Ouachita Trail

The Ouachita National Recreation Trail runs 223 miles through the Ouachita Mountains of Oklahoma and Arkansas, by the count of the Friends of the Ouachita Trail. It starts at Talimena State Park in Oklahoma, passes through Queen Wilhelmina State Park, and ends at Pinnacle Mountain State Park near Little Rock. The Forest Service counts 192 miles inside the Ouachita National Forest, ending at the forest boundary on Highway 9 south of Perryville, and an additional 32 miles on private and other public land from there to Pinnacle Mountain. The trail is open to foot traffic only, except that mountain bikes may use miles 0 to 30.5 and 54 to 160. Permits come first. The Forest Service lists no fee for the trail. On the national forest, groups of more than 75 people need a special use permit from the nearest district office, and any commercial use needs a permit. Central Arkansas Water owns and manages the 25 miles from mile 195.1 to 220.1, together with Arkansas State Parks. It names two designated campsites there, Red Bluff Creek Shelter at mile 196.3 and Scott Tarvin Shelter at mile 210.2. Camping there is meant for through hikers, and it is limited to one night. Pinnacle Mountain State Park at the east end is a day-use park, and its gates close one hour after sunset. Talimena State Park at the west end requires online reservations for its tent and RV sites. The Forest Service says streams flood after heavy storms, and the same streams usually run dry in late summer and early fall. Queen Wilhelmina State Park has no water at its campsites in December, January and February. Hunting is allowed anywhere on the national forest except developed recreation sites and posted areas, under Arkansas and Oklahoma seasons and rules. The trail crosses several wildlife management areas. For seasons and rules, check with the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission or the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. The trail runs between 600 and 2,600 feet, through forested mountains and valleys and near streams. It crosses the Flatside and Upper Kiamichi wildernesses, where motor vehicles and motorized equipment are not allowed. The Friends say the ridges west of Logan Gap to Rich Mountain are very rocky and prone to dense weed growth. Shortcutting a switchback is prohibited. Many road crossings and access points allow point-to-point hikes of various lengths. The Friends list 23 shelters by mile marker, from Rock Garden at mile 9.4 to Scott Tarvin at mile 210.2. Holson Valley Vista is at mile 16.8 and Winding Stairs at mile 25. The longest gap between two shelters is about 15 miles, from Oak Mountain at mile 167.4 to Brown Creek at mile 182.5. On the stretch open to mountain bikes, the Friends say the shelters are first come, first served and cannot be reserved, and each has a picnic table and a fire ring. The Jessieville-Winona-Fourche district alone has nine shelters along its 71 miles. Winding Stair Campground has a backpacker's camp open year-round, with five tent pads and a pit toilet. It is reached by a short white-blazed spur at mile post 23.7. Elsewhere on the national forest you may camp dispersed for up to 30 days, with no services. Keep camp at least 100 feet from any stream. Dispersed camping is typically not allowed near campgrounds, picnic areas or trailheads. Stay off the private land inside the forest boundary. Treat all water. The Forest Service says the only way to make water from an undeveloped source safe is to boil it, filter it or use purification tablets. Winding Stair Campground, Big Brushy Creek and the Horsethief Springs picnic area on the Talimena Scenic Byway have no potable water, and the Forest Service lists the water on the Horsethief Springs Trail, which uses the Ouachita Trail for part of its loop, as not for drinking. The Friends publish a water sources guide to download. Bury human waste six inches deep, at least 100 feet from water, and pack out the paper. The national forests in Arkansas and Oklahoma are bear country. The Forest Service asks everyone in bear country to store food and other attractants in bear-resistant containers. Campfires are allowed while dispersed camping unless fire restrictions are in effect. Collect dead and down wood for a fire; no wood permit is needed. The forest also runs prescribed burns every year. On trails, dogs must be under verbal or physical restraint. At campgrounds, picnic areas, parking areas and trailheads they must be on a leash. For a meal or a bed, Queen Wilhelmina State Park has a 40-room lodge, the Queen's Restaurant and a hike-in tent site. Lake Sylvia Recreation Area connects to the trail by the Lake Sylvia Spur Trail. The Friends' shuttle list names the Bluebell Store and Cafe in Story, Arkansas, about 5 miles south of where the trail meets Highway 27 near mile 122. Confirm any store stop or mail drop with the business before you rely on it. For detailed information and maps, the Friends name Tim Ernst's "Ouachita Trail Guide" as their official guide. It is sold at some Arkansas State Parks and at the ranger stations that serve the trail. The Friends also point to free maps you download and print yourself, which they call very current. The west end is at Talimena State Park, on Highway 271 near Talihina, Oklahoma, which has a comfort station with showers. The east end is at Pinnacle Mountain State Park, 15 miles west of Little Rock. Plan a pickup there before the gates close. Central Arkansas Water's Vista Point trailhead, at mile 202.0, is another way on or off near the east end. The Friends keep a shuttle list. One driver on it, based at the west end in Oklahoma, covers the whole trail, including airport and bus station pickups, and the Bluebell Store and Cafe also shuttles the whole trail. Another driver covers miles 0 to 94.5 and will help with food and water caches, which matters on the dry stretches. The list also names volunteers who help hikers who must leave the trail in an emergency: one for solo hikers at Highways 298, 7 or 9, and one from Highway 7 east to Pinnacle Mountain. Before you go, read the Friends' trail condition report and the Ouachita National Forest alerts page, which carries forest orders and closures. For burn bans, check the Arkansas Forestry Division and Oklahoma Forestry Services. To report a wildfire, call 1-800-468-8834 in Arkansas, 1-800-299-FIRE in Oklahoma, or 911. The Forest Service offers geo-referenced FSTopo maps to download by quadrangle. If a district office doesn't answer, call the Supervisor's Office at 501-802-0287.