Just go in the spring or fall. 23 May, 2019. A plan was made to hike on the Ozark Highlands Trail the week of Thanksgiving. Ozark Highlands Trail. Ozark Highlands Trail is one of the longest hikes in the Midwest, extending for about 165 miles. In the morning we were cold and wet but also felt kind of like we had been through nature’s initiation for us and we felt stronger for having experienced it. I second an earlier poster's recommendation to do the approximately 40 mile section of the OHT between White Rock and Lick Branch (Sections 2 and 3 … As always, I welcome this transition, but each time I do so with a small dose of seemingly incurable apprehension. Ozark Highlands National Recreation Trail... What to know. Sandra couldn’t come but Skyler and Clayton (some of our favorite people/family members) decided to join in on this upcoming adventure. 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. It used to be said that the Ozark Highlands Trail (OHT) was 165 miles long, stretching from Lake Fort Smith State Park to Woolum Ford on the Buffalo River. The Ozark Highlands National Recreation Trail is a 165-mile-long hiking and backpacking route across northwestern Arkansas. Our muscles were tired from carrying our packs but we were excited for more adventure and the trail was beautiful. The Ozark Highlands Trail extends 165 miles from Lake Fort Smith State Park to Woolum, a canoe launch point on the middle Buffalo. 21 May, 2019. Ozark-St. Francis National Forests Forest Supervisor’s Office 605 West Main Russellville AR 72801 (479)964-7200 Visitor Information: 479-280-8162. Posted in Backpacking, Ozark Highlands Trail, Trail Cooking | Tagged ArkansasTrails, Backpacking, Nature, OHT, Trail Food | Leave a comment Back to the OHT – eyeballing Sections 2 and 3 Posted on March 4, 2012 by Ozark Hiker Another 10 miles of trail starts at Barkshed and meanders west to join the Ozark Highlands Trail. 1/5. See below. NEW: The entire trail is now on Google Earth. Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window). Located in the middle-South, it is well-known for its winter hiking opportunities when many other trails are impassable. 26. While the trail is long, it is well worth the magical forest setting that you become immersed throughout the trip. Ozark Highlands Trail: First Backpacking Experience. We’ll update the article to reflect that. STAGE A covers the first 35 miles from Lake Fort Smith to Cherry Bend.This stage is broken into 2 day trips in September (sections 1 and 2) and 2 day trips in October (sections 3 and 4). The Ozark Highlands Trail in Arkansas looks pretty good, but there's not much information about it online. The Ozarks Highlands Trail (OHT) is one of the premier, long-distance hiking trails in the United States. Buffalo National River: … It also has an extremely helpful website (see link on this page) with an abundance of great trail information. STAGE A covers the first 35 miles from Lake Fort Smith to Cherry Bend.This stage is broken into 2 day trips in September (sections 1 and 2) and 2 day trips in October (sections 3 and 4). There is a complete mile by mile description of the entire trail. Buffalo National River: … Bear canisters are not required, although they are always a good idea in bear country. Redemption on the Ozark Highlands Trail In March 2012, spring break of my junior year of college, a few friends and I decided to head to the Ozarks of northern Arkansas to do a little backpacking. Tales of the Trail: Thru-Hiking the Ozark Highlands Trail A thru­-hike of any trail presents many challenges that most are unaware of. Learn how your comment data is processed. They would be out in full force. There were also several perfectly spaced trees for our hammocks. 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. A buddy, Steve, was able to join me and Becca ran the shuttle for us, which saved time getting going on Monday morning. https://www.alltrails.com/parks/us/arkansas/ozark-national-forest/backpacking The park manages the first three miles in the park with the Ozark Highlands Trail Association managing the rest of the trail system. I only sprayed the bottom of my pants tucked inside my socks- but that was clearly not enough. We felt so excited to be doing what we had spent so much time planning and preparing for. which involves a flight to oregon. May 23, 2019. Between the beautiful waterfalls and natural springs, this hike offers shady walk at an intermediate level of hiking to be enjoyed over a 10-12 day backpacking trip. Please share your feedback in the comments. Since this trail is so vast, it is packed full of natural beauty. Ozark Highlands Trail Guide ... (which then morphed into a combination of backpacking and van supported day hikes due to the heat). The Ozark Highlands Trail (OHT) is one of the premier, long-distance hiking trails in the United States. Camping / National Rivers. Services include canoe, raft and kayak rentals, cabin rental, camping and Ozark Trail shuttles. The Ozarks Highlands Trail (OHT) is one of the premier, long-distance hiking trails in the United States. Once you get to one of the trailheads, you can leave your car and then shuttle to the other end. Mike McBride of Winslow looks over formations on Dec. 13, 2019, along the Shepherd Springs Loop trail at Lake Fort Smith State Park. The "Ozark Highlands Endurance Runs" offers participants the opportunity to experience the world-class trail system located minutes from town and then unwind at … There are numerous small waterfalls that the trail passes. Tales of the Trail: Thru-Hiking the Ozark Highlands Trail A thru­-hike of any trail presents many challenges that most are unaware of. A buddy, Steve, was able to join me and Becca ran the shuttle for us, which saved time getting going on Monday morning. The volunteers from the Ozark Highlands Trail Association worked hard to clean up the mess, and the trail corridor is mostly clear, with the exception of the Sylamore section. I was out from October 3rd through the 7th. 21 May, 2019. Luckily, I was able to prop it up with my trekking poles. I have hiked most of the Ozarks Highlands Trail. Camping / Hiking / Random Adventure / State Parks. Skip the trail descriptions and jump to the topo maps. Turner Bend, White Rock Mountain and Buffalo River Outfitters provide many different shuttle options depending on the day and time of the year. Located in the middle-South, it is well-known for its winter hiking opportunities when many other trails are impassable. january 2nd or so would be about when id need to be home by at latest. Newer Post →. Ozark Highlands Trail: Backpacking Over Thanksgiving Week. Ozark Highlands Trail. Here you can also find certain restocking stations and even a few trail angels, people who deliberately stake out on the trail to meet hikers along the way, chat and share their own trail tales and wisdom. Backpacking the Ozark Highlands Trail Issue 47 has been released! The Ozark Highlands Trail is one of the longest hikes in the Midwest, extending for about 165 miles. Skip the trail descriptions and jump to the topo maps. Trip Report of Backpacking the first section of the Ozark Highland Trail from Lake Fort Smith to White Rock in January, 2014. Backpacking the Ozark Highlands Trail. Tim's guide outlines the best ways to take on this 165-mile marathon so that you get the most out of your time on the trail. The most exhausting, grueling, and wearisome aspect of this brand of adventure is the mental perseverance it takes to complete such a daunting task. The most exhausting, grueling, and wearisome aspect of this brand of adventure is the mental perseverance it takes to complete such a daunting task. The trail is narrow, sometimes just clinging to a slope. I made every rookie mistake but I fell in love with backpacking - especially long distance backpacking. We walked five miles the first day and found the most perfect camp! Either way, you have a two hour drive to get to the trailhead. Get outside! Camping / National Rivers. This is a strenuous trail. The trail’s western terminus is Lake Fort Smith State Park in Crawford County, and its eastern terminus lies within the Buffalo National River park in Searcy County.The trail runs almost entirely through the Ozark National Forest, which regulates use. Im looking for a 150-250 miler i can do in december or MAAAAYBE november. In fact, that trail was where I really learned how to backpack. The hike from Arbaugh to Ozone on the Ozark Highlands Trail was beautiful! My question is, is this hike pretty doable around… I had been camping before, but never primitively, and needed to gain experience. May 21, 2019. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Beyond this, you should bring the gear you would normally need for a multi-day backpacking trip. NEW: The entire trail is now on Google Earth. If doing a thru resupply might be an issue, as there are few places close to the trail to either buy supplies or pick up a mail drop. we were actually doing the thing!!! The trail ends at the Buffalo River, and there is a trail off the OHT at White Rock Mountain going to Shores Lake, which I … I don't know about the fishing, since I don't fish. We recommend a 10-12 day trip. The Ozark Highlands Trail in Arkansas looks pretty good, but there's not much information about it online. The western terminus of the Ozark Highlands Trail begins behind the visitor center at Lake Fort Smith State Park. The above is a good visual of just what the trail entails, but in order to get the low-down on the best places to camp, where the trail boxes are, and the restocking points, we recommend investing in the Ozark Highlands Trail Guide by Tim Ernst. Ozark Highlands Trail, AR - January 2014 - Outdoor Exploration Search this site I have hiked a few sections of the trail. It ended up getting very stormy for a few hours during the night. Pair them with a lightweight quilt and you can easily shed a few pounds from your pack. See below. Posted by 7 hours ago. Great feature! Ozark Highlands Trail: Backpacking Over Thanksgiving Week. ... Solo backpacking in the Movaje over the weekend. The trail passes two historic fireplaces and Shepherd Spring. Background. Ozark Regional Transit provides busing from Bentonville and Fayetteville or there is always the option of renting a car. The Ozark Highlands Trail is an excellent hiking/backpacking trail with natural beauty—not in a grand sense as either the Rockies or Sierra Nevada—but in a smaller, more intimate sense. We learned so many things that would be helpful during our upcoming hike and we fell even more in love with nature. Looking to do a 3 day backpacking trip on the Ozark Highlands trail ADVICE Hey folks, as the title suggests me and a few friends are looking to do a backpacking trip on the Ozark Highlands trail, the difficulty being that we really only have 3 days to do the trip. The trail’s western terminus is Lake Fort Smith State Park in Crawford County, and its eastern terminus lies within the Buffalo National River park in Searcy County.The trail runs almost entirely through the Ozark National Forest, which regulates use. It is a long foliage-full hike, so be ready to bushwhack a bit. By Aaron, July 30, 2016 in South Central. There is about a 40 minute drive from the airport to the trailhead. The trail is particularly breathtaking during the fall, when the area comes ablaze with golds and reds unlike anywhere else on the planet. Big Piney Ranger District Hector Office - South 12000 SR 27 Hector AR 72843 (479)284-3150 Visitor Information: 479-518-0411. My family and I had been hiking before but I wanted to do something bigger. Lastly, The trail runs through the Ozark National Forest and where there is forest, there are bears. If you are not from Arkansas, be aware that it is oppressively humid during those months (usually). Getting to this northern region of Arkansas is easiest by driving. Have you spent any time hiking Ozark Highlands Trail and have any good insights? The Ozark Highlands Trail is an excellent hiking/backpacking trail with natural beauty—not in a grand sense as either the Rockies or Sierra Nevada—but in a smaller, more intimate sense. We got to a late start, but that’s okay, we were on trail! Waterfalls, ridges, and valleys are all experienced as one hikes the trail. Welcome back to our weekly hike series! 23 May, 2019. The thought of getting struck by lightning was scary but the only thing it discouraged us from was sleep. Throughout the trail there are many mid-entry trailheads for other hikers who are not taking on the full 165 miles. Bear InformationOzark Highlands Guide by Tim ErnstOzark Regional Transit Turner BendWhite Rock MountainBuffalo River OutfittersOzark Highlands Trail Association. Do you have other outstanding hikes that you'd like us to write about? Trip description: Thru hike of the OHT Thanksgiving week, expecting night lows in the 30s. 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. Traverse massive limestone bluffs and deep, secluded hollows on this 14.3-mile weekend in the Ozark Highlands along the Buffalo National River. Backpack camping is allowed anywhere along the trail. The trail is narrow, sometimes just clinging to a slope. I made every rookie mistake but I fell in love with backpacking - especially long distance backpacking. Just wanted to drop a note and let everyone know that bear canisters are NOT required on any portion of the OHT. Heading home we felt tired and hungry but like we had experienced our weekend to the fullest. Fall through Spring are the peak seasons for this trail. Please note, comments must be approved before they are published. You might try cheaper boots that you usually hit the trails in, but if there is any trail that will blister the heck out of your feet, it's the Ozark Highlands Trail. Camping / Hiking / Random Adventure / State Parks. Day 1. FREE SHIPPING ON ALL US ORDERS & 30-DAY RETURNS, Great to hike year-round, but best in the spring and fall since the summer months can be hot and humid, Will satisfy even the biggest forest hiking fix, While considered an intermediate hike, the constant elevation changes will be tough on your lungs, After bad weather, some parts of the trail could be flooded or inaccessible, Even though there are plenty of fresh water sources, you will still need to purify water, Black bears can be found in areas along the trail, Need to arrange transportation between the starting and ending trailheads. You can encounter ticks much earlier in the season. We knew it might rain but didn’t expect the lightning show that decided to greet us. 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