The Trail
Nearest Town with Accommodations: Mount Ida
Location: From Mount Ida take Hwy. 270 going east for about 8.5 miles. Watch for the Shangri La Resort sign and turn left onto Shangri La Drive (Country Road 162). On Shangri La Drive take the first left and follow this road until it dead ends at the lake. There is parking there and the trail head is north of the parking area near the lake.
Type: Single track / out and back.
Distance: About 10 miles one way.
Summary: This trail is a joint effort by a lot of groups in the area in an effort to link all the resorts and campgrounds around Lake Ouachita together via a trail system. The proposed trail will start at Denby Point and eventually connect to the Charlton Trail. There was only about five miles of trail but as of March 2007 five more miles have been added. The trail is mostly hard packed with some areas of loose rock. Starting from the parking lot the trail meanders around the edge of the lake with some fast flowing turns. The trail quickly comes to a couple of really steep down hills and when coming from the opposite direction these hills look even steeper. The steep climbs are not very long but will probably have some people walking their bikes or at the least breathing a little heavier. Other then the two mentioned hills there really is not that much in the way of sustained climbs. I am told however by one of the project leaders that there will be a big climb in the next few sections of trail being built. As I stated above the trail hugs the lake offering some really nice views of Lake Ouachita. Most of the trail is fast and has some really good flow to it. The trail goes in and out of coves along the shoreline while it dips and climbs very moderately. You can make a loop out of this by using the roads if you so desire otherwise you have to turn around and head back the way you came. If the rest of this trail when completed is anything like the first ten miles then the Womble and LOViT are going to make for one really nice weekend stay in the area. When I spoke with one of the leaders of this project I asked him if they had any plans on connecting this trail with the Womble. I was told at the moment there are no plans for such a connection because of having to cross Lake Ouachita and some private property in the midst, but one can only hope that some day these two great rides will be connected. I can picture it now starting out from North Fork Lake on the Womble and riding all the way to Crystal Springs, man what an epic ride that would be. LOViT is part of the Ouachita Tour of Trails.
Recommended Route: Start at the trail head mentioned above and follow the trail to the end and then turn around and head back.
When to ride: Any time of the year seems to be pretty good. Most of the trail is in thick woods so there is not a lot of under growth. Only time will tell how well this trail will be maintained.
Rating: This trail is good for all riders. The novice and some beginners might not care for the two steep hill climbs and there may be a few other spots where they may have to walk. If you are looking for big climbs and long down hills then this is not the trail you would want to pick or at least not yet. There is nothing technical on this trail so most riders should feel pretty comfortable riding it.
Other recommended trails in the area:
Womble, Charlton, Cedar Glades,
Big Brushy