Special Places
Highlighted Areas
Horsethief Springs Trail
Horsethief Springs Trail is one of the most beautiful trails in the area. The trail begins at Cedar Lake and loops through many different tree species. The hiker will cross several small streams before connecting with the Ouachita National Recreation Trail. The trail then loops back down the northern face of Winding Stair Mountain to Cedar Lake. Using the Ouachita National Recreation Trail to form the loop results in about an 11-mile hike.
Eagle Rock Loop
This trail offers the longest loop trail in Arkansas. A combination of the Little Missouri, the Athens-Big Fork and part of the Viles Branch Horse Trail, this trail travels through the southwestern portion of the Ouachita National Forest. Trail difficulty ranges from easy to most difficult. The trail has nine river/stream crossings and travels over nine mountains. There are also numerous creek crossings.
Recreation Guide - Detailed
Recreation Guide - General
Womble Trail
The Womble Trail stretches over 37 miles from Northfork Lake to the Ouachita National Recreation Trail. This trail is considered one of the best single track trails in this area. Short segments of the trail meander along the bluffs of the Ouachita River providing breathtaking views. Hikers and mountain bikers can combine the Roundtop Trail with the Womble and Ouachita National Recreation Trail (west of Highway 27) to form an 8-mile loop.
Lake Ouachita Vista Trail
The Lake Ouachita Vista Trail (LOViT) travels up, down and along mountain slopes through a mixed hardwood and pine forest, opening up at several places to spectacular views of the lake before you. Beautiful displays of wildflowers await hikers and bikers during the spring and summer months. Along the trail, pits left by quartz speculators and the remains of a moonshiner's still are evidence of the area's colorful history. Plans call for the trail to extend 35 to 40 miles along the shores of Lake Ouachita, running through private resorts and public campgrounds and ultimately to Blakely Dam to the east.
Visit the very helpful, information-packed website created and maintained by the LOViT "Traildogs".
Ouachita National Recreation Trail
This is the longest trail in the Ouachita National Forest spanning 192 miles across its entire length. In the west, the trail begins at Talimena State Park on Highway 271 near Talihina, Oklahoma. The eastern boundary is south of Perryville, Arkansas on Highway 9. An additional 32 miles of trail, located on private and other public lands, extends to Pinnacle Mountain State Park, 15 miles west of Little Rock, Arkansas. Elevations range from 600 to 2,600 feet as the trail passes through forested mountains, across sweeping valleys and near clear-running streams. Spur trails connect to various recreation areas and points of interest. Numerous road crossings and access points provide opportunities for point to point hikes of various distances.
Ouachita National Recreation Trail - General Map
Ouachita National Recreation Trail - Detailed Map
The Ouachita National Recreation Trail is maintained by a non-profit group, Friends of the Ouachita Trail (FoOT). For updates on trail conditions as well as information on this group, check out their website.
Highlights of the Ouachita National Recreation Trail available here
Red Slough Wildlife Management Area
The Red Slough Wildlife Management Area is a 5,814 acre wetland project designed to restore hydrology and re-establish bottomland hardwoods. It is cooperatively managed by the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. Project goals and objectives are to maximize diversity and offer outstanding recreational opportunities. Red Slough is a very popular recreational destination located in southeastern Oklahoma and is a premier birdwatching and waterfowl hunting area.
Map of Red Slough - pdf
Map of Red Slough - image file
More complete details about Red Slough are available here.