Influencer II
- 1,183
- First Name
- Warren
- Last Name
- Sharp
- Member #
-
28010
- Service Branch
- Retired Army
Ouachita National Forest, Ozark National Forest & Mark Twain National Forest Highlights Request
- Thread starter MidwestVoyager
- Start date
Enthusiast III
- 845
- First Name
- Matt
- Last Name
- Westerhaus
- Member #
-
23604
- Service Branch
- Fire/NREMT-BLS
Awesome! That track came right into GAIA. I marked it as a spot to check out when we get out that way, the pictures looked wonderful. Thank you for sharing.
Im in Ouachita right now..dispersed camping off of 47.
Very crowded, some sites showing overuse and undercare but generally pretty good.
Spent a couple days getting the layout of the places..tomorrow .ore exploring.
Very crowded, some sites showing overuse and undercare but generally pretty good.
Spent a couple days getting the layout of the places..tomorrow .ore exploring.
Enthusiast III
Just got back...here's my after trip report:
My goal were to:
1) check the area, trails, other sites
2) test out some new gear (new Yakima rack and Rolle basket)
3) get away from humans for a while
I circumnavigated the lake off-road, not highway. Took several rides into the lake area at different points, then back up into the mountains. Total visit was 5 days.
Impressions:
- Holidays are very very crowded by the lake. One exception was Iron Forks lake access point....I had the entire place to myself. It is day use only, but has picnic areas and bathrooms for those that need that sort of thing. :)
- By far the best view was at Hickory Nut Vista, a small overlook area (day use only). It is convenient to camp at Hickory Nut Campground area nearby.
- The roads go from rural two lane to crushed gravel to two track to trail. There are no two tracks that were challenging, even a decent car could make them. Occasional water crossings which could be dangerous if higher, but they were all navigable. All roads to this level did not present a challenge to my full-sized rig.
- As far as off-road trails, some were seriously overgrown with tree branches crossing the entire trail. I did not encounter any downed trees on the ones I went down.
- Navigation skills here are incredibly important. The mountains, lake and streams make for a set of trails that mingle with each other, twist and turn. My guess is less than 2 percent are marked in any way. Keep track of where you are by GPS, Gaia or tracking the side trails and matching them to a map. I recommend buying the large map at the USNFS Office in Mt Ida ($14, cash, exact change). Make sure you have a full tank before entering.
- Lots of blind turns and some switchbacks - go slow if you can't see what's around the bend.
- My longest run was on 11 N of the lake from 7 just N of Jessieville . A beautiful forest road goes East-West and has a lot of side trails. A couple nice shallow water crossings. Dispersed camping sites here are difficult to come by unless you take a side trail. I spent two days exploring here and saw only one other vehicle.
- The most beautiful run was 47 near Hickory Nut Campground. It is an unmarked road off of Hickory Nut Road near Hickory Nut Campground. Short but very beautiful. Unfortunately it is well known and gets a good bit of use. Dispersed camping here will feel isolated.
- The Rangers in Mt. Ida are fantastic, they were very helpful with tips and ideas. Their number is incorrect on some of the websites and is 870 867 2101
- Camping areas were generally good, a couple that could use some TLC. I cleaned up a couple and it didn't take long.
- The weather has been wet and good firewood and kindling was not impossible to find, but some took a while to catch fire because it's damp. Bring good firestarting materials.
- Bugs were not the worst I've seen, but there are a considerable number of biting flies, so DEET up before you get out and every 3 or 4 hours.
- WIldlife is plentiful, but hard to find. I saw deer, some woodpeckers, heard at least two species of owl. Interestingly quiet at night...I am originally from PA and we would have racoon and deer virtually walking through the camp at night....not here though. This is bear country so take precautions, but I never even heard one.
- Other things to do: There are 12 mines where you can dig for crystals, rock shops all over the place. If you are an antique shopper, there are plenty of the old style antique places where you have to wander around and look at stuff to find a bargain. Several good cafes in Mt. Ida and down by the lake. Resupply is easy with small groceries and stores where the highways meet the entrance roads....prices not cheap, but not unreasonable. Gas easy to find. On the way back, you can rest your tired bones in the hot baths at Hot Springs, AR ( I didn't but wish I did!).
This is definitely a great return-to place for me. My guess is that outside of holidays and possibly hunting season, this place would be virtually empty. It is the kind of area where you need to explore it several times before finding those real gems...and it is big, so there is a lot of searching to do.
Hope that is helpful. Happy to answer any questions....pics will be posted soon, but too tired right now.
My goal were to:
1) check the area, trails, other sites
2) test out some new gear (new Yakima rack and Rolle basket)
3) get away from humans for a while
I circumnavigated the lake off-road, not highway. Took several rides into the lake area at different points, then back up into the mountains. Total visit was 5 days.
Impressions:
- Holidays are very very crowded by the lake. One exception was Iron Forks lake access point....I had the entire place to myself. It is day use only, but has picnic areas and bathrooms for those that need that sort of thing. :)
- By far the best view was at Hickory Nut Vista, a small overlook area (day use only). It is convenient to camp at Hickory Nut Campground area nearby.
- The roads go from rural two lane to crushed gravel to two track to trail. There are no two tracks that were challenging, even a decent car could make them. Occasional water crossings which could be dangerous if higher, but they were all navigable. All roads to this level did not present a challenge to my full-sized rig.
- As far as off-road trails, some were seriously overgrown with tree branches crossing the entire trail. I did not encounter any downed trees on the ones I went down.
- Navigation skills here are incredibly important. The mountains, lake and streams make for a set of trails that mingle with each other, twist and turn. My guess is less than 2 percent are marked in any way. Keep track of where you are by GPS, Gaia or tracking the side trails and matching them to a map. I recommend buying the large map at the USNFS Office in Mt Ida ($14, cash, exact change). Make sure you have a full tank before entering.
- Lots of blind turns and some switchbacks - go slow if you can't see what's around the bend.
- My longest run was on 11 N of the lake from 7 just N of Jessieville . A beautiful forest road goes East-West and has a lot of side trails. A couple nice shallow water crossings. Dispersed camping sites here are difficult to come by unless you take a side trail. I spent two days exploring here and saw only one other vehicle.
- The most beautiful run was 47 near Hickory Nut Campground. It is an unmarked road off of Hickory Nut Road near Hickory Nut Campground. Short but very beautiful. Unfortunately it is well known and gets a good bit of use. Dispersed camping here will feel isolated.
- The Rangers in Mt. Ida are fantastic, they were very helpful with tips and ideas. Their number is incorrect on some of the websites and is 870 867 2101
- Camping areas were generally good, a couple that could use some TLC. I cleaned up a couple and it didn't take long.
- The weather has been wet and good firewood and kindling was not impossible to find, but some took a while to catch fire because it's damp. Bring good firestarting materials.
- Bugs were not the worst I've seen, but there are a considerable number of biting flies, so DEET up before you get out and every 3 or 4 hours.
- WIldlife is plentiful, but hard to find. I saw deer, some woodpeckers, heard at least two species of owl. Interestingly quiet at night...I am originally from PA and we would have racoon and deer virtually walking through the camp at night....not here though. This is bear country so take precautions, but I never even heard one.
- Other things to do: There are 12 mines where you can dig for crystals, rock shops all over the place. If you are an antique shopper, there are plenty of the old style antique places where you have to wander around and look at stuff to find a bargain. Several good cafes in Mt. Ida and down by the lake. Resupply is easy with small groceries and stores where the highways meet the entrance roads....prices not cheap, but not unreasonable. Gas easy to find. On the way back, you can rest your tired bones in the hot baths at Hot Springs, AR ( I didn't but wish I did!).
This is definitely a great return-to place for me. My guess is that outside of holidays and possibly hunting season, this place would be virtually empty. It is the kind of area where you need to explore it several times before finding those real gems...and it is big, so there is a lot of searching to do.
Hope that is helpful. Happy to answer any questions....pics will be posted soon, but too tired right now.
