Ouachita Trail (section 10) mile 212.2 to 214.8

Hike Features:

Date:  August 16, 2007
State: Arkansas
County: Pulaski
Location: OT day hike starting at Lundsford Corner on hwy 300
Length of hike:  ~ 5.3 miles
Trail: All on-trail
GPS: none needed

42 photos in OHJ Photo Gallery

Reaching Trailhead:    Parking area at Lundsford  corner (highway 300)  (N34 54.455  W092 32.981,  DMM WGS84; 541138.78E  3862886.91N 15S UTM WGS84)           There is a parking area just at the 90 degree bend in the road (hwy 300) here, complete with trash can.    From the parking area, walked north on hwy 300 about 50-100 feet and found the Ouachita Trail road crossing.  

Description:     It was 103°F on this day, which was one of many days during August 2007 with temps over 100 degrees.   If that wasn't enough, there had been no rain for at least two weeks (more like 3 weeks).  I made a snap decision at about 3:30pm to go hiking and was at the trailhead by 4pm.   The map in the photo gallery shows the trail route, mapped with a Garmin GPS 60CSx set on 'highest detail' mode.  I think its quite accurate (no guarantees).   Basically, the photo gallery says it all.   This section of trail is in good condition, with lots of ups and downs but nothing very challenging.   Its a nice day hike.   If a particular destination is desired, this hike could end at the "scenic vista", which would make it about 6 miles round trip.  I was fascinated by the forest in the dry heat of August, when temps had been consistently > 100°F and as high as 106 degrees on some days.  All of this is without a drop of rain since sometime in mid-July.   it was amazing to see how the forest was coping with this.  In any case, there is a detailed description accompanying the 42 photos in the gallery.

Notes:   There is room for about 3 cars at Lundsford Corner.

Wildlife sightings:   Numerous deer (most deer sightings per hike in the last 5 years), woodpecker, chuck-wills-widow, hawk, katydids, spiders, etc.    The KATYDIDS were amazing.   For info about katydids and even recordings of their "songs", there is an excellent site called Singing Insects of North America.  It's a great site, well worth a visit.

Cautions:     None. 

Hikers:   jc