The Benefield West Loop Trail at Mount Magazine State Park is a pleasant and easy .9-mile wooded loop with little elevation change. There is a pond on the west end of the loop.
One of the interesting things about spending a lot of time in Northwest Arkansas is that we get to do some of our favorite hikes multiple times. Each season brings a different perspective on the hikes, and that makes them special in their own unique ways.
This is an enjoyable 3.8-mile east-west stretch of the Ouachita Trail in Polk County (near Mena) with Forest Road 514 (Polk County Road 100) on the west end and the Queen Wilhelmina State Park (QWSP) Lodge on the east end. It is easily accessible for an enjoyable 7 or 8 mile out-and-back day hike.
Back in the spring of 2016, I did a 10 mile hike on Section 3 (Polk County) of the Ouachita Trail starting at the Foran Gap Trailhead then going west on western Fourche Mountain to MM 63 and back. My full profile of that stretch of the Ouachita Trail is here. These are some additional […]
The Green Heron Trail at DeGray Lake Resort State Park (near Caddo Valley and Arkadelphia) is a scenic roughly mile-long lollipop loop. It begins behind the Visitor Center and is a nice wide, flat path that is great for viewing wildlife.
The 2.2-mile stretch of the Buffalo River Trail (BRT) from the Ponca low water bridge to Steel Creek Campground is a very scenic and enjoyable half-day hike. It is 4.4 miles as an out-and-back hike. This stretch features some nice overlook vistas with river views, seasonal waterfalls, and wonderful bluffs and rock formations.