Wakefield Wanderings

So maybe you don’t live at the foot of the Rockies, or in other locations with hiking and backpacking at your back door. If you are anywhere within a day’s drive of Arkansas, then you are in luck. The Ozark Highlands Trail in northwest and north central Arkansas may be just what you are looking for.

The Ozark Highlands Trail (OHT) winds 165 miles from Lake Fort Smith State Park on the west end to the Buffalo National River on the east end. The trail crosses some of the most scenic and remote areas of the Ozark Mountains. And if solitude is what you are after, then the OHT is your trail. It is not heavily hiked, and even on a nice weekend you will rarely see more than a few other hikers.

The OHT meanders through some beautiful scenery, with creeks, streams, and waterfalls all along its route. Dogwoods and redbuds abound, along with many other wonderful hardwoods in this scenic forest. Take a camera, because no matter what time of year, there will be something from the OHT worth remembering. Other than the extreme heat of July and August, most any other month has great hiking along the OHT.

There are more than 50 forest road and highway access points, making section hikes or day hikes very convenient. There are also nine public campgrounds spread along the OHT route. Camping is allowed anywhere along the OHT, and no permits or fees are required to hike it – unless you plan to camp in one of the public campgrounds. If you prefer a few more amenities, plan to get a cabin at White Rock Mountain or Lake Fort Smith State Park.

The trail is well blazed, and mile markers are at every mile. The OHT is supported and maintained by a dedicated group of volunteers known as the Ozark Highlands Trail Association (OHTA). Consider donating to the OHTA, a 501c3 organization, if you hike the trail, in order to preserve it for future generations. Their website offers a lot of very good information on the OHT, including trail conditions and maintenance information.

Plans are in place extend the trail to Missouri and connect it with the Ozark Trail. This would create a trail system of nearly 1000 miles when completed.

My wife and I hiked a portion of the OHT in June of 2008. Although it was warm at times, then scenery was wonderful and water was plentiful. We needed to make some kind of loop to get back to our vehicle, so we started at the Shores Lake Recreation Area. We hiked north 6 miles to White Rock Mountain the first afternoon and camped at the campground there. White Rock has 30 to 50 foot bluffs around many edges that provide wonderful views. The next day we headed east on the OHT across Salt Fork Creek, up across Potato Bald, and then down toward Spirit Creek – our turn around point. Just before Spirit Creek we saw a small black bear cub up in a tree just ahead of us, and we could hear a larger bear scratching as well. The undergrowth was fairly tall, so we could not see exactly where the adult bear, presumably the mother, was at. We decided not to disturb them, so we turn around there and hiked back to Salt Fork Creek to setup camp for the night. The third day, we hiked south back to the Shores Lake Recreation area. Our total mileage for the trip was 20 miles. Although June was not the best month to hike the OHT, we found water frequently and did not see anyone else the entire hike!

Perhaps you are considering hiking the OHT. If so, the best, and perhaps only, trail guide is the Ozark Highlands Trail Guide by Tim Ernst. Tim has donated more than 15,000 hours of volunteer labor towards the OHT and other trails and projects. He lives in Arkansas and has hiked there most of his life. He is certainly an expert when it comes to the OHT.

As of this writing, the 5th edition of the Ozark Highlands Trail Guide, published in May 2007, was the most recent version. The paperback book is 136 pages, has a plastic laminated cover, and is notch bound. It is 5.5 x 8.5 inches and weighs 7 oz, just in case you wanted to carry it with you. I typically just photo copy the few pages I need if only hiking a section or two. The book divides the trail into 8 sections and has a detailed description, mileage log, map, and elevation profile for each section. The 5th edition added GPS coordinates for most road and stream crossings, which were not in the previous edition.

Introductory information at the front of the book includes topics such as: history, low impact use, wildlife, shuttle services, glossary, weather by month, and a complete mileage log. Following these topics, there are detailed, mile by mile, and sometimes turn by turn, descriptions of each of the eight sections of the OHT. Tim does an excellent job of describing each turn, climb, descent, and scenic view along the trail. He points out frequent special scenic spots, or SSS, as he calls them.

Whether you are out for a day hike, or plan to thru-hike the OHT, it is well worth purchasing the Ozark Highlands Trail Guide by Tim Ernst. You can purchase a copy directly from cloudland.net.

There are some other great trails in Arkansas, with the Ouachita National Recreation Trail being another long trail (223 miles) in central Arkansas. I will post more information on the ONRT soon, as my wife and I are planning to hike a couple of sections in the near future.

In the meantime, consider hiking the Ozark Highlands Trail sometime. I think you will be pleasantly surprised by what you find.

Happy Trails.

- Shawn