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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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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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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