The 6-mile War Eagle Valley Loop of the Hidden Diversity Trail is a cool and scenic hike at Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area (Benton County, near Rogers). The overlooks near War Eagle Creek are a real treat.

As with most trails at Hobbs, there is not a lot of elevation change. The high and low point elevation change is about 200 feet.

Getting to the Townsend Ridge Road Trailhead at Hobbs State Park

This hike starts from the Townsend Ridge Road Trailhead, an access to the Hidden Diversity Multi-Use Trail.

To get to Hobbs from Rogers, take Highway 12 and head east for about 10 miles.

Watch for Townsend Ridge Road on your right (to the south). It is .9 miles past the Historic Winkle Trailhead parking area. Turn here. Then drive 1.9 miles. You will see the parking area on the right.

This hike starts on the west side of the parking lot.

The Hike

This is about a 6.3 mile hike. It is a loop except for an initial .3 miles spur which gets repeated at the end of the hike.

You first take the spur to the War Eagle Valley Loop. Take a right at the first loop you come to. Briefly you are also on the Little Clifty Creek Loop.

The trail then will cross Townsend Ridge Road (which you drove in on). Then you are at the War Eagle Valley Loop. I usually take a right to do the trail counterclockwise.

The vast majority of this hike, including the first mile or so, is not rocky and is not that challenging to hike. (There is some climbing in parts though.)

The coolest part of this hike is in the War Eagle Valley overlook area. The valley overlook is at around 1.4 miles. The War Eagle Fair is one of the most popular events in northwest Arkansas. From here, there is an overlook of the scenic valley where this craft fair is held.

Sometimes the view is partially blocked by foliage. The best viewing time is during leaf-off, but there still is a nice view of the valley when the leaves are out.

About another .4 miles past that overlook is the prettiest view of the hike–the War Eagle Creek Overlook. Here there is a beautiful wide open view of a bend in War Eagle Creek. If you have been to the War Eagle Mill, this is the creek that runs next to the mill.

At around 2 miles, there is a pretty cool area that goes for about a half mile where the trail heads downhill into a long hillside stretch that overlooks part of a seasonal stream bed. Of course, this kind of area is even prettier when the water is flowing.

One thing that I’m not a fan of with a lot of the trails at Hobbs is that often they will find a ridge and then stick to it for a long time instead of climbing up and down which would be more interesting. (Probably that works well for mountain biking though.)

But then there are areas like this stretch of War Eagle Valley Loop where the trail actually does climb into and out of some valleys making for an interesting and scenic hike.

At around 4.7 miles, the trail hits the junction with Little Clifty Creek Loop. At this point you make a left turn, and the hike is also Little Clifty Creek Loop the rest of the way.

Most of the rest of the hike runs parallel to and not that far from Townsend Ridge Road.

At around 6 miles, the trail arrives back at the initial spur. Take a right here to get back to the Townsend Ridge trailhead parking area.

Final Notes

I had AT&T cell coverage about 75% of the time on this hike.

These photos are all from my November 7, 2020 hike.

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This is a scenic 6.5-mile loop which begins at the Big Brushy Recreation Area (Montgomery County), about 30 miles east of Mena, Arkansas.

The trail begins at the back of the recreation area and makes a counterclockwise loop. The last 3.1 miles of the loop are on Section 4 of the Ouachita Trail.

There are 3 main parts to the hike. This first is the 2.5 mile hike on the low part of the Brushy Creek Trail. (The crossing of Forest Road E15 is in the middle of this part.)

The second is the uphill climb on the rest of the Brushy Creek Trail up to the Ouachita Trail. There is a half-mile walk up Forest Road 813A. Then there is a steep half-mile climb up the last part of Brushy Creek Trail.

To complete the loop, the last part of the hike is a 4.1-mile hike to the east on the Ouachita Trail back to the recreation area.

Getting to Big Brushy Recreation Area

To get to Big Brushy from the northwest or southwest, turn off of Highway 71 at Y City and head east on Highway 270. After about 16 miles, you will see Big Brushy Recreation Area on your right.

If coming from the east, the recreation area will be on your left, about 30 miles past Hot Springs.

Shortly after entering the recreation area, there is a fork. Take a right, and then head to the back area near the pit toilets.

The Hike – Brushy Creek Trail: Start to FR813A

This hike starts with the Brushy Creek Trail which begins at the back of the recreation area loop by the pit toilets. There may not be any signage here. Look for a well-worn path.

Watch for white blazes. Most of the trail is well-marked with white blazes.

The first 2 miles of the trail go along a pretty level area following Big Brushy Creek. The creek and its branches were very scenic.

Unless you hike during a dry time, be prepared for wet crossings. When I last did this hike on June 11, 2022, we had 7 or 8 wet crossings. There had been significant rain earlier that week.

The streams are beautiful though. The crossings are on Big Brushy Creek and various tributaries and branches.

A note of caution. Fording a stream can be dangerous. Don’t cross a stream where it is more than waist deep or if you can’t see the bottom.

This part of the hike is largely in a fairly flat low-lying area. A lot of it is rocky. (I think rocky trails are pretty cool.)

Although quite a few people do this trail, on our June hike, there were a number of areas of moderate overgrowth. Most of it was not too bad though. With few exceptions, the trail was pretty easy to follow with plenty of white blazes.

There are 2 road intersections to be prepared for. The first is at around 1.3 miles when the trail crosses Forest Road E15 (dirt road). Depending on the overgrowth, it can be easy to get confused here and not realize the trail continues straight across the road. (This was tricky for our hike in June. We thought this was the place to turn left on the forest road. It took awhile to realize the mistake.)

Here on E15, Highway 270 is only about 700 feet over to your right. Again, do not not turn left here. Just look for where the trail continues on the other side of the road.

After the E15 crossing, the trail continues on very gradually heading uphill until around the 2 mile area when it starts noticeably climbing into some higher elevation areas.

But if you are hiking it during wet times, the stream crossings are not over until you get to Forest Road 813A.

FR813A to Ouachita Trail

At about 2.5 miles, you arrive at Forest Road 813A (dirt road). Make a left turn here. There is probably no signage here, but you should see some white blazes.

The next half-mile is a mostly uphill walk on 813A. It is pretty, but not as interesting as what follows.

The steepest part of this hike starts at around 3 miles. This is a very scenic and interesting part of the hike. When I hiked it in June, there were some moderate overgrowth but it was not in terrible shape. It was not difficult to follow with the blazes. (On the contour map, I have this labelled as the start of the Mountain Top Trail, but actually I think this is just a continuation of the Brushy Creek Trail.)

The elevation range is about 500 feet for this trail. The majority of that climb is during this steep climb.

I love the physical exertion involved in climbing hills, the changing views, and the varied topography of hill trails as they go up, down, and along hillsides.

Ouachita Trail Junction to End

At around 3.5 miles, the white blazes end as the trail intersects with the Ouachita Trail. (Look for the blue blazes.) From here, turn left to complete the loop and head toward the recreation area. (The Ouachita Trail segment from here back to the beginning includes mile points 92, 93, and 94. They may not all be labelled.)

For the next 1.5 miles or so, the trail has some up-and-downhill climbing. Then there is one of the highlights of the hike. At around OT Mile Point 93 is a vista area with a great south-facing view of the Ouachita Mountains and the Ouachita River Valley.

After the vista, the hike heads mostly downhill. The last half mile or so is just a walk along Forest Road 6 back to the campground. This walk is quite close to Big Brushy Creek which is very pretty when the water is flowing.

Of course, there are a lot more open views during leaf-off than during leaf-on. There are a lot of really nice views on the Ouachita Trail part during leaf-off.

Final Notes

There is quite a bit of climbing once you get past the low-lying creek and stream area. The elevation range on the loop is about 550 feet.

There was a fair amount of overgrowth in a number of places when we did our June 11, 2022 hike which is not unusual for he time of year. Most of then time when I have done the Ouachita Trail part of this hike, it has been in pretty good condition.

Big Brushy Recreation Area is a day-use area. It used to feature camping, but it no longer does due to the significant flooding risk.

I would estimate that I had AT&T cell signal about 60% of the time. (Signal tends to be better in the higher elevations.)

Most of these photos are from our June 11, 2022 hike with a few from June 27 and September 5, 2015.

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This 3.8-mile stretch on Section 2 of the Ouachita Trail from Big Cedar Trailhead (on Highway 259, LeFlore County, OK, Ouachita National Forest) to the Pashubbe Trailhead is an accessible and moderately challenging hike.

It makes about an 8-mile out-and-back day hike with a couple of seasonal stream crossings and a few ponds.

Getting to the Big Cedar (Hwy 259) Trailhead

There is a gravel parking lot at the Big Cedar Trailhead on Highway 259. Watch for the trailhead sign on Highway 259, about 3 miles south of the Talimena Scenic Drive (Highway 1) (about 20 miles south of Heavener).

If coming from the north, make a right (west) turn where the trailhead sign is for the parking area.

The Hike

The first thing you do after parking is walk up the driveway you came in on off the highway. Cross Highway 259 and then continue east.

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

After crossing the highway, the next .3 miles or so is pretty much a walk on a dirt utility service road.

Then the OT takes a left turn off the dirt road. Be sure to watch for this left turn. It is easy to miss. (Watch for where the blue blazes to the left. There may or may not be some signage.)

Elevation. The difference between the low and high points is about 360 feet. As you can see on the elevation profile, the biggest climbing part of this hike is right after crossing Elkins Branch where you start a half-mile stretch that goes up about 300 feet elevation. There is another fairly steep but shorter climb right after crossing Big Branch.

Streams. There are 2 named streams on this stretch–Elkins Branch (which comes first) and then Big Branch (the latter being bigger, no surprise). When I hiked this area during a wetter time, there was enough flow in both branches to be pleasant, but neither were any challenge for crossing.

Don’t have your hopes up for water flow during drier times of the year.

Ponds. On my map below, I have a pond marked. Actually, there are 3 ponds on this stretch of the trail.

The one I marked is not the first one you come across, so don’t be confused. Each will be on the left (if headed east).

Partially rocky. Overall this is not a rocky hike although there are some rocky parts. There are some scenic rock gardens and small boulder fields along the way. One of these areas is around Big Branch.

Pashubbe Trailhead and Shelter. Shortly before reaching he Pashubbe Trailhead (the turnaround for this hike), you will see the spur for the fairly new Pashubbe Shelter over to the left. These nice shelters have been built by the Friends of the Ouachita Trail for hikers to use (and take care of).

Once you reach the Pashubbe Trailhead, which is well marked and with a small parking area, you can turn and head back for a nearly 8-mile hike.

Or to make an easier loop, you can take Forrest Road 6032 back to the highway, and then walk about .7 miles up the highway back to the Big Cedar Trailhead.

Final Notes

Rich Mountain. This hike is along part of Rich Mountain although it is still in the Winding Stair Mountain National Recreation Area.

The trail was in good condition (thanks to the trail volunteers) when I did my May 2021 hike.

Overall, I had about 45% AT&T cell signal coverage.

These photos are all from hikes I did on this stretch of trail on April 28, 2018 and May 15, 2021.

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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.

This is the east end of Section 2 of the Ouachita Trail.

(My descriptions here are generally going to be going from east to west starting at the Lodge.)

Getting to the Lodge at QWSP

To get to Queen Wilhelmina State Park Lodge coming from the north on Highway 71, at Acorn take a right (heading east) on Highway 59/270. After 9 miles, take a left onto Highway 272. Follow the signs to the state park.

This takes you up Rich Mountain to Highway 88 (the Talimena Scenic Drive). Take a right on Highway 88. After a half-mile, you will be at the park.

If you are coming from the south on Highway 71, turn left onto Highway 88 in Mena. Then stay on 88 for about 12 miles.

The Hike – Lodge to QWSP West Trailhead

Our hike starts at the Lodge.

As a side note, you may not really want to start at the Lodge even though this is officially part of the Ouachita Trail. That’s because the .7-mile walk from the lodge to the western trailhead (just past the campground) is just walking on or alongside pavement across the developed part of the state park. Instead, you may want to park closer to the campground and head west from there. (I believe you are not supposed to actually park in the campground unless you are a registered camper.)

But Queen Wilhelmina is a very nice state park with wonderful south-facing vista next to the lodge.

And on the walk to the campground, there are some really nice views (especially during leaf off such as when I did my March 2016 hike) of Black Fork Mountain to the north.

You should check out the photo of mile marker 51 which is on a tree in the campground.

After you exit the campground, walk a little bit toward the highway and continue west. The trailhead is about 50 feet from there.

A Word About Overgrowth

The vast majority of the Ouachita Trail is dependent on volunteers to keep it maintained (so hikers are not ensnarled by thorn vines). Part of this stretch is in the Queen Wilhelmina State Park property and that part is usually well maintained by state park staff.

The rest is maintained by volunteers from Friends of the Ouachita Trail. Plant growth in this part (particularly since it is up on an exposed ridge) tends to regrow quickly each year.

Thankfully, in the fall in the past few years, there have been maintenance events in which this part of the trail has been maintained. But then in the spring the plants grow back. So just be prepared (long pants are recommended) in case you hit the trail during one of the high growth times.

QWSP West Trailhead to Pioneer Cemetery

Even though you are on a ridge on top of Rich Mountain, the second highest mountain in Arkansas, there are not a lot of clear views in this area during leaf-on. But during leaf-off, there is a lot more nice viewing of the valleys in the distance through the trees.

This stretch of trail is all a little lower than the Talimena Scenic Highway on the south side.

Most of the walking on this stretch of trail is not hard to walk, but there are quite a few parts which are rocky. I think the rock gardens are cool and interesting although you do want to watch your step in those areas.

There is a nice (south facing) vista area about a quarter mile from the trailhead. There is a sign here indicating the short spur to this fairly open area.

There are a number of old rock walls along the trail, likely built during the pioneer days.

At about .4 miles from the vista , there is a footbridge and a sign indicating it is the western boundary of the state park property. (See the note above note about potential overgrowth.)

About another .6 miles further to the west is the pioneer cemetery.

Pioneer Cemetery to FR 514/CR 100

The Rich Mountain Pioneer Cemetery is an interesting historic site. When I first hiked this area about 10 years ago it was in a state of decay, but thankfully when I last did it in 2016 it had been recently fixed up and was being maintained.

You can also access this historic cemetery via a stop on the Talimena Scenic Highway.

It is about another 1.5 miles from here to Forest Road 514 (Polk County Road 100). In this area, quite a bit of the hillside trail is steeper with more interesting terrain.

Final Notes

There is some elevation change on this stretch but not a large amount. The elevation difference between the low and high points is about 200 feet.

Overall I had AT&T cell signal about 75% of the time when I hiked this in 2016.

These photos are from my hike on March 25, 2016 and from a partial hike of this area on August 1, 2020.

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