Segment 24: Arkansas

OVERVIEW:

Arkansas presents a wealth of foot trails through the Ozarks including three major long distance trails. The Fifty Trail uses two of those, the Ozark Highlands Trail and the Ouachita Trail. The Buffalo River Trail is the one that had to be left out.

The Fifty Trail eastbound enters Arkansas from the extreme SW corner of Missouri and follows back roads southward to the western terminus of the Ozark Highlands Trail. That premier trail heads eastward to the Newton-Searcy county line then turns north to connect with the Buffalo River Trail. But it is there, at Falling Water Road, that the Fifty Trail turns south, following forest roads through Ozark National Forest, crossing the Arkansas River at Conway, and then picking up the Ouachita Trail at its eastern Terminus at Lake Maumelle.

The Ouachita Trail proceeds westward into Ouachita National Forest all the way across west central Arkansas and continues into Oklahoma


MAPS and TRAIL GUIDES:

Buffalo River Trail web site: http://www.ouachitamaps.com/Buffalo.html

Ozark Highlands Trail maps and guide are for sale: http://ozarkhighlandstrail.com/trail-map/

But there is also a free set of maps online: http://www.ouachitamaps.com/OHT.html

Oachita Trail maps (29 individual ones) are downloadable for free too: http://www.ouachitamaps.com/OT.html#OTMap


HEART OF THE TRAIL:

Ozark Highlands Trail, details TBD.