Ouachita Trail: 88.2-90.3 – FR 48 to FR 813 on Rockhouse Mtn. (Section 4)

This is a cool 2.1-mile segment of the Ouachita Trail Section 4 that is pretty accessible, not difficult climbing, and a good length for a day hike (4.2 miles as out-and-back). It is in both Scott and Montgomery Counties, a little bit east of Y City.

And the rocks and boulders along the way are a treat.

Getting to the Forest Road 48 Trailhead.

There is a trailhead with a small parking area right next to where the trail crosses Forest Road 48.

To get there from the northwest or southwest, turn off of Highway 71 at Y City and head east on Highway 270.

From there you go about 11.7 miles and then turn off the highway on the right onto a gravel road. (Don’t expect any signage here.) This is Scott County Road 375 aka Coachlite Road aka Buck Knob Road.

After about 1.8 miles, there is a split where the Coachlite/Buck Knob Road continuing straight and Forest Road 48 goes to the left. It is just before this split that you should see the FR 48 trailhead on your left. That is the place to park for this day hike.

The Hike

The Ouachita Trail crosses Forest Road 48 near this trailhead (probably within 50 yards). It was pretty well marked when I last walked it.

This segment goes up and then along the north side of most of Rockhouse Mountain. It starts (on the west end) in Scott County, but most of it is in Montgomery County.

There is definitely some climbing on this segment but not a huge amount. The west end of this segment is a little over 1,400 feet above sea level. The east end is just under 1,400 feet. The high point is about 1,630 feet.

All the times I have done this segment it has been nearly or completely leaf-off. There are some pretty views to the north and northeast between the trees during leaf off.

Once you are in the higher elevation area, at times you can see a large west-east ridge to the north which is Mill Creek Mountain. Further on, to the northeast, you can see part of Brushy Creek Mountain fairly close. (The trail heads to that mountain as it goes further to the east.)

I am a big fan of hills and rocks on trails. This segment is not that rocky, but there are a number of nice parts of it with rocks lining the trail and also with medium and large boulders near the trail. These are very enjoyable.

At about 1.7 miles into this segment, the trail makes a left turn and heads downhill (northward) off of Rockhouse Mountain. For the last quarter-mile or so, the trail is on a road trace.

This stretch ends when you get to the junction with Forest Road 813. Watch for the signage. (There is also a sign indicating a Rockhouse Trail. Sometime I would like to check that one out.)

So if you are they hiking it like I did, this is your turnaround spot.

Final Notes

As always on the Ouachita Trail, follow the blue blazes.

The trail was in good condition (thanks to the FoOT volunteer trail maintainers) when we did our hikes in November 2021 and January 2022. I’m not sure the mile markers were all in place, but it was well blazed and pretty easy to follow.

I had AT&T cell signal about 80% of the time.

These photos are mostly from my November 22, 2018 hike. A few are from my more recent hike on January 29, 2022.

Photo Gallery

Click below for full-screen photo gallery of these images from my hikes on November 22, 2018 and January 29, 2022.

Map

Ouachita Trail 04: FR 48 to FR 813 (Rockhouse Mtn.) (88.2 to 90.3)
Location	Montgomery and Scott Counties, Arkansas
Hike Length/Type	2.1 miles each way. (4.2 miles out and back.) Blue blazes.
Difficulty	Mildly challenging (2 of 5)
Other Permitted Usage	Mountain bikes.
Gpx file by Mike	Link
Date Hiked	November 22, 2018, January 29, 2022 and other times.
Directions	Google Maps Directions to Ouachita Trail Junction at FR 48
Official Info	(479) 394-2382 (Mena/Oden Ranger Dist.) USFS Website FoOT Website

Last revised: 2-21-2022.