The Trail
Nearest Town with Accommodations: Mena
Location: From Mena take Hwy. 71 going north toward Fort Smith. About 15 miles out of Mena look for the Ouachita Trail head and parking on the left side of the highway. From the parking lot you will have to cross Hwy. 71 and then head on up the trail.
Type: Single track some dirt road. / Out and back.
Distance: About 20 miles one way.
Summary: This is actually another section of the Ouachita Trail. The trail starts out pretty mild going up the side of a mountain on an old dirt road. The road will eventually give way to single track that darts off to your right from here the trail will change drastically. The trail is made up of mostly loose rock not many hard packed areas out there. The climbs range from short and easy to steep and some are very long. The longer and steeper climbs can be pretty tough at times so bring your climbing gears. There are quit a few little technical places out there with some areas of rock gardens. A few spots will require a hike-a-bike for most. There are some really great scenic spots on this ride especially on the top of Wolf Pinnacle but you have to take a little detour to get there. At the top you will find the remains of an old look out tower used for spotting fire long before the invention of the satellite. This is definitely a trail for the more experienced rider. The ride is very remote and challenging, you will do more climbing out there then you ever cared to. The pay off for all that climbing is some really fun downhill's. Even for the advanced rider this trail is sure to give you a workout.
Recommended Route: Start from Hwy. 71 and head east on the trail. This is a point to point trail so you will need to set up a shuttle on Forest Road 76 or 48 depending on how far you would like to ride.
When to ride: The best time is Spring, Fall and Winter. There can be a lot of overgrowth on the trail during the summer months.
Rating: I would recommend this trail only for the intermediate to advanced riders. There is a lot of climbing involved with this section of the Ouachita Trail and there are very few bail outs along the way. There are quit a few little tricky spots as well as some hike-a-bike sections. This section of the Ouachita Trail goes into some very remote regions of the Ouachita Mountains. Be sure to bring plenty of water and a bit to eat because it can take about 4 to 6 hours to ride.
Other recommended trails in the area: Earthquake Ridge, Rocky
Bottoms,
Briar Creek, Twin Pines, Big Brushy,
Womble