ArklahomaHiker.org - Arkansas and Oklahoma Hiking Trails

Bearings: 2012-01-12

By Mike Newman, on January 12, 2012

There is controversy over plans to clear 62 square miles of trees and underbrush in the Ozark National Forest.
A ballot measure that would have reduced the Arkansas conservation tax was rejected by the Attorney General.
The Forest Service will be conducting prescribed burns in the Ozark and Ouachita Forests in the next few months.
Arkansas State Parks would like you to check out their Heart Healthy Programs.
The joys of running trails at Greenleaf State Park.
Time to watch for eagles.
Meet the 26 no-longer-national parks.
And the Lorax would like you to visit the forest.

[Updated 2012-01-17.]

Beaver Lake: Dogwood Overlook Trail

By Shelley Smart, on January 9, 2012

[This post was originally published on April 2, 2011 on "A Hiking We Will Go."]

The Dogwood Overlook Trail is at the Dam Site Lake Park on Beaver Lake, close to Eureka Springs in northwest Arkansas. The hiking trail is only two miles long, but it is a steep two miles and a little more difficult than the length would indicate.

We headed out with the dogs today to check it out. It was a perfect spring day, with blue skies and just a few clouds here and there. Because it was such a short hike, I opted to go without my backpack, thinking we would not be out very long.

The trailhead is at the overlook by Beaver Dam. There is a long flight of stairs going straight up. Buster was headed up the stairs full steam while Katie was resistant to climbing any of the stairs. I handed Katie off to Stuart, and Buster and I started up.

About a third of the way up the stairs, Buster decided that the stairs were not that interesting, so he jumped off to find a different route. Unfortunately, the stairs are there because there isn’t a way up without them. So I dropped the leash and headed back down the stairs, calling him back down the hill.

We got to the bottom of the stairs and started back up again. This time he made it about two-thirds of the way before he decided to jump off the stairs and find another way. I was really glad we were able to call to him and get him back on the stairs this time.

After leaving the stairs, the trail heads up slightly to a nice bench and an overlook. We were a couple of weeks early for the dogwood blooms, but the view was nice. We carried on and came to the quarry where the stone for the dam was taken.

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Mount Magazine North Rim Trail Fall Photos – 2011-10-19

By Mike Newman, on January 5, 2012

View from Dill Point, North Rim Trail (Click photos for larger view.)

Autumn is a great time of year for hiking. The temperatures are much more pleasant than in the summer, and nature puts on a great show of color.

Here are some fall photos I took in late October at the North Rim Trail at Mount Magazine State Park.

North Rim Trail, Mount Magazine State Park

North Rim Trail

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Lake Leatherwood Dam Spillway Video

By Mike Newman, on January 4, 2012

Back in October, I went with my son and his girlfriend to Lake Leatherwood near Eureka Springs, Arkansas. We walked the Beacham Trail, the trail that makes a loop around the lake.

The coolest part of the hike is probably walking across the 1940′s-era limestone dam.

This is some cell phone video I took of the spillway water flowing down the back side of the dam.

Alternate link.

Brushy Creek Loop Trail

By Mike Newman, on January 2, 2012

View from vista near Ouachita Trail MM 93 on Big Brushy Loop Trail.

In late October, I hiked the Brushy Creek Loop Trail in the Ouachita National Forest. It was a great hike.

This is a 6.5-mile loop which begins at the Big Brushy Campground, about 30 miles east of Mena, Arkansas. The trail begins at the back of the campground and makes a counterclockwise loop. The last 3 miles of the loop are on Section 4 of the Ouachita Trail.