Ouachita Trail section 8
Section 8 of the Ouachita Trail - mile 160.4 to 187.4. This section is entirely within the Ouachita National Forest. It basically runs from hwy 7 to Lake Sylvia. There are several great vista points in this section, one at Flatside Pinnacle and the other at North Fork Pinnacle (on a spur trail). Section 8 includes the following features:
- traverses Flatside Wilderness
- several small waterfalls
- several vista points
- water at Green Thumb Spring, Crystal Prong creek and South Fork Brown Creek
- no bridge at Crystal Prong creek crossing - would be difficult after heavy rains (old bridge washed out)
There are numerous access points for day hikes in this section... all of them are from dirt/gravel forest roads. One of the highlights of this section is the traverse of Flatside Wilderness. The terrain overall is low mountains and there are quite a few significant ups and downs. This is the last section fully in the mountains.
Listed below are the three sub-section pages of section 8 of the OT. Each of those has links to hike pages (with full description of hike) or hike photos of a particular hike in that section (without a separate page). As always, the definitive guide to the OT is the Ouachita Trail Guide by Tim Ernst.
Ouachita Trail (section 08) mile 160.4 to 168.8 (multiple hikes)
This is the first of 3 sub-sections of section 8. Flatside Wilderness is in the center of the OT section 8... so this section is from mile 160.4 (Hwy 7) to the first encounter of Flatside (FR 124). It is 8.4 miles long and is mostly uphill from the Hwy 7 crossing.
The elevation at the crossing of Hwy 7 is just under 1000 feet and the FR124 road crossing is about 1600 feet. There is quite a bit of "up and down" so the overall change in elevation over this whole 8 mile segment is probably close to 1000 feet (cumulative gain in elevation).
There are several notable features of this segment. First is Sugar Creek Canyon at about mile 164. During the previous half mile (heading east) the OT descended into a ravine, carved by Sugar Creek, and in this narrow side canyon the trail climbs out steeply. During times of heavy rain, the little side canyon at mile 164 is incredible. Its nice even when dry, but its also well worth hiking it right after several days of heavy rains.
Another notable feature is Little Bear Creek headwaters between miles 166 and 168. If you stay on the OT you'll never see Little Bear Creek, but through this section you'll be hiking through the upper headwaters. This is a nice place to start an off-trail hike during the winter, to explore Little Bear Creek.
Finally, in that same section at approximatley mile 167.4 there's Oak Mountain Shelter, which is in the vicinity of the highest point on White Oak Mountain (almost 1800 feet). Expect the trail to be rocky in places. Also, this is high-elevation trail with little water during the dry season.
There are some nice camping spots where the OT crosses Sugar Creek, around mile 163.9. At the creek crossing, there is an old road (very obvious) going down the ravine. You can use the old road to look for camping areas. It's quite nice down in here, but don't underestimate the potential water levels in case of rain. I've seen this place right after 3 days of heavy rain and there were flowing torrents everywhere.
Its probably a good idea to get water at Sugar Creek (if you're using a filter). The next reliable water (heading east) is Green Thumb Spring at mile 170.6
As always, the definitive guide to the OT is the Ouachita Trail Guide by Tim Ernst.
Ouachita Trail (section 08) mile 168.8 to 179.2 (multiple hikes)
This is a special section of the OT... it traverses Flatside Wilderness from the southwest corner to the northeast border. This 'traverse' is roughly 10.4 miles.
After leaving FR124 the trail tracks below the ridgeline of White Oak Mountain for about 5 miles, to Grindstone Gap. Along the way it passes Green Thumb Spring, which is a reliable source of water. Don't underestimate the difficulty of this section... overall, the cumulative elevation gains are well over 1000 feet.
Grindstone Gap is really just a trail junction and not really notable for anything else. There is a little spur going out to FR152 with an OT access sign.
After Grindstone Gap, the OT winds down through some nice gullies and ravines to reach a place called Moccasin Springs. The photo on the right shows the small falls here. Its really a remarkable place, with a nice small falls and a large cliff/bluff (scramble up) that has a very nice view.
The next notable landmark is Crystal Prong Creek, where the OT crosses a large creek. This could be tricky after heavy rains, as the bridge washed out a few years ago and there is currently no bridge at all. After the Crystal Prong Creek crossing, the trail winds uphill through several beautiful ravines, finally reaching FR94 at 179.2, which is the parking area near Flatside Pinnacle.
Overall, this is a beautiful section of the OT. Below are listings of hikes in this area.
Ouachita Trail (section 08) mile 168.8 to 173.5
Hike Features:
State: Arkansas
County: Saline
Location: Off forest road near OT mile 169
Length of hike shown: ~ 9.8 miles
Trail: All on the Ouachita Trail
GPS: 34.83268° N 93.03222° W (OT access off forest road #124)
30 photos of this hike in photo gallery
Reaching Trailhead: The easiest way to find this place is to look at the Section 8 map in the Ouachita Trail Guidebook. FR 132 is the "Winona Scenic Drive". It can be reached off of highway 9 a few miles south of Williams Junction and can also be reached from highway 7 (just north of Iron Springs picnic area). The trail crosses FR #124 on top of White Oak Mountain, which was the starting point for this hike.
Description of hike: This was a yo-yo hike of a 5 mile stretch of the Ouachita Trail. I had several intentions on this day... it was a Sunday afternoon in August, but the weather was relatively mild (for August). I wanted to map this section of the OT using the GPS and needed some exercise, so it seemed like as good a time as any.
The first "issue" was finding the trail. The forest service (or somebody) had recently regraded the road (FR #124) and the trail was very overgrown and difficult to find. As of this writing (August 2008) there is a little pull-out right next to where the trail crosses the road, probably big enough for 2 cars to get off of the road.
Heading east, the OT drops down to a trailhead sign with nothing on it and a sign announcing that this section is cared for by the Ouachita Mountain Hikers. The sign also announces that it is 2 miles to Green Thumb Spring. Section 8 actually has water sources year round: at Sugar Creek, Green Thumb Spring, Moccasin Springs, Crystal Prong, etc... even in summer.
The main "feature" of this section from FR #124 to Green Thumb Spring is that its very rocky. Incredibly rocky! Its easy enough to walk but you spend a lot of time looking at your feet. During August there are essentially no views/vistas. During "leaf off" there probably would be.
Another "feature" of this part of the OT is where it passes through a tangle of dead trees on top of White Oak Mountain. The trees look like they were killed by fire and many of them are blown down. The result is a large open area of dead standing and fallen trees that gets full sunlight and is completely overgrown. On the east-heading leg of this hike, I lost the trail and ended up having to go out onto the road (FR#132), hike past the dead tree section, and then re-locate the trail east of it. FR #132 parallels the OT for the whole 5 miles of this hike, so you're never more than a few 100 feet from the road (and in some places much closer).
Green Thumb Spring had plenty of water. Right where the spring water emerges from the ground there is a large multi-trunk tree. Now, one large trunk has rotten and fallen across the trail. FoOT needs to clean this up. Anyway, from Green Thumb Spring it is another ~ 3 miles to Grindstone Gap.
Between Green Thumb Spring and Grindstone Gap the trail makes a long slog up White Oak Mountain. There are actually a few glimpses of the mountains beyond. No doubt, during fall/winter, there are some nice views up there.
Grindstone Gap, so called, looks like any other section of trail except that it has a little Spur Trail going out to FR#132. You don't really perceive a "gap".
Elevation profile: The elevation changes in this section are quite misleading. The map suggests that there is "a bit of up and down" in this section upon first glance. However, it turns out that the cumulative elevation gain of this 9.8 mile round trip hike is well over 1000 feet.
Also, the mileage by GPS differs from what the official trail mileage is. The hike from FR124 to Grindstone gap is actually 4.9 miles according to my Garmin 60csx GPS, which is very accurate. Its quite close to the 4.7 official mileage, but is off by 0.2 miles (about 1000 feet).
Cautions: none. Snakes in hot weather. Expect ticks and mosquitoes in hot weather. I rated it "moderate" because of the overall length and elevation gain (cumulative up/down).
Hikers: jc
Ouachita Trail (section 08) mile 173.5 to 175
Hike Features:
Date: November 27, 2003
State: Arkansas
County: Saline
Location: Off forest road near OT mile 174
Length of hike shown: ~ 3.4 miles
Trail: All on trail except short bushwhack up to cliff
GPS: 502608.71E 3855535.00N 15S (OT access off forest road 132 near mile 174)
13 photos of this hike in photo gallery
Reaching Trailhead: This is a bit hard to describe. The easiest way to find this place is to look at the Section 8 map in the Ouachita Trail Guidebook. FR 132 is the "Winona Scenic Drive". It can be reached off of highway 9 a few miles south of Williams Junction and can also be reached from highway 7 (just north of Iron Springs picnic area).
Description of hike: This was one of those special hikes that are not easily forgotten. It had rained the night before but the day was breezy, bright, sunny and clear. I had been to this small cascade before but it was just a trickle and I specifically wanted to return to check it out after significant rain. So this was the object of the hike... to see the falls flowing. The drive on FR132 is very nice too. From highway 9, FR132 is a dirt/gravel road that winds through the mountains, first reaching the Wildcat Mountain parking area at about 3 miles, then reaching Flatside wilderness at ~ 8.5 miles and then reaching the access for this hike at about 15 miles from highway 9. The drive from highway 7 to the trail access is about 12 miles. The drive itself is beautiful, with numerous views. The mountains get a bit larger as one drives west from highway 9. Grindstone and Crystal mountains, just to the south of this hike are about 1700 feet.
The hike starts at an OT trail access. There is a typical OT access sign and an unofficial place to park across the road. From the OT trail junction, which is very close to the road, I headed east (turned right). Its basically flat, with a few ups and downs. The trail passes a wildlife pond on the right and then generally heads east at about 1,400 feet elevation through mixed hardwood and pine forest. It soon passes OT marker 174 and at about halfway to the falls, starts to descend gently through small, open ravines. The trip is downhill all the way to the falls, but the total elevation change from the car to the falls is only about 250 feet. It continues to descend northward through a series of small drainages until it reaches a flowing stream about 5-6 feet wide. This is the stream above the falls, which is under a massive rock outcropping to the northeast, which is visible in places through the trees. In a few feet more the trail reaches the falls. At this point the trail is on the west side of the stream/falls. The official OT goes just above the falls and then heads uphill and away. There is an old, now abandoned part of the OT that goes straight (north), following the stream. Its actually easy to miss the OT and take this old trail by mistake.
Just below the falls there is a flat open area that's a nice lunch spot. From there, it was obvious that the cliff top can be reached by a short bushwhack up the hillside. The views from the top are great, mainly west and south. On this day, which was sunny and breezy, I sat up there (see photo) for about a hour. It was one of those wonderful times when the wind is whistling in the pines and there was an intense feeling tranquility and, at the same time, of isolation, wilderness and wildness. I was thinking what a great place this was for contemplation and snapping photos of the beautiful deep red leaves, backlit by the sun, when I heard thunder. At first I thought it must be something else; a jet or other non-natural sound. Then it came again and again... so I decided to head back. Within a few minutes of hiking back towards the starting point, it started raining, the wind picked up, gusting and howling through the trees and the lightning became much more frequent. It was basically walking back the whole way in rain with frequent thunder & lightning. As the storms came in, the clouds descended so that thick fog was blowing through the treetops overhead. In a few places, when the wind let up, the forest floor was actually foggy with the settling clouds. Although I don't like the danger of hiking in thunderstorm conditions, I didn't want to reach the car any sooner than necessary. Times like this when out hiking are often the most mystical and unforgettable.
This "falls" is really a small cascade, probably no more than 6-8 feet tall. I've visited here many times, including with ice in winter and in the heat of summer, and this is the most water flow I've seen yet (see photo gallery). Usually the stream flow is minimal and the falls is a trickle. There is a nice little pool under the falls which usually has water (in my limited experience) even in summer.
This area can also be reached by a much longer hike, from the OT road crossing just under Flatside Pinnacle. That hike, round trip, is about 8 miles.
Cautions: none. Snakes in hot weather. Expect ticks and mosquitoes in hot weather. I would rate it 'easy' due to its short length, all on-trail and elevation change of less than 300 feet.
Hikers: jc
Ouachita Trail (section 08) mile 177 to 179.3
Hike Features:
Date: October 14, 2007
State: Arkansas
County:
Location: Start - north east end of Flatside Wilderness at OT trailhead
Length of hike shown: ~ 4.7 miles
Trail: All on trail
GPS: N34 52 28.7 W92 54 49.1 (NAD27) (OT trailhead at Pinnacle Mountain parking area)
Maps and photos in photo gallery
KMZ file of hike (GPS track) for Google Earth (open in Google Earth*)
Reaching Trailhead: Reaching this trailhead is relatively easy. The hike starts at the large parking area just west of Flatside Pinnacle.
Description of hike: This is a great dayhike. It starts at the parking area just west of Flatside Pinnacle. The short hike up to the top of Flatside is a 'must' for this area too.
At the south end of the parking area there is a big wilderness sign. From there, the trail is basically downhill all the way to Crystal Prong Creek crossing on the OT, heading west. There is a pond (see map and photos in photo gallery) along the way, not far from the beginning of this hike. There is also a small waterfall down in the valley, but it only runs after substantial rains. This is a nice hike in all seasons but fall and during Iris blooming time in the springtime is especially nice. The Crystal Prong crossing area has some nice spots for lunch. Camping is strongly discouraged here due to overuse damage.
Cautions: none. Snakes in hot weather. Expect ticks and mosquitoes in hot weather. It is rated "moderate" only because it is up hill all the way back with a total elevation gain > 1000 ft.
Notes: *Requires Google Earth. If it does not open directly in Google Earth, try saving to disk first and then open with Google Earth.
Hikers: jc, sb
Ouachita Trail (section 08) mile 179.2 to 187.4 (multiple hikes)
This is another interesting segment of the OT in section 8, running from FR94 (the parking area for Flatside Pinnacle) to FR152, for a total of 8 miles.
The nice features of this section include a) Flatside Pinnacle via a spur trail, b) Brown Creek Shelter, c) Brown Creek crossing, d) North Fork Pinnacle (via a spur trail) and Lake Sylvia (via a spur trail). Looks like there's lots of spur trails in this segment!
Flatside Pinnacle is definitely worth the extra hike up to the top. As shown in the photo, it is a rocky crag with cliffs that will induce vertigo (and nice views too).
Brown Creek Shelter is nice and the area is very flat... but there is no source of water at the shelter. You'll have to stock up before reaching the shelter. If you're heading east, this means either Crystal Prong Creek or the pond just before reaching FR94. If you're heading west, water should be taken from Brown Creek at the crossing (183.1 mile on the OT).
There are some nice views in the section between Flatside Pinnacle and Brown Creek shelter. They are off-trail, so you'll have to figure out where they are and look for them. Northfork Pinnacle also has panoramic views from the top.
Overall, this section of the OT is well-maintained and has some nice features. Between Flatside and FR152 there is substantial up, down, up and down... probably with a cumulative elevation gain of many 100's of feet.
Below are some listings of hikes in this area.
Ouachita Trail (section 08) mile 183.1 to 184
Hike Features:
State: Arkansas
County: Perry
Location: Off Highway 10, on Brown Creek forest road.
Length of hike shown: ~ 2 miles
Trail: Part bushwhack (off trail) and part on trail.
GPS: 512140.40E 3858487.19N 15S (UTM WGS84) (OT crossing of forest road)
7 photos in OHJ Photo Gallery
Reaching Trailhead: We drove out HWY 10 from Little Rock, past Williams Junction until we reached the sign to turn left for Lake Sylvia. A few miles down that road brought us to a dirt road (going off to the right) called Brown Creek road (or something like that). We went down Brown Creek road until 512717.91E 3858502.47N 15S (UTM GPS coordinates, WGS84, labeled "start" on map).
Description of hike: I'm a little ambivalent about putting these hikes on the web. This off-trail hike goes to a wonderful waterfall under a bluff. Its really more of a cascade than a true waterfall. The cascade height is not impressive (maybe 10 feet), but the place is a gushing, roaring vortex during big rains. Great place. During times of lesser rains, its still nice. My ambivalence is about publicizing the location of these places. On the one hand, it would be bad to see them trampled by the masses. On the other hand, people who really care need to know that these gems are there so they can help protect these areas.
Anyway, we parked at the starting point (see above, map). From there we hiked up the west side of the creek, which was a surging torrent on January 14, 2007 after 3 days of rain. There is no trail but its easy to follow the creek, staying to the west. Some rock scrambling is necessary. After scrambling over an east-west running rock dyke, we reached an old road trace that follows the creek up to the falls. It's overgrown (of course) and has numerous fallen trees, but it was easy to follow. After 
a quarter of a mile or so we reached the falls. There is a large bluff (overhang) where 2 streams converge. The streams drop under the cliff in a cascade of swirling water. On a day like today, when the water is flowing 10+, its an impressive place. It was pouring rain during the whole hike, with low-hanging clouds, fog, gushing water everywhere... really fantastic atmosphere. Rainy days are my personal favorite for hiking.
After hanging around the falls for a bit, we decided to continue on up the mountain. As seen on the map, the waterfall area is just northeast of North Fork Pinnacle and the hillsides are steep and rocky. There are some 'boulder fields' that aren't really a barrier but are not easy to walk across. Anyway, I knew that the OT was on the ridge top, from previous hikes in this area. I've spent 100's of hours hiking off trail here. So we hiked on up to the ridge to catch the OT. From there it was a nice stroll back to the road. There are two more nice waterfalls just to the west.
When we reached the road we were curious to see what SF Brown Creek looked like. It was a raging torrent. The OT bridge was nearly underwater. I had never seen the water quite so high here. From there it was a brief quarter mile or so back to the car. We were also curious to see what the low-water ford across Brown Creek looked like (see photo).
Cautions: The off-trail hike to the falls is easy but there is a small bit of rock scrambling. There are also a lot of briars in summer. The is best as a winter hike, preferably after big rains. The other caution is to treat the falls area with great care.
Where are the photos of the falls? Why aren't there any pictures of the cascade? It was pouring rain from the time we started and during the whole time at the cascade. I forgot my umbrella (which I usually take for keep the rain off the camera on rainy days). Simple as that. There are other photos of this place that I'll link to later.
Hikers: mec, sb, jc
Ouachita Trail (section 08) mile 184.8 to 187.4
Hike Features:
State: Arkansas
County: Perry
Location: Off Highway 10, near Lake Sylvia
Length of hike shown: ~ 5.4 miles
Trail: All on trail
GPS: 34.85759° N 92.81764° W (OT crossing of forest road #152)
41 photos and topo map in OHJ Photo Gallery
Reaching Trailhead: Drove to Lake Sylvia, then continued south to the place where the OT crosses FR #152 at mile 187.4. There is room for 2 cars to park there. Alternatively, you can park at the Lake Sylvia parking lot (hiking lot) and use the half-mile long spur trail to reach the OT.
Description of hike: This hike was a dayhike, from where the OT crosses FR #152 to the spur trail for North Fork Pinnacle. The total mileage according to the GPS was 5.5 miles and the elevation gain was about 1000 feet cumulatively. It starts about about 780 feet elevation and goes up to about 1,400 feet, but there is also some up/down along the way.
Basically, the OT here follows the north side of an un-named mountain so it is cut into the slope almost the whole way. There is very little "flat" trail in here. Also, in places its very rocky... you spend a lot of time looking at your feet while walking (which is not a bad idea anyway for reptile reasons, especially in summer). I saw one snake on this trip (see photos).
At about mile 185.5 there are some interesting small rock outcrops but otherwise there are no special landmarks... this is just a pleasant walk in the woods. The trail is well-done and well-maintained.
You could use this hike as a route to North Fork Pinnacle. If you did, it would be about 6 miles round trip. For those not wanting to exert that much energy, North Fork Pinnacle can be reached by a much shorter trail (see here).
Cautions: Snakes in spring, summer and fall. Otherwise, none.
Hikers: jc