The Trail
Nearest Town with Accommodations: Mount Ida
Location: There are a lot of trailheads on this trail a few of the more popular trail heads are: North Fork Lake which is the most southern trailhead of the Womble located about 10 miles west of Mount Ida. To get there take Hwy. 270 west out of Mount Ida and watch to your left for Hwy. 379. Once on Hwy. 379 heading west continue on for about 9 miles until you come to a four way. Continue straight onto Forest Road 63 for about 3 miles. You will have to make a left onto Forest Road W74 the lake and parking area is about 1 mile down the road.
Hwy. 298 trailhead is located northwest of Mount Ida. To get there take Hwy. 270 west out of Mount Ida for about 5 miles. Watch for Hwy. 298 on your right and turn onto Hwy. 298. The trail head will be on the first dirt road you come to on your right.
The Fishing Village is located north of Mount Ida off Hwy. 27. To get there take Hwy. 270 west out of Mount Ida watch for Hwy. 27 to your right and turn onto it. Stay on Hwy. 27 for about 8 miles. Just before you get to the bridge that crosses Lake Ouachita there will be a dirt road to your left. Turn off onto the dirt road and follow it for about 1/2 a mile and the trail head will be on your left.
Hwy. 88 trail head is located about 10 miles north of Mount Ida. To get there take Hwy. 270 west out of Mount Ida to Hwy. 27. Turn right onto Hwy. 27 and follow it for about 10 miles until you come Hwy. 88. Turn left onto Hwy. 88 for about for about 3.5 miles and the trail head will be on your left.
SR 231 Trailhead is located north of Mount Ida it is at the northern most part of the Womble trail. To get there take Hwy. 270 west out of Mount Ida to Hwy. 27. Continue on Hwy. 27 for about 14 miles. After going through the small town of Story watch to your left for SR 231 and hang a left onto it. Continue on SR 231 for about 2 miles until you come to FR D75A. The trail head is at the end of FR D75A.
Type: Single track / out and back.
Distance: About 35 miles one way.
Summary: The Womble is considered the jewel of the Ouachita Mountains as far as trails go. This is by far the most famous trail in the state with folks driving in from all over the country to to try this epic ride. It is also the key element of the Ouachita Challenge and Womble Classic Mountain Bike Race held each year and is listed as an IMBA Epic Ride and even made it into a couple of the bike mags. The trail is mostly made up of loose rock with occasional areas of hard packed dirt. There is plenty of climbing and a couple of the climbs are steep and sustained especially as you get closer to the Ouachita Trail on the north half of the Womble. The downhill's are a blast some of which require a little nerve as the trail skirts in and out of coves just hanging off the side of the mountain. There are quit a few creek crossings but most are small and easy to cross, the larger creeks have bridges so they are not to much of an obstacle. There is one creek on the northern part of the trail that is rather large and can be a bit tricky to cross especially if there has been rain in the last few days. There are a some technical areas out there but you don't have to be a trials rider to get around them. There is a lot of ridge riding and some areas with steep drop offs to one side so if you are squeamish on narrow trails and heights you may want to walk these sections. The trail really offers up a little bit of everything from nice mostly flat terrain to rugged mountain terrain. The Womble is part of the Ouachita Tour of Trails.
Recommended Route: Start at North Fork Lake and ride all the way to the Ouachita Trail. If you don't want to do that much in one day then ride from North Fork Lake to Hwy. 27 and the next day pickup where you left off.
Rating: This trail is good for everyone but not every section is good for everybody. A novice would probably enjoy the section right around Hwy. 298 most of this is flat with really mild technical stuff. When ever I introduce new folks to mountain biking I will usually bring them to the 298 trail head and we will ride east for about 4 miles or so until the terrain gets to difficult and then turn around and head west of 298 for about 3 miles. Advanced riders are going to love this trail as well as intermediate and most beginners. There are enough forest roads and highways that intersect this trail so bailouts are numerous and loops can easily be made using these roads.
Other recommended trails in the area:
LOViT, Charlton, Cedar Glades,
Little Blakely, Earthquake Ridge, Rocky Bottoms