Ouachita and Ozark National Forest

[Downs]

The stories of sabatoge on the k arent unfounded either i picked this up in my tire about 4 years ago on the k.

Yeah I had read those stories prior to going didn't see anything or pick up anything. By the way hiya. I'm down in Greenville. We're practically neighbors.

 

[Wandering Yeti]

The stories of sabatoge on the k arent unfounded either i picked this up in my tire about 4 years ago on the k.

Totally could have fallen off a tree

 

[Boostpowered]

Totally could have fallen off a tree

Not sure how a straight piece of 1x 1/2 hardwood with 3 inch long screws at opposing angles would just fall off a tree. Maybe if a tornado left it i guess but it looks purpouse made to me like hillbilly caltrops.

 

[Boostpowered]

Yeah I had read those stories prior to going didn't see anything or pick up anything. By the way hiya. I'm down in Greenville. We're practically neighbors.

Yep im sure youve probably seen our silver colorado around town on the weekends usually getting groceries at walmart or passing through to go to tawakoni with the kayaks.

 

[joshjunior]

Years ago the area the k trail is in was part of the national forest since then its been sold off to private individuals and timber companys so a mvum likely won't do much good. There are no signs because folks keep ripping them down in protest.

Ahhh had no idea. I've only been up there a few years back and plan on going soon. Last time I was in a Jeep with a bunch of fj guys and I just followed them around

 

[William M. W.]

Check the mvum for sure. They don't really post much signage from what I recall. Here's someone that knows the area well and a great advocate in the area

This is some really solid information, thank you for posting this!

 

[William M. W.]

Hello Ouachita and Ozark Overlanders,

I have spent some time looking around for some things to see around Ouachita and have found a few places that look interesting. I'll probably end up building a route to get around to the different places before too long and clean up what roads are still open! Note: I found all of these using GaiaGPS (Satellite, USGS Topo, Public Land (US), and MVUM (USFS))

Does anyone else know some good spots around Ouachita that I might want to add?



Get out there,
William

 

[Boostpowered]

Hello Ouachita and Ozark Overlanders,

I have spent some time looking around for some things to see around Ouachita and have found a few places that look interesting. I'll probably end up building a route to get around to the different places before too long and clean up what roads are still open! Note: I found all of these using GaiaGPS (Satellite, USGS Topo, Public Land (US), and MVUM (USFS))

Does anyone else know some good spots around Ouachita that I might want to add?

View attachment 121192

Get out there,
William

We do alot of clean ups in the broken bow lake area since thats our go to area for offroading and camping . We use the nfs visitor map and a offline mvum. Beware most trails are gonna pinstripe your rig and right now alot of sxs and 4wheelers up there on the same tight trails.

 

[Osteology]

Boostpowered,
Would love to have your thoughts on this loop - Thinking about going up to the OK side of the Ouachita NF for a shakedown run with the new truck the first part of Thanksgiving week.
Looking for:
1. Fairly easy gravel/dirt
2. Nothing too tight - paint is still drying ;)

GaiaGPS - Kiamichi Loop idea, 2019

November 2019

www.gaiagps.com

Open to other suggestions you might have for the Ouachita/Beavers Bend area....
Thanks!

 

[Boostpowered]

Boostpowered,
Would love to have your thoughts on this loop - Thinking about going up to the OK side of the Ouachita NF for a shakedown run with the new truck the first part of Thanksgiving week.
Looking for:
1. Fairly easy gravel/dirt
2. Nothing too tight - paint is still drying ;)

GaiaGPS - Kiamichi Loop idea, 2019

November 2019

www.gaiagps.com

Open to other suggestions you might have for the Ouachita/Beavers Bend area....
Thanks!

I dont use gaia so i cant open that file, if your going on the west side of hwy 259 stay on the access road like cedar creek trail aka 51000, really just dont turn off the large acess rds and you would be fine, if you turn off onto a trail there you will get scratched up. On the east side of broken bow the main access road is the chisolm trail aka n4755 but on that side it can be difficult to tell if your in the nf or on the game reserve or on weyerhauser logging land. This is the road i reccomend you go and stay on if you dont want scratches they are rock roads though so you always have the chance of a rock scratching the paint too.
Dropped pin
Near 51000, Broken Bow, OK 74728

34°13'10.2"N 94°46'56.5"W · 34.219494, -94.782369

maps.app.goo.gl

 

[Osteology]

Thank you, will definitely check out Cedar Creek. Sorry about the Gaia link - old man here trying to join the modern age. Thoughts on K-Trail (NF6025) east of 259? In general, the area: east of 259, south of 63, and North of Smithville?
Thanks again!

 

[Downs]

Some spots on the k trail will have tree limbs reaching out to your paint. I striped up my XJ in there and its pretty small. But tree stripes arent something i worry about.

Other than that the road is a rough 2wd road. Not smooth enough to go at speed till you get past the fire tower but not rough enough to need 2wd.

 

[Osteology]

I did it from Clayton about 20 years ago in my old FJ40 Looking for something pretty tame (brand new Tacoma that I'm not quite ready to abuse and 3 boys out for the first time) and heard the section east of the fire tower, and especially east of Hwy 259 might be good

Cheers,
Mark

 

[Downs]

The clayton trail now dead ends. The company putting in the windfarm bulldozed the trail intersection earlier this year.

 

[Wandering Yeti]

Some pics from weekend trip to the Ozarks

 

[joshjunior]

View attachment 127826View attachment 127827View attachment 127828View attachment 127829View attachment 127830View attachment 127831View attachment 127832

Some pics from weekend trip to the Ozarks

Looks amazing!

 

[Osteology]

if your going on the west side of hwy 259 stay on the access road like cedar creek trail aka 51000, really just dont turn off the large acess rds and you would be fine, if you turn off onto a trail there you will get scratched up.

Boostpowered,
Thanks again! Spent most of the time just north of Hochatown in the NF off of 259. I went west 259 on 51000 along Cedar Creek to the Glover River and East of 259 on 52900 toward the lake and Bee Creek Mountain. Didn't make it further north this time but planning to go back soon to the area south and east of Big Cedar, starting with NF6025 EAST from 259.
Boys had a great time!

 

[Boostpowered]

Boostpowered,
Thanks again! Spent most of the time just north of Hochatown in the NF off of 259. I went west 259 on 51000 along Cedar Creek to the Glover River and East of 259 on 52900 toward the lake and Bee Creek Mountain. Didn't make it further north this time but planning to go back soon to the area south and east of Big Cedar, starting with NF6025 EAST from 259.
Boys had a great time!View attachment 130294View attachment 130295View attachment 130296

No problem its really an awesome area. Weve been talking about buying a cabin property up there.

 

[Osteology]

Just came across this: Enhanced MVUM maps for the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest (paper or Tyvek) that combine information from various sources. Prices seem more than reasonable to have the MVUM information compiled with the other information on one single hard-copy map.

Ozark-St. Francis National Forest

Here is a link to the project description on Reddit by the cartographer who put it together:


From the web site:

Contains:​

Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) routes in easy to read designations.​

Other Roads and trails within the National Forest boundaries.​

Forest System Road closures & gates.​

Various Campgrounds (www.fs.usda.gov for conditions).​

Topographic and geographic data (elevation, lakes, rivers, streams, etc) along with selected names.​

Surrounding Ranger District Boundaries.​

Wilderness Areas.​

Each map covers approximately 1750 square miles and is roughly 35 miles x 50 miles (depending on landscape or portrait orientation).​

I just e-mailed him and he's going to work on the Ouachita NF shortly!

 

[Osteology]

Well that was fast...... Maps for the Ouachita NF by ranger district:

Ouachita National Forest

United States National Forest Service Motor Vehicle Usage Map (MVUM) Enhanced. All US National Forests subdivided into 1:100,000 scale Forestry Service Ranger Districts. Each map contains MVUM routes, Camp sites, and forest service roads. DuPont Tyvek Map is available.

axlesandantennas.com

The Beavers Bend/Broken Bow Reservoir area is the Tiak (northern) map