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.

Photo Gallery

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Map

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This stretch of the Ouachita Trail Section 1 on Winding Stair Mountain (LeFlore County, OK) goes from Horsethief Springs (19.9) to a stream that becomes Wildhorse Creek (13.4), about 5.5 miles to the west.

As an 11-mile out-and-back day hike, it is challenging but doable (for many). Beautiful area with lots of rock formations!

Getting to Horsethief Springs

Horsethief Springs is a point of interest with a picnic area along the Talimena Scenic Drive (Highway 1) on Winding Stair Mountain. Part of this area, including the stone enclosure around the spring, was constructed in the 1930’s by the Civilian Conservation Core.

There are picnic tables here and informational signs about the history of this spot. Apparently, the spring may have been use by outlaws during the Wild West days.

If driving from Poteau, you should take Highway 59 south through Heavener. When you get to Highway 259 (south of Hodgen), turn right (south). After 4 miles, take another right to get onto the Talimena Scenic Drive (Highway 1).

Go right on the Scenic Drive (west). After 4 miles, the Horsethief Springs picnic area will be on your right.

The Hike

Most of my descriptions assume that you start at Horsethief Springs picnic area and then head west. That is the order the photos below are in.

Head down to where the spring enclosure is. There is a nice overlook here. To your right, you’ll see a sign for the spur to the Ouachita Trail.

The .1-mile Horsethief Springs spur (white blazes) is a short rocky trail that heads east for about 200 feet and then goes downhill a short ways where it joins Ouachita Trail (blue blazes). Turn left here to head west toward Wildhorse .

As I frequently note, I am a huge fan of Winding Stair Mountain, and I particularly enjoy this hillside area along the north side. This is a continuation of the Deadman Gap to Wildhorse Creek segment along the north side of the mountain.

The Winding Stair Mountain area is often noted as among the most rocky part of the Ouachita Trail. Much of this hike is quite rocky. It makes the hike more strenuous, but I love the beauty and variety of all the rocks, boulders, and rock formations.

I last did this hike during leaf-on, and there were very few big open vistas on the trail. There are a couple of nice open vistas though such as the Holson Valley Vista around Mile 17 (the prettiest spot on the hike) and one at a rock glacier around Mile 15.

But during leaf-on there are during leaf-on lots of small views through the trees of the Holson Valley area below. Of course, during leaf-on the views are much more expansive.

When I last hiked this segment, I was able to complete the 11-mile hike without having to bushwhack up to the highway, but it was completely dark by the time I reached my car back at Horsethief Springs. (Thank goodness for flashlights!)

If you try to do the 11 miles in one day, pace yourself and start as early as you can.

Elevation Change

This is quite a rocky and strenuous hillside trail with a lot of elevation change. Check out the elevation profile below which covers the entire 11-mile segment between Horsethief Springs and Deadman Gap.

Heading west from Horsethief Springs, this stretch mostly stays between 1,700 and 1,775 feet above sea level. Then it makes a big climb up to around 2,000 feet a little past 2 miles in.

At around 2.5 miles, it starts a big descent to around 1,800 feet elevation about a half-mile later. Then it works its way back up to around 2,000 feet again by 3.5 miles in. As part of this climb, the trail goes by the Holson Valley Vista and the nice Holson Valley Shelter.

With just a few short interruptions, most of the remaining 2 miles is a descent until reaching the Wildhorse Creek branch at around 1,350 feet.

Trail Conditions

When I did my May 18, 2018 hike, the trail was easy to follow, and most of it was not too overgrown although there were some parts with significant overgrowth.

The Ouachita Trail is maintained by volunteers who at best are usually only able to do maintenance once in the fall and once in the spring. The most vegetation growth tends to be in the spring and early summer.

Winter, late fall, and early spring are usually the best hiking times to avoid overgrowth.

Other Things to Note

• The Horsethief Springs Trail is an 11-mile hike which connects the Ouachita Trail to Cedar Lake. The east branch of the trail is at the start of this hike. The west branch is about 1.3 miles to the west.
• On my trail maps below, I have mislabeled Wildhorse Creek as “Cedar Branch”. The spot I labelled “flowing stream” (around 11.2, west of this stretch) is actually Cedar Branch. Don’t expect any flowing water during dry times of the year. But during wet times, Cedar Branch and Wildhorse Creek are both very pretty with significant water.
• Just like most of the Ouachita Trail on Winding Stair Mountain, this section runs parallel to the Talimena Scenic Drive.
• I love the rock glaciers, boulder fields, rock gardens, and other rocky areas!
• My recollection is there have been 1 or 2 small reroutes that were done on this hike around 8 or so years ago to make the trail less steep. The gpx file I tracked with my gps might not reflect those changes.

Final Notes

On my hike, I had AT&T cell signal about 70% of the time.

These photos are from my May 18, 2018 hike.

Photo Gallery

Click below for full-screen photo gallery with these and more pics from my May 18, 2018 hike.

Map

The map and elevation profile below are for the entire segment from Deadman Gap to Horsethief Springs. Wildhorse Creek is in the middle, about 5.5 miles from Horsethief Springs.

So the hike described above is just the eastern half of the trail indicated on the maps below.

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This is a scenic but challenging 5.5-mile Ouachita Trail Section 1 segment on Winding Stair Mountain (LeFlore County, near Heavener) starting at Deadman’s Gap (about Mile 8, near Deadman Vista overlook) and heading east to a branch that becomes Wildhorse Creek (about Mile 13.4).

(The Wildhorse Creek branch is about midpoint between Deadman’s Gap and Horsethief Springs.)

So as a strenuous out-and-back day hike, it is about 11 miles and has lots of elevation change.

Getting to the Deadman’s Gap Trailhead

There is some parking at the beautiful Deadman Vista overlook.

To get there from Poteau, take Highway 271 south toward Wister. A few miles past Wister, turn left (south) where 271 splits from Highway 270.

In about 15 miles, turn left (east) onto the Talimena Scenic Drive (Highway 1). After about 6 miles, the Deadman Vista overlook will be on your left (north side).

After parking here, you can take a left (east) and walk downhill along the highway about a quarter-mile until you reach the Ouachita Trail junction. The OT crosses the highway at this point.

Take a left for this hike. This is the Deadman’s Gap trailhead.

The Hike

I’m a huge fan of Winding Stair Mountain, and this hillside area along the north side is one I think is quite scenic.

There are a lot of very rocky stretches of the Ouachita Trail on Winding Stair Mountain. Much of this part is quite rocky. I really enjoy the beauty and variety of the rocky areas, but it does mean a more strenuous hike.

There are lots of areas with medium size rocks on or near the trail and cool rock formations on this segment.

During my hike during leaf-on, there were very few big open vistas on the trail. There were a few of these where big boulder fields prevented tree canopy growth allowing for wide open viewing. One of these was around Mile 12.

But there were quite a few areas with small views through the trees of the Holson Valley area below. Of course, having the more frequent open views is one of the nice things about hiking during leaf-off.

Here is a note about my latest day hike on this segment. I started at Deadman’s Gap with the goal to reach Wildhorse Creek, then turn and hike it back. I have done this segment before, but neither time was I successful in completing the 11-mile out-and-back on the trail. Each time I ultimately decided to bushwhack to the highway for the return trip due to darkness and exhaustion.

If you try to do the 11 miles in one day, hopefully you will be more successful than me. Pace yourself and start as early as you can.

Elevation Changes

This is quite a rocky and strenuous hillside trail with a lot of elevation change. (Check out the elevation profile below.)

This stretch starts at around 1,600 feet elevation, works its way down to around 1,275 feet after about .8 miles, then works its way up to around 1,500 feet.

At around Mile 11, it heads back down to almost 1,200 feet. At about 12.4 miles in, it has climbed back up to almost 1,600 feet again. At the turnaround point of Wildhorse Creek, it is at about 1,325 feet.

Trail Conditions

Generally on my September 15, 2018 hike, there was not a lot of overgrowth, and the trail was in pretty good shape and not hard to follow.

The Ouachita Trail is maintained by volunteers who at best are usually only able to do maintenance once in the fall and once in the spring. The most vegetation growth tends to be in the spring and early summer.

Winter and late fall are usually the best hiking times to avoid the overgrowth.

Other Things to Note

• At about 8.7 is the OT junction with the Boardstand Trail.
• At around 9.4, there is the Rock Garden Shelter built by Friends of the Ouachita Trail.
• There was a cool big boulder field at around Mile 13.
• On my trail maps below, I have mislabeled Wildhorse Creek as “Cedar Branch”. The spot I labelled “flowing stream” (around 11.2) is actually Cedar Branch. Don’t expect any flowing water during dry times of the year. But during wet times, Cedar Branch and Wildhorse Creek are both very pretty with significant water.

Final Notes

I had AT&T cell signal around 50% of the time during this part of the trail.

The blazes on the Ouachita Trail are blue.

For more info and resources about the Ouachita Trail, see this page.

These pics are all from my September 15, 2018 hike.

Photo Gallery

Click below for full-screen gallery of these and more photos from my September 15, 2018 hike.

Map

The map and elevation profile below are for the entire segment from Deadman Gap to Horsethief Springs. Wildhorse Branch is in the middle, about 5.5 miles from Deadman Gap.

So the hike described above is just the western half the trail indicated on the maps below.

Last revised 5-30-2022.

The post Ouachita Trail: 08.0-13.4 – Deadman’s Gap to Cedar Branch to Wildhorse Creek (Section 1) appeared first on Arklahoma Hiker.

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

Last revised: 2-21-2022.

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