Trail Ambassador Program, NRT Home Page The trailhead for this trail is at the Tyler Bend Visitor Center. The OHT is a heavily forested, backpacking trail located in Northern Arkansas. 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 Length: 1.4 miles. This is an amazing winter hiking trail, with people coming from all over the country to get in some winter backpacking. I highly recommend the Ozark Highlands Trail Guide by Tim Ernst. Facilities include the OHT footpath itself, trailhead parking areas, information boards at road crossings and developed recreation areas. Featured NRT Articles [2], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}35°43′22″N 93°30′29″W / 35.72278°N 93.50806°W / 35.72278; -93.50806, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ozark_Highlands_Trail&oldid=953615391, Long-distance trails in the United States, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 28 April 2020, at 04:11. Through the supreme effort of the volunteers from the Ozark Highlands Trail Association, the first 100 miles or so of the OHT were cleared by March giving us an open trail. This is a wilderness trail that does not pass through populated areas. Management practices are modified to recognize the nationally significant aesthetic and recreation values of these lands. The hike from Arbaugh to Ozone on the Ozark Highlands Trail was beautiful! For questions, suggestions, and corrections to information listed on the website, contact American Trails. Now it is a little more complicated. 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. 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 byway crosses the 165-mile Ozark Highlands Trail, a hiking and camping trail that travels through the Ozark National Forest to the Buffalo National River. Donate, Browse NRT Map For more information and current conditions, contact the trail manager (listed below). So hope for sunny skies. Your best source for information is the Ozark Highlands Trail Association www.ozarkhighlandstrail.com. The Ozark Highlands Trail roams 218 miles (351 km) through parts of seven counties in northwest Arkansas. Difficulty : Easy to Moderate. The Ozarks Highlands Trail (OHT) is one of the premier, long-distance hiking trails in the United States. Our Ozark Highlands Trail guide helps you navigate the length of the 164-mile trail. The trail is difficult. A self-described “genuine trail nut,” Ernst actually backpacked the entire trail’s route in 1975, bushwhacking much of the way. There is a complete mile-by-mile description of this 165-mile trail, which has been rated as one of the Top-Ten hiking trails in the United States. When complete, the OHT will run about 320 miles across northern Arkansas with the west end at Lake Fort Smith and the east end at the Missouri border north of Lake Norfork where it will someday connect to the Ozark Trail near Tecumseh MO. The OHT offers a diversity of topography and a variety of vegetation and animal life exposing the hiker to the entire range of land forms, clear water features, history, and uses of the land found throughout the Ozarks. 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. 6. Get spectacular views along the way, and check out a historic site. Robert Duggan Ozark St Francis National Forest 605 W. Main St. Russellville, AR Longitude: -94.030371Latitude: 35.700052. When complete, the OHT will stretch 320 miles across northern Arkansas from Lake Fort Smith State Park to Lake Norfork – where it will connect to the Ozark Trail in Missouri. The 180 miles (290 km) of trail in the Arkansas Ozark Mountains, the Ozark Highlands Trail, might be connected in the end to the Missouri trail system. For more information: Ozark Highlands Trail Association, Box 10979, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72703, www.OzarkHighlandsTrail.com, (501) 442-2799 LENGTH: 35 miles, Ark. It is well-known for its extensive woodlands, some of which is old growth forest. Views from the OHT are predominantly forested, sporadically intermixed with old fields, pastoral valleys, and cultural landscapes. OZARK HIGHLANDS TRAIL MAPS - WEST, EAST, and NORTH maps - perfect companions to the OHT guidebook. km) of land and was established by presidential proclamation in 1908. We hike 8.8 miles the first day and camped at Boomer Branch. Search by Activity Average Grade: 15% Maximum Grade: 30% Elevation Low Point: 900 The Ozark Highlands National Recreation Trail is a 165-mile-long hiking and backpacking route across northwestern Arkansas. Access at numerous trailheads. An easy to moderate level hike, it will take you between one and two hours to get through this trail. 170 miles, starting at Dockerys Gap, ending at Tyler Bend Rec. The trail passes through some of the most remote and scenic portions of the Ozark Mountains, like the Hurricane Creek Wilderness Area. The proposed route initially passed through 14 miles of wilderness area in the Buffalo National River park, and the National Park Service initially supported this route. Do you see a problem with this trail data? It offers a variety of diverse landscapes representing various topographic, vegetative, pastoral, historic, human and animal life communities that are typically found throughout the Ozarks. 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). Location: Arkansas; Description: This short thru hike runs through northwest Arkansas from Lake Fort Smith State Park to Lake Norfork. Ozark Highlands Trail is a 156.7 mile moderately trafficked point-to-point trail located near Winslow, Arkansas that features a lake and is rated as moderate. Become an Ambassador! Ozark Highlands Trail in Northern Arkansas. The NRT Database is a free service provided by American Trails (a non-profit) and we need your support. It offers a chance to see the beautiful Buffalo River and to have a truly remote experience. Length: 230 miles (and growing!) Year Designated: 1984. The trail is primarily used for hiking, camping, nature trips, and backpacking and is accessible year-round. Running through Ozark National Forest, the Ozark Highlands Trail is the ideal backpacking destination for an autumn adventure. Search by Trail Type It is currently 165 miles from end to end, with 27 additional miles of connecting spurs and loops, so it makes for a great long-distance backpacking trail. Tales of the Trail: Thru-Hiking the Ozark Highlands Trail A thru­-hike of any trail presents many challenges that most are unaware of. While the trail is long, it is well worth the magical forest setting that you become immersed throughout the trip. Secondary Surface: None We had taken our first backpacking trip a couple years before, and that trip had turned out to be a miserable failure - hypothermia, lost shoes, and deep snow, just to name a few travails. Download the most popular smartphone app for thruhikers! State(s): Arkansas Counties: Franklin, Pope, Johnson, Newton Contact us below: The NRT Database is a free service provided by American Trails (a non-profit) and we need your support! 21 north of Clarksville as Ark. It stretches from Lake Fort Smith State Park, across the Ozark National Forest, to the Buffalo National River. The Ozark Highlands Trail is a 165 miles long trail spanning most of the Northern half of the Ozark Mountains from Lake Fort Smith State Park to the Buffalo River. Trail Management: Ozark Highlands Trail Length: 187 miles Terrain: Wooded valleys, lakes Highlights: Waterfalls, spring and fall colors, the pride of Arkansas. Over the course of one day, the elevation may change several thousand feet as it climbs to the top of a mountain, along a ridge, and back down to a creek. It will eventually connect to the Ozark Trail in Missouri. Another 10 miles of trail starts at Barkshed and meanders west to join the Ozark Highlands Trail. The Ozark Highlands Trail roams 218 miles (351 km) through parts of seven counties in northwest Arkansas. The Ozark Highlands Trail is a 165 miles long trail spanning most of the Northern half of the Ozark Mountains from Lake Fort Smith State Park to the Buffalo River. There are quite a number of creek crossings without bridges. 21 crosses the southern boundary of the Ozark National Forest and continues until Ark. This trail was first thru-hiked in 1984 by Tim Ernst. 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). Primary Surface: Soil Starts at Lake Ft. Smith State Park on Hwy 71 and ends at the Buffalo River. 72801 (479) 964-7200 [email protected] http://www.fs.fed.us/oonf/ozark. Elevation Gain (cumulative): Not Available There are long-term plans to connect the similarly named Ozark Trail in Missouri to the Ozark Highlands Trail in Arkansas, resulting in over 700 miles (1,100 km) of continuous trails through the Ozarks. Ozark Highlands Trail Guide; This is the bible for OHT hikers. The maps from Underwood Geographics are essential, as is the trail guide by Tim Ernst. Ozark National Forest contains 1,874 square miles (4,856 sq. 14/Dillard's Ferry along … Stretching 230 miles, the Ozark Trail showcases the very best of the region, which is somehow even better during the eruption of fall colors. An “orphan” portion of the Ozark Highlands Trail runs through 31 miles of the Leatherwood Wilderness Area of the Ozark National Forest, and can currently be reached only by “bushwhacking” through a 15-mile section of another wilderness area. However, they have since vetoed this proposed route. Backpack camping is allowed anywhere along the trail. It also crosses White Rock Mountain, Hare Mountain, the Marinoni Scenic Area, and many other scenic spots. Want to adopt this trail? The Ozark Highlands Trail Association (OHTA) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit all-volunteer organization that was founded in 1981 to build, maintain, and enjoy the Ozark Highlands Trail (OHT). Location: Spans E-W across Ozark NF, from Lake Fort Smith to Richland Creek. About The trail is the only designated National Recreation Trail on the forest. There are hundreds of miles of trails in the forest, including the Ozark Highlands Trail, which extends some 165 miles (270km). Width: 24 inches. It starts at Lake Fort Smith State Park and winds through Ozark National Forest to the Buffalo River. Ozark Highlands Trail is one of the longest hikes in the Midwest, extending for about 165 miles. The summers are hot, humid, buggy and the trail becomes choked with vegetation. [1] It stretches from Lake Fort Smith State Park, across the Ozark National Forest, to the Buffalo National River. Benefits of designation Helpful NRT contacts. Elevation High Point: 2,200 Description: The Ozark Highlands Trail (OHT) is one of the most spectacular hiking trails in the United States. The EAST map covers from Ozone (mile 85.1) to Woolum (mile 164) on the Buffalo River - Sections 5-8.The newest NORTH map covers from Woolum (mile 164) to Hwy. River View Trail. Apply for designation The Ozarks Highlands Trail (OHT) is one of the premier, long-distance hiking trails in the United States. The Ozark Highlands Trail extends 165 miles from Lake Fort Smith State Park to Woolum, a canoe launch point on the middle Buffalo. The trail connects to the Ozark Highlands Trail, and has a river ford. Ozark Highlands Trail. A brief description of the Ozark Highlands Trail: I t has wonderful vistas, terrific streamside walks, lots of deep green pools to swim in, bluffs and rocks and boulders galore, forests that go on forever, and hundreds of waterfalls. Ozark Highlands Trail: Ouachita National Recreation Trail: Trek Dates: 28Jun - 7Jul 2004: 17Apr - 28Apr 2005: Trek length, including resupply and trailhead access. It offers a variety of diverse landscapes representing various topographic, vegetative, pastoral, historic, human and animal life communities that are typically found throughout the Ozarks. There is a complete mile-by-mile description of this 165-mile trail, which has been rated as one of the Top-Ten hiking trails in the United States. 21 exits the forest near the Buffalo National River . Many trail access points can be found throughout the forest where it bisects most state and woods roads. The Ozark Highlands Trail (OHT) is a combination of simple footpath and old forest roads favoring the heights of land, and located for minimum reliance on construction for protecting the resource. You may never see another hiker while on the OHT. The surround sound howl of coyotes and an owl in the distance were the only disturbances to the silence of the woods and soft sound of flowing water. Join a cadre of volunteers to help improve the data on this trail. Construction of the Ozark Highlands Trail was begun by the US Forest Service in 1977, and the Ozark Highlands Trail Association was founded in 1981. The trail passes through some of the most remote and scenic portions of the Ozark Mountains, like the Hurricane Creek Wilderness Area. area on the Buffalo River Trail: 235 miles, starting at Talimena State Park, ending at Maumelle Campground. The WEST map covers from Lake Ft. Smith State Park (mile 0.0) to Ozone (mile 85.1) - Sections 1-4. The book has eight maps and elevation profiles, nine mileage logs, information on campgrounds, trailhead parking areas, hunting and fishing, scenic spots, historical features, a month-by-month weather guide, plus lots of info that you'll need to hike this wonderful trail. 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