Robinson Point Trail is a beautiful 3-mile hike at Robinson Point Park in Baxter County near Mountain Home. It gives you amazing views of Lake Norfork as well as the beauty of the Ozark Mountains.

Robinson Point Trail takes you through tunnels of cedar groves to endless views of turquoise and blue as the trail follows the curves and coves of Norfork Lake.

It is a lollipop loop (semi-loop), and is managed by the Corps of Engineers. It is a part of the Ozark Highlands Trail although not yet connected to the western sections.

Although the trail doesn’t have a lot of elevation gain, it does dip down and into some gullies and back up rather steeply. In some places, there is loose rock making footing a little tricky.

Overall, it is a fairly easy trail.

Getting to the Robinson Point Trailhead

To get to Robinson Point Park, take U.S. Highway 412/62 east from Mountain Home. After about 5 miles, take a right on Robinson Point Cutoff then a left on Robinson Point Road.

After 1.5 miles, the main trailhead (with parking) is on the right just before the entrance gate to the campground.

Those camping at Robinson Point can access the trail from behind the bathhouse near campsites 71 to 99.

Even though I was camping at the park, I started at the official trailhead so I could explore more of the forest.

The Hike – Trailhead to Lollipop Loop

The trail begins relatively flat and wide for easy walking.

After 0.25 miles, there is a bench and a fork in the trail. If you go straight, you will end up at the campground. Here, you want to go to the right to stay on the Robinson Point Trail.

The trail snakes around a cove of Norfork Lake. Then you go through a few groves of cedar trees where it seems like they shelter the trail. You get glimpses of the lake from higher up on shore.

At mile 0.7, the trail begins to head down into a gully and another cove of the lake. Here you come close to the water.

On the park’s brochure, it has a footbridge listed here. However, I did not cross a footbridge. I did notice quite a bit of trail work had recently been done which may account for its not being there.

The trail continues to snake around the cove. At around mile 0.9, you can look across the cove and see where you just hiked.

At mile 1.14, you pass the intersection with the return portion of the lollipop for the lollipop loop. Here you can go right or straight. Either way, you’ll end up back here. However, the trail going straight (clockwise) is much more defined and easier to see. So I chose to hike that way.

Lollipop Loop to Trailhead

As you head straight, the trail begins to climb slowly and become rockier. The trail hugs the shoreline it goes progressively higher above the water.

Around mile 1.3, the trees open up, and you get some amazing views of Norfork Lake.

You can see the cliffs from the side and the lake far below. The trail continues to climb and gives you more views from the top.

Around mile 1.38, you get a great view. Caution: Be careful in this area as these are high cliffs with no safety railing.

There is some safety railing a little farther down the trail at mile 1.45 for those not so fond of heights.

The trail gets a little confusing here. You have the option to continue to follow the shoreline or head away from the lake. When I hiked this trail, there were no trail markers. But as I noted above, they were doing work on the trail.

Hopefully, someday you will be able to continue to follow the shore and hike all the way west to Mountainburg via the Ozark Highlands Trail.

You will hike away from the cliffs and into the forests as you continue on the Robinson Point Trail. Here, the trail takes you through some lovely woods.

At mile 1.65, you come back to the stick portion of the lollipop loop.

From here, you simply retrace your steps back to the trailhead. You can enjoy seeing it from a different angle.

Ozark Highlands Trail and David’s Trail

Robinson Point Trail is a part of the Ozark Highlands Trail as well as David’s Trail. According to an article in Backpacker Magazine, the Lake Norfork portion of the Ozark Highlands Trail is still under construction. The 13-mile Lake Norfork Trail (pdf link) and the 17-mile David’s Trail are a part of the completed portions.

Although Robinson Point Trail does not connect with the Lake Norfork Trail, it is a part of David’s Trail.

Final Notes

I learned about Robinson Point Trail in Tim Ernst’s book, “Arkansas Hiking Trails.”

The trail is great in every season, but it is especially beautiful in the spring and fall. Wildflowers bloom all throughout the trail, and plentiful hardwoods and sweeping views make for an excellent showcase in autumn.

The elevation change between the high and low points is only about 100 feet.

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Bashore Ridge Loop hike is an enjoyable and mildly challenging 4.1-mile hike at Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area (near Rogers, Benton County, AR). The highlight is the beautiful Beaver Lake overlook.

The Hidden Diversity Multi-Use Trail is a complex of loops and spurs in the west part of Hobbs. This hike does one of those loops.

Getting to the Hidden Diversity Piney Road Trailhead at Hobbs

The hike starts via Piney Road Trailhead. To get to Hobbs from Rogers, take Highway 12 and head east for about 10 miles.

Watch for Piney Road on your right (to the south). Turn here.

The trailhead parking has 2 paved lots about a mile down this road. You can park on either side. This hike starts on the right (west) side.

The Hike – Initial Spur and Loop North Side

Both the Bashore Ridge Loop and Dutton Hollow Loop start from the west side of the Piney Road Trailhead.

Many of the trails at Hobbs seem to have been laid out with mountain biking in mind in that they spend a large amount of time staying on a fairly level ridge and less time of (more interesting) hill climbing.

This hike has some nice views of surrounding valleys, but it almost entirely avoids going into any of them. Nonetheless, it is a scenic and enjoyable hike.

The terrain in this area–primarily rolling hills–does not have a huge amount of elevation change.

Be sure to look at some of the nearby valley/ravine areas on the hike. Of course, they are more visible during leaf-off.

At around .6 miles, the initial spur ends, and you reach the spot where you need to take a left to do the Bashore Ridge Loop. About 20 yards after this, you arrive at the loop part. I usually turn right to take the loop counterclockwise (i.e., doing the north side first).

On about half of the loop, the trail is fairly level as it winds in and out following the ridge contours.

At around 1.3 miles on the hike, the trail starts working its way downhill toward the lake overlook.

At around 1.5 miles, there is a stretch I like where the trail goes along a hillside.

Lake Overlook

The spur for the lake overlook is at around 1.8 miles. It’s about a .1 mile walk down to the overlook. It’s about a 75-foot descent.

With its 270-degree view, the lake overlook is the visual highlight of the trail.

The bigger view of the lake is straight ahead. And there is a northeast inlet to the right and a southeast inlet to the left.

Caution: The spur down to the lake is quite steep. Be very careful.

South Side of the Loop

After climbing back up from the overlook spur, take a right to continue on.

Over the next mile or so, the trail works its way uphill about 175 feet in elevation. The climb here on the south side of the loop is slightly less steep than on the north side.

As before, be sure to take in some of the ravine/valley views to the right (more visible during leaf-off).

At around 2.7 miles (not including the .2 miles on the overlook spur), the trail becomes fairly level again.

At around 3.3 miles, you are back at the initial spur. Continue straight (or right) to return to the Piney Road Trailhead.

Final Notes

Overall, the trail was in great condition and easy to follow. Hobbs does a great job of keeping their trails maintained. Much of the trail is covered in gravel which helps the trail stay in shape, but be careful for loose gravel when heading downhill.

The difference between the maximum and minimum elevation points is only about 250 feet. (It’s over 300 feet difference including the overlook spur.)

I had AT&T cell coverage about 80% of the hike.

These photos were all taken on a hike I did on October 17, 2020. There was some nice fall foliage that day. September 24, 2022 was my most recent hike here.

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The Rush Mine Level Trail (2.8 miles as out-and-back) in the lower district of the Buffalo National River (Marion County) is an enjoyable mildly challenging hike through a former mining area.

Rush is a former mining community that existed along the Buffalo River that was originally established for the mining of zinc ore in the mountains there. Now it is an old ghost town with no current residents. However, many historic sites remain with structures dating back to the 1880’s.

To get to the Mine Level Trail, you first need to go to the Morning Star Interpretive Loop, a short loop trail which can give you a feel for the history of this area.

At the top of the loop is the start of the Rush Mine Level Trail. (There may not be any signage here.) This trail is a mostly level stretch that takes you by several of the old zinc mine entrances.

Getting to the Rush Morning Star Trailhead

To get to the Rush Historic District, take Highway 14 south from Yellville. After about 10 miles, there will be a sign that clearly marks the left-hand turn to Rush. Turn here, and follow the paved road all the way down the hill to the river area.

The Morning Star Trailhead will be on your left, just after a row of abandoned old buildings.

The Hike

The Rush Mine Level Trail (also considered part of the Rush Mountain Loop Trail) starts at about the midway point (and the high point) of the Morning Star Loop, and it heads straight uphill. (There may be no signage at this junction.) This is a pretty steep climb, but it is definitely worth the effort.

After about a one-fifth-mile climb, the trail levels out. Stay on the well-traveled main trail which turns right. (Don’t take the small, unmarked path to the left. It is a primitive unofficial trail section that completes the loop back from the Monte Christo area.)

From here, the trail is mostly pretty level with a few ups and downs, but it is easy to follow. There are at least seven old mine sites along the trail. They are remnants of the former Rush zinc ore mining industry. (For safety reasons, the mines are all closed to public access by fencing and grates.)

As you pass the last of the mines on this trail, the trail will follow an old road bed down the hill. At one point, the main trail heads left off the old road trace. Take the trail to the left, and it will head off into the woods (straight will take you to the main entrance road).

At around 1.3 miles, the trail hits an intersection. Turn to the right here to head to the Rush Landing parking area. There is a pit toilet here with a river access nearby. (If you went left, you would go to the  Monte Cristo Trail which can loop you back to the starting point, but please read my overview of that trail before doing so).

From the Rush Landing area, you can head back to the starting point via the trail making it about a 2.8-mile hike. Or for an easier walk, you can simply take the main road back to the Morningstar Trailhead area.

Final Notes

I rate the difficulty of the trail as mildly challenging (2 of 5).

The difference between the maximum and minimum elevation points is only about 180 feet.

For footwear, I recommend trail runners or tennis shoes.

Tim Ernst discusses this trail in his book, Buffalo River Hiking Trails. His profile discusses the entire Rush Mountain Loop Trail.

The posted photos are from our hike on October 23, 2011. (The photos by Mike Newman were taken on May 30, 2021.)

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Maps

[A version of this post was originally published on December 21, 2011 on the blog “Exploring Northwest Arkansas.”]

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Hiking the Huckleberry Trail at Woolly Hollow State Park (Faulkner County, north of Conway in the foothills of the Ozarks) is a great way to see and explore the entire park. This mildly challenging 3-mile loop showcases the hardwoods and landscape of the area as it circles Lake Bennett, a 40-acre lake built in the 1930s.

The Huckleberry Trail isn’t a complete loop. The trail begins and ends near the same point, but it can easily be connected by walking the road for about a quarter-mile. This not only gives you more views of the lake, but it also takes you by the Woolly Cabin, a one-room family homestead built in 1882.

Getting to the Huckleberry Trailhead at Woolly Hollow

To get to Woolly Hollow, take US Highway 65 north from Conway. After about 10 miles (and after going through Greenbrier), turn right (east) onto state highway 285 and take it for 6 miles. The state park will then be on your left.

To find the main trailhead for the Huckleberry Trail from the visitor center, drive toward the campground and past the pavilion. After roughly 0.2 miles, the trailhead is on your left with a small parking area.

There are also two other trailheads for alternate starting points

The Hike – Trailhead to Springfield Road

From here, you will take the loop clockwise.

As you begin your hike, you pass several trail intersections. The Gold Creek Trail is a short 0.13 spur that exits and returns back into the Huckleberry Trail.

The Cabin Trail also leaves from the Huckleberry Trail and ends at the historic Woolly Cabin. It is 0.6 miles in total.

The Huckleberry Trail begins with a gradual climb. After you pass the trail intersections, it drops down a little into the valley and crosses the creek.

The trail then slowly climbs out of the valley, and (especially during leaf-off) you begin to get glimpses of the campground and lake below. It then hugs the contours of the hillside and heads west into the wilderness.

At mile 1.15, the trail crosses Historic Springfield Road Trail. There are two fences you walk through to separate the hiking trail from the mountain biking trail.

Springfield Road to Woolly Hollow Road Crossing

After you cross the Historic Springfield Road, the trail takes you across a beautiful creek. Then it climbs a little along the hill.

This portion of the trail gives you gorgeous views of the creek below. You can see it get larger, as you approach where it flows into Lake Bennett.

The trail can be a bit confusing in this area because the blazes switch colors from blue to red. Apparently, this loop used to be two different trails.

Around mile 1.5, the creek turns into Lake Bennett, and you begin to get beautiful views of the lake. For the next 0.4 miles, the trail follows the lake high above the shore.

At mile 1.8, there is a lovely bench for you to take a rest and enjoy the wonderful views of the lake and park.

Just a little farther at mile 1.9, there is a short spur trail to another bench and the lakeshore below. This is a great place to take a break.

From there, the trail follows along the ridge for just a short way. Here you get views of the earthen dam of Lake Bennett.

The trail then drops down into the valley below the dam. As it does, it passes a seasonal spillway (making a waterfall) for the lake which is very scenic during wet times.

The trail continues to a different trailhead near the entrance of the park at mile 2.2.

Road Crossing to End

The Huckleberry Trail crosses Woolly Hollow Road and climbs to the top of a ridge.

In this part, the trail continues through the hardwood forest. The trail gets close to the park boundary, and you get views through the trees of meadows from private land which is really pretty.

The woods are nice and open, and toward the top of the ridge, you get more glimpses of the lake.

Around mile 2.6, the trail begins to drop back down into the valley and to the road below.

Walking the Road Back

The Huckleberry Trail officially ends at mile 2.8, where it intersects with the road. From here you walk along the road toward the visitor center.

At mile 3.05 you can see the history of Woolly Cabin. Take the short spur trail for an up close and personal look at it. It’s really neat to be able to see how people lived 150 years ago.

After you’ve explored the cabin, continue along the road – past the pavilion – and back to the trailhead.

Final Notes

Generally, the trail was easy to follow and in good condition.

Most of these photos are from my December 25, 2021 hike.

Woolly Hollow State Park offers many other fun outdoor activities, including fishing, kayaking, and mountain biking.

Photo Gallery

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[A version of this post was originally published on January 13, 2022 in the blog “Right Kind of Lost.”]

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