderness, Sylamore, and Lake Norfork areas will eventually connect the Ozark Highlands Trail to the Ozark Trail in Missouri giving thru-hikers an opportunity to hike about 700 miles from Ft. Smith, Arkansas to St. Louis, Missouri. Next up: Cherry Bend to Arbaugh. The tent we ended up using was not meant for long distance backpacking and added about four extra pounds to our total weight. The scenery at White Rock never disappoints, even if the directional signs are sometimes confusing. Section hikers can pick from rocky ridgelines looking out across rolling, fog-hung hills; limestone canyons bursting with waterfalls; or river valleys where elk, black bears, bobcats, and armadillos roam. Photo: White Rock Mountain by mabecerra is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0, Photo: Misty Mountain Hop by FreeWine is licensed under CC BY 2.0. half a dozen other campgrounds and trailheads. The Fane Creek crossing was a bit treacherous for us at first, but we were eventually able to find a safe way across. A thru-hike can begin at the Onondaga State Park and proceed southward to the Eleven Point Western trailhead, or move in the opposite direction from south to north. One of the most scenic hiking trails in the US is the Ozark Highlands Trail. The tent we ended up using was not meant for long distance backpacking and added about four extra pounds to our total weight. Find An Area. For more information on the long trails in Arkansas, enjoy our reader poll results on Favorite Arkansas Long Trails. The bluffs have excellent views of the Buffalo River Valley and surrounding hills, and are also quite often the site of archaeological finds like chert blades, arrowheads, and pottery from the areas ancestral Native inhabitants (leave anything you spot). Over the course of the last several months we have been adding to our gear list, with the goal of decreasing our pack weight in every purchasing decision we made. First 85 miles of trail is really rough tread with lots of rocks and roots. Saw a black bear looking for snacks at a campsite a couple miles before the final service road to the Buffalo river. The morning would bring another long day with a 12-mile hike and the drive home. They also run educational programs on low-impact camping and hiking. There are long-term plans to connect the similarly named Ozark Trail in Missouri to the Ozark Highlands Trail in Arkansas, resulting in over 700 miles (1,100km) of continuous trails through the Ozarks. Through 165 miles of ridgelines, deep forest, meandering rivers, waterfalls, and wilderness, the Ozark Highlands Trail is one of this country's premier backpacking routes. Overall a great trail that I hope to thru hike someday. It passes through some of the highest, most rugged, and scenic parts of the Ozarks. Scenic bluff and rock formations along with high vistas are evident along most sections of the trail. It is located at Mile 41.2 (66.3km) going Eastbound. Also known as the Ozark Highlands, Ozark Mountains, and Ozark Plateau, the Ozarks are a thickly forested group of highlands in the United States' south-central portion. I thru-hiked this trail in February, which is one of the wetter times of the year, but water seems to flow year-round based on many of the online comments and water sources on maps. Campsite at Ragtown is at the base of Potato Mountain located right next to Spirts Creek-decent campsite with easy access to water. Ozark Highlands Trail Guide - Greenbelly Meals We thru hiked the Ozark Highlands Trail this summer from June 27 - July 6. Each page will be 1:24,000 scale if printed on 1117 paper. Each page will be 1:24,000 scale if printed on 1117 paper. Any useful suggestions would be appreciated. The West map covers the area from Lake Fort Smith east to the Ozone Campground (miles 0 to 86). First, we are much more experienced long distance backpackers! Another reason to save this for winter? Super awesome trail, the greatest views are on the lake and not the highway. We are both outdoor enthusiasts with a love of camping, kayaking, hiking and backpacking. Depending on your source for information, the trail mileage is listed as 164-270 miles. Want to extend your hike even further? Reviews (675) Photos (1,808) 5: 4: 3: 2: 1: 4.3. 605 West Main Hare Mtn is a pretty steep i cline. Note there are two camp sites so be sure to walk in about 30 yards to find the second site. The difficulty of the trail is rewarded with breathtaking views from the summits and numerous creek crossings of refreshingly cold and milky blue streams with names like Spirits Creek, Briar Branch, and Hurricane Creek. June 27th - July 6th marks the ten day span that we spent hiking in the Arkansas wilderness. The weather can be inclement, and despite the lack of true elevation the terrain can be rugged. North Sylamore Creek Trail: 220 Reviews, Map - AllTrails What to know. Hiked the 36 mile stretch from Lake Fort Smith to Cherry Bend Trail Head last week. his segment starts at Woolum Ford, but a reroute will be necessary if the river is running too high; start at Dave Manes Bluff instead. We originally planned to start out really strong with heavy mileage for the first few days, and then taper off by day six and lessen our average mileage. on official, secure websites. The East map covers Ozone Campground to Woolum ford (miles 86 to 164). Best Backpacking In Arkansas - Backpacker Magazine Starting at Lake Ft. Smith State Park on Arkansas 71, the trail crosses the forest to Woolum near the Buffalo National River and into the Sylamore Ranger District. There are no ticks/chiggers, snakes, or bears (mostly) but you may get lucky and see a buck (like my wife did) or an armadillo. Spring Creek: 36.05301,-92.44501 (Sylamore area dont confuse with Spring Creek Road trail head above). Ozark Highlands National Recreation Trail - Arkansas.com The front person allowed the back person an opportunity to rest their mind, more or less. It provides a multitude of winter hiking opportunities since fall through spring is the peak season. As far as food went, we had to get used to the fact that fresh produce would become a thing of the past. With more water flowing, would spend a bunch of time crossing so many creeks. Ozark Highlands Trail Hike: A Ten Day Thru Hike Journey Due to knee issues, however, we ended up quitting a little over 100 miles in at Haw Creek Falls. Trees were just starting to lose leaves so the views werent as good as they would be a couple weeks later. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock Ozark Highlands Trail Guide; This is the bible for OHT hikers. Prepare for it. For those interested in helping with the fall season trail maintenance, you can check out the OHT Association's newsletter, Resources that we found very helpful both in preparing for the hike and during the hike were Tim Ernsts. Tracy Arm section (aka Lake Norfork Trail), about 13 miles. 1.4. We had trouble getting a fire started in the damp and opted to get a long nights sleep. We went into the hike physically prepared, but we were not mentally ready for the challenge. We dont think we could have completed the hike without each other. My friend Tina and I share a love of hiking, backpacking, and camping among other interests. If you can manage the long carry from here to Woolum, the simplest way to thru-hike the Ozark Highlands Trail is to only resupply at this location. Call the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest for directions 479-964-7200 or check out the Ozark Highlands Trail Association athttp://ozarkhighlandstrail.com/ for more information. From there it heads to Tracey Park before ending at the CR 1028 road. The trickier part is, how do I get from the end of the trail at the Woolum Ford area back to an airport? We started trail running, weight training, doing yoga several times a week, and going on a weekly twelve mile road run. Hike was predominantly down quite buggy! The last benefit is that we feel so much more connected to our home, the Ozarks. An official website of the Likewise for washouts and landslides. Forest cover varies from newly established stands of pine and hardwood trees to older, mature stands. Submit your trip report here, Creek and river crossings ebb and flow with the weather. Recreation Activities . If it all comes together, I would be looking to do this late January / early February. That 10 miles really makes me feel my age I almost didnt make it but it was a beautiful trail Ill do it again. Most of the region is within Missouri, with a part in Arkansas and small sections in Oklahoma and Kansas. The longest continuous piece is 207 miles in the Boston Mountains and Buffalo River areas. From Fort Smith, Arkansas, its a 40-minute drive to Lake Fort Smith State Park. It stretches across the broad, rocky spine of Ozark National Forest from Lake Ft. Smith State Park to the banks of the Buffalo River. ( Copyright 2023 Ozark Highlands Trail Association. Countless trees have fallen across the trail, making the hike even more arduous. Section Hiking the Ozark Highlands Trail: Lake Ft. Smith State Park to You depend on intuition, looking for sawn logs, because theres no blazes where they should be. The western terminus of the Ozark Highlands Trail begins behind the visitor center at Lake Fort Smith State Park. I was able to hitch across the state to Fayetteville but there are also some bus options and the opportunity to rent a car to get to a major city. That rain made a big difference for the better and worse: better because you'll never have to worry about finding water to filter and the waterfalls swell with beauty, worse because flat parts of the trail get muddy and the creeks also swell. Camped at the Rec Area and then returned to Lake Fort Smith the following day, 9OCT. Plenty of streams to get water from as well. [2], .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct,.mw-parser-output .geo-inline-hidden{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}354322N 933029W / 35.72278N 93.50806W / 35.72278; -93.50806. Thru-hikers, of course, get to experience it all, from the trails high point at 2,400 foot Hare Mountain to the precipitous limestone gorges of the Richland Creek Wilderness. Hiking the trail, you will see evidence of numerous management activities including wildlife openings and food plots, livestock improvements, timber harvesting, and reforestation. Add Review.