Mount Magazine – Bear Hollow Trail

Last Saturday I went hiking on the Bear Hollow Trail at Mount Magazine State Park (near Paris, Arkansas).

Bear Hollow Trail, Mt. Magazine State Park, Logan County, Arkansas

Bear Hollow Trail is one of my favorite hiking trails. It is not very difficult or very long, and it has gorgeous views of the Bear Hollow area on the east side of Mount Magazine.

Interactive Bear Hollow Trail (Mt. Magazine) GPX Map

As you can see from the Google map I made from my gpx file, this 2.7-mile non-loop trail forms a sideways “V” pointing west. There is parking on the south end of the trail at the Benefield Picnic Area.  From there the trail descends a little ways then proceeds northwest for about a mile until reaching the vertex at the headwaters of Big Shoal Creek.  Then the trail heads northeast until ending (or beginning) at the north trailhead on Highway 309.

Last Saturday when I went up there, I was a little surprised to see all the snow that was still there.  We had gotten snow in Fort Smith in the past week or so, but that had already melted.

The first part of my hike was pretty exciting as I had never hiked in 6 inches of snow before. I’m sure that is a pretty regular thing to do up north, but it was new for me.

Hiking in the snow (with my hiking stick handy) wasn’t too difficult as long as I wasn’t going up- or downhill. It is sort of like hiking in a giant sand box with 6 inches of sand.

Trying to navigate downhill on the trail without being able to see the rocks under the snow was fairly treacherous, for me.

Fortunately, the trail was mostly clear once I reached the north side.

It was about the middle of the afternoon when I reached the north trailhead. I was concerned about getting back to my car before nightfall, so I decided to make a loop out of it by walking south on the highway to the visitors center (a must-see, by the way) and then continued south back to the  Benefield Picnic Area. It is about 3 miles from the north trailhead along the highway to the picnic area.

Bear Hollow Trail, Mt. Magazine State Park

View from Bear Hollow Trail

Winter on Bear Hollow Trail

As usual, I have posted some of my photos and a gpx map made from my gps data. (The beginning elevation data got messed up. That’s why it is missing on the elevation chart.)

Click here for large interactive map. Click here for GPX file download.

[Updated: 2010-10-06]

Similar:

• Mount Magazine North Rim Trail Photos – 2011-01-15
• Mount Magazine North Rim Trail Fall Photos – 2011-10-19
• Mount Magazine – North Rim Trail
• Mount Magazine North Rim Trail Photos – 2011-08-13
• Mount Magazine – Signal Hill Trail Loop