The Ouachita Trail (pronounced Wash-i-tah) runs 223 miles from Talimena State Park in Southeast Oklahoma to Pinnacle Mountain State Park just outside of Little Rock, Arkansas. While the trail seems fairly well known to hikers from the region and veteran long distance backpackers, it doesn't get too much traffic.
As its name implies, the Ouachita Trail traverses the Ouachita Mountains. These are one of the few mountain ranges between the Rockies and Appalachian. They are also one of the mountain ranges in the US that are oriented east to west. The OT travels through Oklahoma for just under fifty miles with the rest of the trail in Arkansas. Roughly the first 190 miles of the trail are within the Ouachita National Forest.
I had known about the trail for years and something drew me to it. Because of the weather in the region, the OT makes for a good early season hike. Despite traveling to more than forty states over the years, I had never been to either Oklahoma or Arkansas. I knew little about the area or the Ouachita Mountains. At 223 miles, the OT is long enough to get a thru hiking experience without too long of a time commitment. I think these reasons all played into my desire to attempt the trail. After years of contemplating a trip on the OT, I finally pulled the trigger in March of 2025. After looking for a favorable stretch of weather to start my trip, I made my way to Arkansas on March 8th, to begin my hike on the 9th.
Day 1
Talimena State Park to Holson Valley Shelter
16.8 Miles
My trip began on March 9th. I parked my car at the east end of the trail and was shuttled to the west end by Dale Powell. Dale provided encyclopedic knowledge of the trail that proved useful on my hike. Along the way, Dale also made two stops for me to drop off resupply boxes. I'd like to thank Dale again here. He was extremely helpful and friendly. For anyone thinking of hiking the OT, I highly recommend him for a shuttle. He also checked in a few times while I was on trail to make sure everything was going smoothly.
During the four plus hour drive between trailheads, the weather wasn't looking too favorable with rain showers much of the drive and temperatures dipping into the 30s at the higher elevations. Fortunately by the time we reached the eastern terminus the rain had stopped. I finally hit the trail about 110PM.
 |
| The start of the trail in Talimena State Park |
The temperature rose to the low 50s by the time I began hiking. With a climb out of the gate, I warmed up pretty quickly. Despite rainy weather in the past 24 hours, the trail was pretty dry. After living in Maine in the Adirondacks for so many years, I forgot that not everywhere is a mud pit after rain.
The trail climbed more than 1,200' over about five miles. It never felt too steep. I even encountered a couple of views early on the hike. By 4PM, the clouds started to part and the sun came out.
 |
| A vista along Talimena Drive, just off the trail |
 |
| View in a clearing |
 |
| Rock Garden Shelter, the first along the OT |
The first ten miles of the day went by relatively fast. The trail became pretty rocky at places. The rockiness was somewhat comparable to the rocks of Pennsylvania on the AT. With my late start, I wasn't sure how far I would get. Fortunately I had started on the first day of Daylight Savings, so I had an hour extra of evening light.
 |
| Passing through a rocky section |
 |
| Pretty rocky-strewn creek |
With enough light left in the day, I decided to make my way to Holson Valley Shelter at mile 16.8. Since the shelter didn't sit near water, I had to carry my water a couple miles. I arrived at the shelter with plenty of light to cook and settle down before dark.
 |
| View from a rock glacier |
I was a little surprised to find a trio of women settled into the shelter when I arrived. While there was plenty of room in the shelter for me, they seemed a reluctant to share the shelter and were trying to hint at me tenting. It was rocky in the area and not really a good spot to tent. They made some room eventually. Maybe they realized I wasn't a threat after talking to them a little bit.
With an already cool day and clearing skies, it was the coldest night of my trip. The temp dropped into the mid 30s. I had planned for cool nights and had the appropriate clothes and slept warmly. Besides the cool temps, the only other thing of note was the call of loud coyotes in the night.
 |
| Passing through a rock garden |
Day 2
Holson Valley Shelter to Campsite @ Mile 44.4
27.6 Miles
With the time change came late mornings. It didn't really start getting light until around 7AM and the sun didn't rise until about 730. With the late sunrise, I found myself most days starting to hike around 8. The day started off chilly but warmed up quickly. The day was supposed to be closer to 70. It was bright and sunny with not a cloud in sight but fairly windy.
 |
| Morning view near Holson Valley Shelter |
 |
| Nice trail without rocks |
Leaving the shelter, the hiking wasn't too difficult apart from the occasional rocky section. The first steep climb of the day came about eight miles in on the way up to Winding Stair Mountain. At 2,443', this was the first time the trail climbed over 2,000' in elevation. The climb was followed by a steep, switchback filled descent. Eventually dropping back to 1,000' at Big Cedar Creek.
 |
| View along Winding Stair Mountain |
 |
| Big Cedar Creek |
 |
| Small rocky creek |
After bouncing around below 1,500', the trail made another stiff climb up Wilton Mountain and over 2.000' again. As expected, what goes up must come down. The trail dropped again significantly as it reached the Kiamichi River. The trail followed the river in the lower elevations for several miles. I was hoping to put in a big mile day after my late start on day 1. I thought I could make some miles along the flatter terrain near the river.
 |
| Entering the Wilderness |
Dale had warned me that the trail crossed the Kiamichi River numerous times without any bridges. With recent rains, I wasn't expecting that I would be lucky enough to have dry crossings. When I reached the bottomlands around the river, it was evident that it flooded in the area fairly recently with a lot of debris.
 |
| No leaves in March along the trail |
Even though I hike in trail runners that dry fairly quickly, I hate hiking in soaked feet. Since I carried camp shoes, a light pair of flip flops with me on this trip, I decided to change my shoes at the water crossings. I reached the Kiamichi and the first crossing. It was less than knee deep, but fairly fast moving. I did my shoe change and went through. I don't know why, but in my mind I expected 5-6 crossings. So after the 6th wet crossing, I thought I was done with the fords.
Unfortunately the fords kept coming. None of them were deeper than my knee, but they all seemed relatively fast. Only one was an easy rock hop. I lost count, but on my 8th or 9th crossing, I reached a narrow section of river, moving particularly fast with several deep holes. There was a reasonable rock hop path over the river at least. I made the first step to a tall rock in the river. I went to plant my pole for stability in the water. My pole didn't touch anything though. As I bent over further trying to touch the bottom, my pole finally hit the river bottom in a four-foot deep hole, all the way to my handle. Reaching so far down, I lost my balance and fell into the river.
I felt like I was submerged, but popped right out. My clothes were soaked head to toe. Fortunately I had my phone in my pocket in a closed ziploc bag. Somehow only the front of my pack was wet and I didn't have anything of consequence in my hip belt pockets. The contents in the pack were all dry except a few damp items in my outside elastic pocket that received a little splash but didn't submerge.
Even though the day was around 70, it had cooled off as the sun was blocked by the mountains as it began to drop in the sky. The water was quite cold. I only had one more crossing. So I went for my swim on the second last of ten or so crossings. After my mishap, I only had a mile to hike to my intended campsite.
 |
| The first of many crossing on the Kiamichi |
After the final ford, I only had about a mile to go before my intended campsite. By now it was starting to get dark. I spent far more time than I expected along the river with all the fords. The last mile to my campsite, the trail climbed fairly steeply. At this point, I had already hiked a marathon and was getting pretty tired. I reached my campsite in the waning twilight.
My day ended at 27.6 miles. I was pretty exhausted hiking over some rocky terrain and having the wind knocked out of my sails from my unplanned swim. I set up my tent and gathered water from the nearby little stream. By then it was dark. I cooked and ate my dinner by the bright moonlight. Fortunately it was much warmer than the last night. I don't know if it dropped below 50. With dry clothes on, I didn't get chilled. I hung my wet clothes out for the night. The night was pretty breezy and everything besides the socks dried.
Day 3
Campsite at Mile 44.4 to Foran Gap Shelter
24.5 Miles
Leaving my campsite, the trail climbed as it made its way to the Oklahoma/ Arkansas state line. The trail also approached its highest point at Rich Mountain. The trail bounced in and out of numerous drainages as it climbed over rocky terrain. Even though my pack was pretty light as my food bag was nearly empty, the climb was tiring. I was feeling the 27 miles from the day before.
By the time I reached the state line, the trail leveled off and became a less rocky. After crossing the state line, the trail makes its way into Queen Wilhelmina State Park on Rich Mountain. The trail passes directly through the campground and passes the lodge.
 |
| Goodbye Oklahoma, Hello Arkansas |
Even though it had only been a couple days, I was looking forward to Queen Wilhelmina. The trail passes directly by the shower house. As I reached the shower house, I was disappointed to find it closed due a water line break. I guess I didn’t need a shower too badly after my impromptu swim the night before.
Just a short distance past the showers, I reached the lodge at the state park. I had a resupply box waiting for me. The lodge also has a restaurant. I enjoyed a protein bomb of a breakfast called the King's Breakfast that included eggs, sausage, bacon, ham, and biscuits with gravy. I also charged my phone while I ate. Breakfast was served extremely quickly and went down just as fast. After sorting through and packing my resupply I was soon on my way. Since the park sits on the top of the second highest mountain in the state of Arkansas, nice views can be seen right from the lodge. I took a moment to enjoy the view, before I continued my hike.
Up until Queen Wilhelmina State Park, the OT roughly parallels Talimena Drive. Talimena Drive is a scenic mountain road, similar to Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park. For the first 50 miles, the trail crosses the road several times and the road can occasionally be heard from the trail. The OT follows the road a short distance at Queen Wilhelmina State Park. The road ends in Mena, south of the park. The trail crosses the road for the last time in the park.
 |
| View from the lodge at Queen Wilhelmina State Park |
While still in the state park, the OT utilizes a park trail called the Lover's Leap Trail. The trail takes in a couple of nice views in this stretch. The trail bounces around on Rich Mountain for several miles over pretty rocky terrain. Finally the trail bottoms out about five miles from the Queen Wilhelmina Lodge where it crosses Highway 270. While traversing Rich Mountain, I could see smoke from a controlled burn in the distance.
 |
| View along the ridge of Rich Mountain |
 |
| Lover's Leap |
After the road crossing the terrain became more mellow for several miles. The mellow miles didn't last. I soon came to another 1,000' climb. By now the temperature was approaching 80. Since the trees still didn't have leaves, it was rather hot, considering it was snowing when I left home just three days earlier.
 |
| With no leaves, there was lots of sun exposure |
Like any mountain trail, the OT features plenty of ups and downs. After reaching the height of the ridge, I began another 800' descent to the next valley. My planned destination for the night was Foran Gap Shelter. Like most shelters on the OT, this one didn't have water. rather than carry extra water to the shelter to cook, I decided to cook at the last water crossing about a mile before the shelter.
 |
| Waterfall along the trail |
Whenever I cook at a water source, I enjoy the break. While my food heats, I take the time to filter water and soak my feet the cool mountain water. The cool mountain water helps relieve my feet after a long day of hiking. I also splash down my legs, face, and if its warm I'll dunk my head.
 |
| Cedar Creek, where I had dinner |
After my dinner, I hiked the last easy mile to the shelter. When I arrived another hiker had a hammock set up near the shelter. The other hiker was Slow Bro, a 75 year old retired doctor that previously hiked the PCT and CDT among other trails. It was nice to have another long distance hiker there to share stories.
My day ended at 24.5 miles. I felt better as the day went on. My breakfast at the lodge helped revive my energy. Despite the heavier pack from the resupply and hot day, I felt pretty good.
Day 4
Foran Gap Shelter to Brushy Creek Mountain Shelter
21.9 Miles
Leaving Foran Gap Shelter, the trail soon follows a nice stretch of forest service road. The trail climbs gradually, but the miles fly by on the easy surface. I soon caught up with Slow Bro and hiked with him while we were on the road. After a few miles the trail leaves the road and travels back on singletrack.
 |
| Hiking along the old forest road |
 |
| Hazy morning view |
 |
| With no leaves, much of the trail had partial views |
About 5 miles from the shelter, the trail crosses a tiny little creek, no more than a foot or two wide and not particularly deep. This was the last natural water on the trail for the next twenty miles according to FarOut. With that, I stocked up on a gallon of water and began a weighed down 700'+ climb up the next ridge.
 |
| A view over scraggly trees |
At the 77 mile mark, the trail tops out on the ridge at just over 2,500'. This was the last time the trail climbed over 2,500'. From that point the trail dropped for about three miles back below 1,700'. This ridge was also the last time the trail climbed over 2,000'. Around the 80 mile mark, the trail drops into Turner Gap. At this point it's like a switch is flipped. Generally, the trail was much easier with less rocky footing for most the remaining trail.
 |
| Hiking through pines |
The rest of the day went by relatively easy compared the previous days. The trail never really climbed too much. Most of the trees were pines, making for soft footing. Given that water was scarce, I was happy for the gentler terrain.
Since the OT can be quite dry at times, it's not unusual to find water caches near road crossing or shelters from trail angels. Although I passed sever caches up to this point, I didn't need them since it rained a decent amount in the past couple weeks. Every little water source was flowing. This section didn't have any water sources.
Fourteen miles passed since my last water source when I reached a forest road crossing. Just past the crossing, I came across a large water cache. There were also a few metal ammo cases with bottles of Gatorade and fun size candy bars. I read about the cache on FarOut, but wasn't exactly depending on it since the last report had been several days.
Since the next shelter that I planned on staying the night didn't have water, I was happy to come across the cache. I cooked my dinner at the cache. I enjoyed a couple small candy bars and a Gatorade. I filled two of my bottles to get me through breakfast and onto the next likely water, still about six miles away.
 |
| Sign at a road crossing |
As the day went on it became cloudy. Since it was probably approaching 80 and the lack of water, I enjoyed the cloud cover. Into the evening and overnight there was a fairly high chance of showers and thunderstorms so I was happy to have another shelter to stay in. With the cloud cover, the night stayed pretty warm. Although I could see some distant lightning, it never did rain.
Up to this point I hadn't seen much in the way of wildlife. I saw a plenty of small song bird, but I was a little surprised to see and hear quite a few pileated woodpeckers pretty much daily. On this day I saw several cardinals. I also saw the first of several lizards near the shelter.
 |
| Prairie or Fence Lizard? |
I spent the night at Brushy Creek Mountain Shelter. The shelter sat a little off the trail and required a 1/4 mile climb to reach it. The shelter sat on a hillside in a nice location despite having no water there. I finished the day at 21.9 miles.
Day 5
Brushy Creek Mountain Shelter to Story Creek Shelter
26.1 Miles
Day 5 was the easiest day on trail up to this point. The trail traveled between creeks at lower elevations and along level ridges. Unlike the trail up to this point, The elevation never got much higher than 1,500' and the climbs were more gradual.
 |
| Another hazy morning view |
 |
| Crossing a stagnant creek |
 |
| Trailhead sign |
The day was shaping up to be pretty warm. Unlike the previous days on trail, there was no breeze. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and it was forecasted to reach the low 80s. Since the trail stuck to lower elevations, it was quite warm by the time I was ready for lunch.
Late in the morning, I reached Fiddlers Creek. The trail crosses the creek on a cement bridge. This seemed like a good place for a lunch break. I was planning on heading into town the next day. Having not showered since I left home, six days earlier, I started to develop a thru hiker funk. There is a lot about long distance backpacking that isn't glamorous. Days of heavy exertion without showering is an unpleasant reality in the backpacking world.
So I didn't overwhelm anyone in town the next day, I decided to clean up in the creek. I stripped down and gave myself a mountain stream bath. I also tried to defunk my clothes by rinsing them out in the creek. On the warm and low humidity day, I wasn't worried about anything drying. This seemed to help relieve the funk. As an added bonus, My damp shirt helped keep me cool for a while.
 |
| Downstream at Fiddlers Creek |
 |
| Looking over rocky stream |
My clothes dried pretty quickly. With the temperature around 80, low humidity, and minimal shade; it didn't take long before I began to get hot again. I ended up soaking my shirt two more times over the course of the day. I usually don't like wearing a clammy shirt, but on such a dry day, I wasn't too worried about chaffing or a rash.
 |
| Hiking in the pines, the ground is nice and soft |
The longest climb of the day came after 16 miles. Even this climb was pretty docile. The trail followed an old road as it made its way up Suck Mountain. The trail gained a modest 600' in elevation. Because of the old road, it felt more like walking up a ramp than hiking up a mountain. Other than having full exposure to the sun, the climb was pretty easy.
The climb ended at the Suck Mountain Shelter. This was a great place for a break. There was a nice double chair under cover in front of the shelter. From here I made my arrangements to get picked up in the morning for my next resupply at the Bluebell Cafe in Story.
A few miles after leaving Suck Mountain Shelter, I passed the halfway point of the trail. It's always nice to reach a key point on the trail like a halfway mark.
 |
| The point of no return, it's all downhill from here |
Other than the heat, the rest of the day went by pretty smoothly. The last several miles were rockier than the rest of the day. This made the last couple miles drag on a little bit. The trail passes an interesting little cave at one point among the rocks.
 |
| Small cave in the rocks |
 |
| Looking in the cave |
My destination for the night was the Story Creek Shelter. I had hike about 24 miles when I reached my final descent of the day to the shelter. Although not the worst descent, it was somewhat rocky and steep. I was feeling the miles near the end of the day. I reached the shelter in the evening, wrapping up the day at 26.0 miles. Unlike most of the shelters up to this point, Story Creek Shelter sat fairly close to its namesake creek. It was nice cooking and eating at the picnic table by the shelter. Staying at Story Creek allowed me to have an easy five miles to the road and my next resupply in the morning.
Day 6
Story Creek Shelter to Big Branch Shelter
17.2 Miles
My ride into Story was set up for 10AM. With only five miles to the road crossing, this allowed for a fairly laid back morning. I arrived at the road about 940. Lori, the proprietor of the Bluebell Cafe was set to meet at the trail and take me back to the Bluebell.
 |
| National Recreation Trail signs were common at road crossings |
I got a ride to the Bluebell from a local that was passing by. Turns out Lori had the wrong time in her mind, but it ended up working out. I got to the Bluebell shortly after 10AM. I ordered a club sandwich and sorted my resupply while I waited for my food. After my sandwich, I soon ordered a bacon cheeseburger. It never seems like I can get enough food while putting in big mile days. A few locals rolled in for lunch and they genuinely seemed interest in my hike and I was happy to answer their questions.
Not too long after I arrived at the Bluebell, the skies started to cloud up. It soon began showering. The showers lingered until I was about ready to leave. I headed back to the trail shortly after noon feeling comfortably full. Although the rain had cleared, the sky remained cloudy and the air was quite humid. A strong wind continued for the rest of my day.
The Bluebell Cafe and General Store is probably one of the best known landmarks on the Ouachita Trail. The owner, Lori, is a great asset to the OT and seems to enjoy helping out and serving hikers. Lori provides shuttles to and from the trail to the cafe. She will also provide longer shuttles along the length of the trail for a fee. The Bluebell sits near the midpoint of the trail and is a logical resupply point. Lori happily excepts packages for resupply. The cafe offers a pretty good menu variety at reasonable prices. Nearly every thru hiker on the OT stops by the Bluebell and I highly recommend resupplying there and eating a good meal.
 |
| Mossy trail |
The trail wasn't too difficult after leaving the Bluebell. The initial climb from the road probably felt more difficult than it really was with my four and a half days of food and belly filled with a club sandwich and bacon cheeseburger. The humidity didn't help. After gaining the ridge, the hiking felt easier.
 |
| Partial view through the trees |
 |
| One of several vistas after Story |
Even though they weren't marked on FarOut, I passed several vistas. The trail bounced between ridge and valley with a couple gradual climbs between 500' and 800'. I took an extended afternoon break at the Irons Fork Creek, the low point of the afternoon. The creek is more of a river and one of the wider ones on the trail. I took the time to soak my feet and splash down my head, face, and legs.
 |
| Downstream at Irons Fork Creek |
 |
| Upstream at Irons Fork Creek |
 |
| Small cascade, I'm not sure why, but a lot of the water on the OT had this color |
 |
| Another vista taking in the Ouachitas |
The frequent vistas made the afternoon more interesting. Although the sky was pretty hazy, I enjoyed taking a moment at each of the vistas to enjoy the view and the breeze. I only planned on a 17.2 mile day with my stop at the Bluebell. I enjoyed a more leisurely pace, especially with the added weight of the resupply.
 |
| Hard to make out but you could see 40,000-acre Lake Ouachita in the distance |
My destination for the night was the Big Branch Shelter. When I got to the junction for the shelter, I was a little worried. FarOut indicated water by the shelter. I only encountered a dry creek bed. I didn't realize that the shelter was about a half-mile downhill from the trail. It was a little bit of trudge to reach the shelter, but a nice stream flowed about a hundred yards away. There was a pretty high probability of rain showers overnight and a lot of wind, so I was glad to have a solid roof over my head.
 |
| Here you can make out the lake |
Not long after I settled down in the shelter for the night, I noticed lighting. I took a look and it seemed to be lightning in all direction. With the wild winds, I expected to see a strong storm blow through. Around 9PM it started to rain lightly, on and off until maybe 1AM. The rain never really amounted to to much, but there was an impressive amount of thunder and lightning. After the thunder and lightning moved out, the wind became calm. I didn't know it at the time, but these storms caused serious damage around the region. At least ten tornadoes were reported in Arkansas. North of the border in Missouri saw even worse storms.
 |
| Yet another vista |
 |
| I appreciated the views along this stretch, they usually had a breeze that felt nice |
Day 7
Big Branch Shelter to Moonshine Shelter
24.7 Miles
I woke up not too long before daybreak to the sound of showers on the shelter roof. I took my time packing up in the morning, in no hurry to leave in rain, even though it was pretty light. After I packed up, there was a lull in the showers and I headed out for the day. It ended up drizzling lightly, on and off, until about 130PM.
 |
| Thick tufts of moss |
 |
| Hiking by the mossy stretch |
The rain never amounted to more than a light drizzle. I never needed to put on my rain gear. It was a little cool, but not too bad as along as I was moving. This was the first rain I had to hike in after six days on trail.
 |
| If only the whole trail was like this |
 |
| One of the few views in the morning mist |
I had a few wildlife sighting while hiking on the dreary morning. During a short, 1/4 mile long road walk to cross the North Fork of the Ouachita River, I saw a bald eagle take off along the river. I saw a couple flocks of turkeys in the morning. I also saw a bright blue and black skink slither into the leaves. I also saw a deer, only my second of the entire trail.
 |
| North Fork of the Ouachita- another river with the blue hue |
The trail climbed much of the morning after crossing the river. Despite the long, gradual climb; the trail traveled over a nice tread. Much of the trail traveled through pines with few rocks. The trail seemed to travel in a straight line as it gained elevation over an old road long reclaimed by nature.
I passed by several named vistas. The low cloud cover and misty skies didn't allow for much in the way of views though. About a mile before the high point of the day, I passed an obvious side trail that traveled a short distance to a rock outcropping. I almost didn't pay any attention to it given the cloud cover and lack of visibility. Then I saw the sign on the tree, "Tomcat Vista." Now I had to check out the vista. If you didn't already know, or never visited my website before, my trail name is Tomcat; thus the name of my website. It made my day seeing this vista called Tomcat Vista. Naturally I had to check it out. As expected, the misty skies obscured the view, but I couldn't pass by Tomcat Vista.
 |
| My very own vista |
 |
| Couldn't see to much from Tomcat Vista |
Beyond Tomcat Vista, the trail climbed to Ouachita Pinnacle. At 1,941', there is no point higher on the trail east of here. Unfortunately, it isn't the prettiest summit with numerous towers and structures on it. On a nicer day, there appears to be a view beyond the towers, but I couldn't see anything in the clouds. I was more impressed that a random patch of daffodils were in bloom on the summit.
Between Tomcat Vista and Ouachita Pinnacle, the trail follows a pleasant road that has mostly been reclaimed by nature. Inexplicably, the trail leaves the road and drops onto a much rockier trail only to rejoin the road a short distance later.
 |
| Easy hiking enroute to Ouachita Pinnacle before dropping into rockier terrain |
 |
| Misplaced daffodils on Ouachita Pinnacle |
Not long after passing Ouachita Pinnacle, the clouds lifted. I finally got a few views. As the sun warmed up the air, it became quite muggy. The trail drops about 900' after leaving Ouachita Pinnacle enroute to Bear Creek. With a cool and damp morning, I hiked about 17 miles to the Bear Creek Shelter for lunch around 3PM. I was pretty hungry by the time I reached the shelter and spent nearly an hour there. I didn't eat too much since breakfast.
 |
| Clearing in the afternoon |
Leaving Bear Creek, the trail climbs pretty steeply to start before tapering off. I hike another seven miles to Big Blakely Creek. I ate dinner at the bridge over the creek. My destination for the night was Moonshine Shelter. The only water at the shelter is a small, muddy pond. Not wanting to drink from the pond, I ate and gathered water at Big Blakely Creek. After dinner, I hike less than two miles to the shelter finishing my day at 24.7 miles. Although the pond wasn't the most appealing for filtering water, I was fine with rinsing my socks and wiping down my feet in the water.
Since it was Saturday and I wasn't too far from the road, I was expecting that I might not have the shelter to myself. I was pleasantly surprised that nobody was there when I showed up.
Well before sunset, I could hear thunder in the distance. I had cell service and checked the radar. It looked like a shower was passing through in a little bit, but nothing too serious. After dark, around 9PM it began to rain pretty heavily. It only lasted an hour, but it was the heaviest rain since I started the trail. I was happy to be in a shelter. After the rain, the temperature dropped quickly through the night. It was the first night I wore an extra layer since my first evening on trail.
Day 8
Moonshine Shelter to Forest Road 132
26.0 Miles
The day doesn't really start to see light until a little before 7AM with sunrise closer to 730. Around 630AM, while only half awake, I fully woke up when I heard voices. A pair of hikers, talking quite loudly, walked up to the shelter. After shining a headlamp in my face, realizing the shelter wasn't empty, the pair moved on. It was pretty chilly so I lingered in my sleeping bag a little longer until it began getting brighter.
Not long after I got moving for the day, another hiker rolled into the shelter to cook breakfast. I had already encountered two groups of hikers and I didn't even get moving for the day. I didn't see any people some days.
By the time I started hiking for the day, the thermometer on my watch read 38.5F. There was a breeze that made it feel even cooler. The old saying goes, "be bold, start cold," meaning start with less clothes than you want because you'll warm up as you hike. With the breeze, it took a long time to warm up. After most the week came close to 80, it was only forecasted to hit the low 60s.
 |
| Hiking in a ravine |
After a couple hours of hiking, I felt more comfortable as the air slowly warmed up. The bright sunshine helped. The trail seemed to continue its trend of gradual elevation changes between sections of ridge walks. The miles went by relatively quickly.
 |
| Forked Mountain |
 |
| Mossy cascade |
The day went by fairly quickly. I enjoyed the more comfortable conditions. I'm not sure if it reached 60 for the day. This felt like a relief after the heat. I didn't really take an extended break until I reached Crystal Prong Creek, nearly at 3PM. The creek, more of a river, is a pretty waterway flowing through the mountains and was the first spot worth a longer respite for the day.
 |
| Crossing of Crystal Prong Creek |
 |
| Looking down Crystal Prong Creek |
 |
| Small mossy cascades |
 |
| Upstream at Crystal Prong Creek |
A good stretch of the trail passes through the Flatside Wilderness. About three miles beyond Crystal Prong Creek, the OT begins a climb to one of the best views on the entire trail at Flatside Pinnace. I've even read comments calling it the best view in Arkansas.
 |
| Sign at Wilderness boundary |
Flatside Pinnacle stands at just over 1,500' in elevation. While not directly on the OT, it's reached by a side trail. It's only 5-10 minutes off the trail and definitely worth the effort on a clear day. I was luckily enough to have a bright, sunny day with unlimited visibility. While the rocky summit doesn't quite take in 360-degree views, with a little effort, you can see nearly all directions. The view takes in the surrounding forest and layers of distant mountains. I'm told you can see Magazine Mountain, the highest in Arkansas off in the distance.
 |
| Flatside Pinnacle |
Even though I didn't get to Flatside Pinnace until around 4PM, I was surprised to have the place to myself. A well-maintained forest service road and parking lot sit less than a mile from the view. With several hours of daylight on a Sunday afternoon, I thought for sure I would encounter other people.
 |
| Layers of mountains |
While I would have enjoyed staying a little longer at Flatside Pinnacle, the wind was brutal on the exposed rock outcropping. Combined with the cool day and sweat from the climb, it was fairly chilly. Pleased that I had such a clear day, I continued on the OT after 15-20 minutes.
 |
| Another view from Flatside Pinnacle |
 |
| Hiking beyond Flatside Pinnacle |
 |
| North Fork Pinnacle (Pinnacle Mountain, near the east end of the trail visible in the distance) |
 |
| North Fork Pinnacle (Lake Maumelle visible in the distance) |
I planned on hiking to a campsite about five miles beyond Flatside Pinnacle. Like many of the campsites on the OT, there wasn't any water at the site. I descended to Brown Creek, the last water source before my intended campsite, to cook dinner and gather water. I was somewhat surprised to see a couple set up for the night there. I enjoyed having company while I ate my dinner. After I finished eating, I continued on for about two more miles.
 |
| View over the forest in the evening sun |
The campsite I planned to stay at was along Forest Road 132, just a short distance from another popular viewpoint. Having already ate, I decided to continue to North Fork Pinnacle. The side trail to the view was only .2 miles beyond where I planned on camping. I was hoping I might find a better campsite as well.
The actual viewpoint from North Fork Pinnacle is another 5-10 side trip from the OT. While maybe not quite as nice as Flatside Pinnace, the view was still pretty impressive. You can see Lake Maumelle in the distance to the east. The OT travels along the lake for miles as it approaches its eastern terminus. By the time I reached North Fork Pinnacle, it was around 645PM. The light from the sinking sun made it difficult to get a good photo.
 |
| Evening sunshine from North Fork Pinnacle |
I almost considered camping at North Fork Pinnacle. There was a nice flat area with a great view. Unfortunately, the spot was fully exposed to the strong wind. I don't think it would have been a pleasant night with the wind battering my tent all night.
 |
| Early blooms |
I walked back down to the OT and backtracked a 1/4 mile to the campsite I intended on staying at along FSR 132. It was at least out of the wind. While I covered 26 miles of the OT, my day was probably closer to 27 with side trips to the viewpoints. When I arrived at the campsite, I wasn't impressed. There was a large area for tents. Unfortunately, it was a drive-in site. While nobody was there, it was clearly camped at the previous night. A piece of wood was still burning in the fire ring. The fire ring was full of beer bottles. There was lots of garbage in the area, including toilet paper. Since it was fairly close to dark, I didn't have much choice but to stay there. I had extra water, so I doused the burning wood. It was still windy and dry with lots of leaves on the ground.
My night was uneventful. I didn't hear any vehicles through the night. Despite the cool day, the night didn't really cool down too much, allowing for a comfortable night.
Day 9
Forest Road 132 to Stealth Site
26.0 Miles
This was my last full day on the OT. My day began with a descent from the North Fork Pinnacle area at 1,300' to the Lake Sylvia Campground at less than 750'. From the low point, I climbed to Nancy Mountain Shelter, the last shelter heading east on the trail as well as the last time the trail climbs over 1,000' in elevation.
 |
| Surprised such a small creek had a bridge |
 |
| Nancy Mountain Shelter, the last shelter heading east and last elevation over 1,000' |
 |
| Trail above a creek |
Just a few miles later, the trail leaves Ouachita National Forest after 192 miles. The trail travels on a mix of paper company land and land managed by the local water utility. I was expecting fairly easy hiking. The stretch of trail on the paper company land traverses several short but steep little climbs. While not that difficult, it was hillier than I expected.
 |
| Leaving Ouachita National Forest |
 |
| Nice trail on paper company land |
After passing through the paper company land, the trail follows close to the Maumelle River on bottomlands. Although it was fairly dry while I was there, I was told this area can be pretty swampy. The trail generally stays pretty flat. It veers away from the river, crossing several smaller creeks. Occasionally the trail climbs above the river on bluffs.
 |
| Hiking along the Maumelle River |
 |
| Looking down the river |
 |
| Flat bottomlands |
I actually saw more wildlife in the bottomlands than I had the rest of the trail. I saw several groups of deer on this section compared to two deer the first 195 miles or so. By the river, I saw lots of turtles basking on logs before they took to the water when I approached the banks. I saw a variety of ducks, geese, and a heron near the water. Perhaps the best wildlife sighting was that of a 5-foot long black rat snake basking along the trail. The fully stretched out snake seemed to be enjoying the warm, morning sun. It didn't even move as I passed by and took several pictures.
 |
| Black rat snake |
 |
| The snake seemed happy with the warm sunshine |
 |
| About five-foot long |
As the day warmed, I took a break along the river to clean myself a little. I still didn't shower at this point. I splashed down my legs and feet in the river. Since the day had warmed up, I took off my shirt and soaked it in the river to try and get out some of the trail funk. I also dunked my head in the river and wiped down my face. It was still a little to chilly to take a swim however.
 |
| The trail along the river |
 |
| The river where I cleaned up |
The Maumelle River eventually flows into Lake Maumelle. The lake was drained pretty low, leaving wide banks on the river as it approached the lake. The OT crosses the mouth of the river, where it meets the lake, on a bridge on a main road.
 |
| Low water near the mouth of the river near the lake |
Before I crossed the river, I stopped for an extended break at a lakeside park along the road. The park had picnic tables and I was happy to sit on a bench. There was also a nice overlook of the lake.
 |
| Lake Maumelle |
Leaving the park, I crossed the river on the bridge with a narrow shoulder. Soon the trail reentered the forest. I passed over several small streams. I passed a small pond with more turtles and saw another heron. I crossed one more road and soon began my long walk around the lake.
 |
| Early flowers along the trail |
 |
| Yount Creek Pond, I saw turtles and a heron here |
 |
| The home stretch |
The OT travels around the lake for about 15 miles. Most of the time it stays out of sight of the lake, but occasionally it travels close the water. A big stretch of the forest near the lake had been burned by prescribed fires. It looked like it had been fairly recent, at least in the past several months. The forest smelled strongly of the charred ground.
When I got close to the lake, I could see a big plume of smoke in the distance. I saw several prescribed fires over the course of my hike. This was the closest one I had seen though. It was a pretty windy day and the smoke was blowing my direction. Between the burned ground and fresh smoke, it wasn't the best air quality. As the sun got lower in the sky, the visibility grew worse from the fresh smoke.
 |
| Wildfire smoke over the lake |
 |
| Hiking through an old burn |
Only one official campsite is available on the last 30 miles of the OT. The dry campsite sits nearly a mile from the trail. FarOut isn't 100% clear if you can camp on the land around the lake. I didn't see any "no camping" signs. I even saw a few previously used sites with fire rings near the lake. I originally planned on camping at the official site. After eating dinner at the last water source before the side trail to the campsite, I changed my mind.
I hiked another hour after eating, putting in 26 miles for the day. Once I passed a controlled burn area, I passed through a long stretch of flat ground. Most of the terrain was suitable for a tent. I finally found a nice flat area along a small creek. This was my first and only stealth site that I used on the OT.
The air around my campsite was still pretty smoky. I could smell the smoke through the night. After I got home, I found out the fire I saw wasn't actually a prescribed burn. It was a 1,900-acre wildfire.
Day 10
Stealth Site to Pinnacle Mountain State Park
12.6 Miles
I got moving early on my last day. I wanted to leave my stealth site early. I was also eager to finish the trail. Most days I started hiking around 8AM. On my last morning, I was hiking around 705AM, before sunrise.
 |
| Morning color before sunrise |
 |
| Long, straight stretch of trail |
I still had several miles to hike around the lake. The last few miles seemed hillier than most of the trail near the lake. I passed a pair of backpackers mid morning. I'm assuming they were stealth camping near the lake too.
 |
| Only a few hours of hiking left |
As the trail reaches the east end of the lake, it crosses the road a couple times and it starts to pass houses. Where the trail came close to the lake on one of its arms, I dropped to the lakeshore for one last view of the water. Soon I reached the dam at the lake's outlet. Here the trail traveled between the river and a road in a strip of woods. Along the river, I saw a pair of hawks in a tree, one with a couple-foot long snake hanging from its beak.
 |
| An arm of the lake, the water level was quite low |
The trail left the woods for a brief road walk to cross the river. I entered Pinnacle Mountain State Park. I was on my final three miles of the OT. Knowing that end of the trail was near, I felt like I picked up my pace.
 |
| Pinnacle Mountain |
 |
| Bridge over the Maumelle River |
Within the state park, I saw several groups of people. About 1.5 miles from the end of trail, I crossed paths with a trio of backpackers that just started their trip. We exchanged pleasantries. They told me I was almost finished, and they just started. I chuckled to myself when one of them wish me luck. I probably should have said that to them, since they just started. I was only a half-hour from ending my journey.
Knowing I was just about finished with the trail, I checked FarOut. I was less than a half-mile from the end. Although not that difficult, the trail finishes with one last rocky climb to reach the eastern terminus. at 1055AM I reached the eastern terminus and completed the Ouachita Trail.
 |
| View from the bridge |
 |
| The eastern terminus after finishing the trail |
I wanted to get a picture of myself by the sign at the eastern terminus. Despite a dozen or so cars in the parking lot, nobody was around. After about 20 minutes. I intercepted someone on a bike that just got back to the parking lot and asked if they could take my picture. I'm assuming the cyclist was from the area, but wasn't familiar with the trail.
Summary
I really didn't know what to expect on the Ouachita Trail. Having never been to Arkansas or Oklahoma, this was completely new territory for me. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with the OT. While it's not as grandiose as trails in the Rockies or Sierras for mountain scenery, the trail often had the feel of my home state, Pennsylvania. The western reaches of the trail looked similar to the Pennsylvania Wilds with rockiness comparable to the AT at times. Other times, the trail followed the ridges for longer stretches. Again, this is comparable to the Allegheny Plateau or Ridge and Valley of Pennsylvania. Sections of the trail passed through pine forest. In the dry conditions and well drained ground, the pine forests almost felt more like Colorado foothills than the Appalachians. Despite traveling through forests for its length, the lack of leaves provided partial views through the trees much of the time. Since the trail can be hiked in the fall through winter, this helps you escape the "green tunnel" feel to an extent. There are plenty of views and pretty mountain streams to keep the trail enjoyable.
The Friends of the Ouachita Trail (FoOT) oversee and maintains the OT and does an excellent job. The trail was in good shape overall. The route of the trail avoided roads unless necessary to cross larger creeks and rivers. 22 Shelters are well spaced along the trail, with more slated to be built on the eastern section. Unlike the shelters on the AT or Adirondacks, the shelters are pretty new and in excellent shape. I stayed in the shelters majority of the nights. Most of them seemed to be rodent-free. All the shelters had a large covered front yard or porch with seating and most had picnic tables outside. I actually enjoyed staying in these shelters.
I lucked out with weather while I hiked the trail. I only hiked in a few hours of intermittent showers. The only other rain I encountered fell overnight while I was in a shelter and while I was resupplying in town. I had a couple of nights in the 30s and probably half of my days were close to 80 degrees.
I had the Ouachita Trail on my radar for more than five years, and I'm glad I finally pulled the trigger and hiked it. As an offseason trail, best hiked in fall and spring, I highly recommend checking out the OT if you are looking to extend your backpacking season in the fall or get an early jump on the season in spring. Winter thru hikes are usually manageable too. With its 223-mile distance, it would also make a good first "long trip" or a great shake down for the AT or other longer thru hike.
If you enjoyed this post, check out and "LIKE" Tomcat's Outdoor Adventures on Facebook where I post photos more often and revisit past adventures.
