Black Fork Mountain Trail

Black Fork Mountain Trail is a fairly difficult trail located across U.S. 270 from Rich Mountain. The trailhead starts at the parking area (lots of parking), then crosses the Ouachita River before crossing over some railroad tracks. The trail picks up just west of where you cross the tracks and can sometimes be a little hard to find. The first part of the trail is the Ouachita Trail but after a mile or so it breaks away to the west and goes off on its own. The Black Fork Mountain Trail is marked in white blazes and the Ouachita is marked in blue. The trail is very steep and can be a little difficult but the views are worth it. There are multiple vistas along the way, a great primitive campsite and a strangely placed bullfrog pond about halfway up. About three quarters of the way up is one of the largest rock glaciers you'll see in this part of the country and then, about a mile past that you'll find the remains of an old homestead including a rock fence and a chimney. An additional note, back in the 1970's an airplane crashed into the mountain and you can still find the wreckage if you know where to look.