Ouachita Vistas Overnighter

• The best times to ride this route are in fall, winter, and early spring (October to May). Summer in Arkansas is very hot and humid. Snakes, ticks, mosquitos, and spiders are plentiful in the summer months.
• The Ouachitas are home to black bear, wild hogs, and racoons. Wildlife is rarely a problem. However, it’s best to do your cooking and eating away from camp and hang food at night.
• The OT was built as a backpacking trail. You will encounter stairs, rock dams, and boulder filled creek crossings. Trees may not be spaced wide enough for mountain bike handlebars in a few locations. The trail is marked with blue paint.
• No bikes are allowed on the OT east of Highway 7.
• Phone service is very limited.
• The Ouachita National Forest is a popular hunting destination. Check hunting seasons with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Some seasons may require hunter orange for anyone in the woods.
• Use caution on the two miles of the route that are on Highway 7.
• Spring can be very wet in Arkansas. Use caution when crossing creeks with low water bridges.

• Dispersed camping is allowed in the Ouachita National Forest. Established campgrounds are marked. Portions of the route traverse private land. The private land is usually marked by signs or purple paint. Camping is not allowed on private land.
• The free OT Shelters are first come, first served. You may be sharing the shelter. Tents are allowed near the shelters.
• Camping at the Bear Creek Horse Camp (free) and South Fourche Campground ($5) are first come, first served. The campgrounds have pit toilets and fire rings.

• Hollis Country Store is the only resupply. However, the store has limited hours.
• Green Thumb Spring is the only dependable water source east of Highway 7 on the southern portion of the route. The spring is on the Ouachita Trial, so leave your bike by the road.
• Late summer and fall in Arkansas can be very dry. The marked water locations generally have water year-round. During wet times of the year, filterable water is plentiful.

Day 1 (44 miles)

We recommend riding the route counterclockwise to minimize climbing on the OT. The route starts at Lake Sylvia State Park, which has a small free parking lot. After a short paved section, the route turns onto Brown Creek Road. You will see and hear Brown Creek for the next few miles before climbing up to the foot of Flatside Pinnacle. If you feel like more climbing, you can take a short detour up to Flatside Pinnacle where there is a hiking trail up to the top. At about mile 13, you will glimpse Forked Mountain peeking through the pines. After some closer views of Forked Mountain, you come to Highway 7. The Hollis Country Store and South Fourche Campground are located about 1.5 miles off-route to the north on Highway 7. From Highway 7, the route proceeds south and passes by the Hollis Civilian Conservation Corp Camp historic site. After passing the Bear Creek Horse Camp and crossing North Creek, you begin a long climb up to Ouachita Pinnacle, where the route turns onto the OT. Be sure to check out the view of Lake Ouachita from the top. The Big Bear Shelter is about 4 miles down the OT on the left. Watch for the wood “Shelter” sign.

Day 2 (34 miles)

The next 9 miles of the route will be on the OT, passing Scooters Point Overlook and the Moonshine Shelter. The Highway 7 trailhead and parking lot is at mile 55. The next 23 miles follow the northern half of the signed Lake Winona Gravel Bike Loop. There are four vista overlooks between Highway 7 and Lake Sylvia. After all the climbing, you will be rewarded at the end with 3.5 miles of mostly downhill back to Lake Sylvia.

Additional Resources

• Ouachita National Forest
• Lake Winona Gravel Bike Loop
• OT Guide (Tim Ernst)