Popular as a cycling route but also prime for backpacking, the Maah Daah Hey Trail is a 144-mile point-to-point route across the badlands and prairies of western North Dakota. It passes through Theodore Roosevelt National Park and features stark landscapes, abundant wildlife, and unique geological formations. 

Region: Plains Midwest (North Dakota)

Length: 144 miles (10-14 days)

Physical Difficulty: Moderate

• Summer and winter conditions tend to be extreme, best to hike in the shoulder seasons.  
• The trail is moderately graded with a moderate amount of climbing.
• Lots of wind and sun exposure with little shelter or shade.

Logistical Difficulty: Moderate

• Water is scarce, water boxes can be used to cache ahead of time if desired.
• Both termini are remote though a shuttle service is available.
• Trail is well marked and maintained.
• Permit not required.

Season: Late spring, early or late summer, fall

Elevation: 1,978 – 2,940 feet
Total Elevation Change: (South to North) +16,149 feet, -16,710 feet

Hiking the Maah Daah Hey Trail

The Maah Daah Hey Trail winds through western North Dakota, connecting the north and south units of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Well known in the mountain biking community as one of the nation’s premiere stretches of single track, it is still relatively unknown in the backpacking world. For those willing to travel to this remote location, manage potentially long water carries, and brave an often unforgiving landscape, this trail has a lot to offer for backpackers as well as those traveling by bike or horseback. 

The Maah Daah Hey Trail offers hikers a unique opportunity to travel through remote landscapes in nearly complete solitude while remaining on a well-maintained and well-marked trail. Rustic campgrounds are located roughly every 20 miles along the trail and have both potable water and latrines. The town of Medora is located one-third of the way along the trail and can serve as a resupply point. It also provides opportunities for food and recreation before or after your hike. 

Hikable in 10 to 14 days, the Maah Daah Hey Trail makes a good intermediate hike. Because of the scarce water, the amount of exposure, and the potentially extreme temperatures, I would not recommend this trail to beginners. For those with some experience, it is not particularly strenuous or demanding. 

How to get to the Maah Daah Hey Trail 

Nearest City: Dickinson, North Dakota (40 minutes)

Dickinson has the nearest airport and is a 40-minute drive from the closest town of Medora, around two hours from either terminus. Bismarck, ND, has a slightly larger airport and is an additional 1.5 hours away. 

Both termini, CCC Campground in the north and Burning Coal Vein campground in the south, are easily accessible on mostly paved roads. Other campgrounds and trailheads along the Maah Daah Hey are more difficult to reach. 

There is a shuttle service offered by Dakota Cyclery in Medora. As the name suggests, they primarily cater to mountain bikers but they are happy to accommodate hikers as well. Cost for a one-way shuttle from Medora (for up to four people) people is $250. Vehicles can be left at the shop. 

Keep in mind that if you plan on using the designated water boxes to cache water for yourself, caching will take between a half and a full day. 

When to Hike the Maah Daah Hey Trail

The wells at the campgrounds are turned on each year in May. It is not recommended that you hike when the wells are not in service, as they are the only reliable sources of water on trail. If you are hiking before Memorial Day, it would be a good idea to call ahead and make sure the water is on before you go. The best time to hike this trail is within relatively narrow windows in late spring or early fall. Winters are prohibitively harsh and the town of Medora mostly shuts down in the off-season. Summers get surprisingly hot in the Badlands: it is not uncommon for temperatures to reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit. 

If you choose to hike in the spring, be aware that when it rains the bentonite clay in the Badlands becomes a real mess. Things tend to dry out quickly and it is recommended that you refrain from tearing up the trail by waiting until things dry if it becomes too muddy. Ticks are often abundant in the spring but the species in the area do not carry Lyme disease. 

The Maah Daah Hey Trail Terrain 

Most hikers will average between 1,500 and 2,500 feet of elevation gain per day on this trail. There are some steep and extended climbs but the trail was built with bikes and horses in mind so it tends to be nicely graded. While often dry and dusty, the clay that makes up the Badland formations becomes sticky, slippery, and difficult to traverse when it does rain.

Maah Daah Hey Trail Logistics: Permits, Camping, Resupply and Water

Permits: A permit is not required to hike this trail and camping permits are only required within the Theodore Roosevelt National Park boundary. I did not camp within the park, but make sure you call ahead if you plan on setting up camp within national park boundaries.

Camping: Many people will choose to camp at the primitive campgrounds along the trail, as they are the only reliable sources of water beyond what you cache yourself. They are reasonably priced at $10 per night and are equipped with a hand pump for water and a pit toilet. For those who prefer dispersed camping, there are plenty of opportunities in the national grassland. Make sure to pay close attention to your map, however, as the trail does pass through private and state land where camping is prohibited. 

Resupply: Medora is located one-third of the way along the trail. It is about 1.5 miles into town along a paved bike path. Resupply options are fairly limited but there is a small general store and a few restaurants. Hours can be limited so you may want to call ahead. If you are utilizing the shuttle service, you also have the option to leave a box in your vehicle or at Dakota Cyclery. Again, just make sure they will be open when you plan to pick it up.  

Water: Procuring water is the most challenging aspect of the Maah Daah Hey Trail and requires that you have a plan before starting. If you are confident hiking 20 miles or more between water sources, the trail can be done with only a single water cache. The cache is easily accessible and on the way to the southern terminus, so there is really no reason not to utilize it.

If that distance is outside your comfort zone, you will need to cache more water ahead of time. There are designated water boxes provided for this purpose along the way. Make sure to label your water with your name and the latest possible date you would plan to use it. “Expired” water can sometimes be found in the cache boxes and is free for the taking, however, you should not rely on it. Some of the water boxes are very remote and seldom used. 

Waterbox Locations (Mile markers run south to north)

Besides the water caches, hand pumps at the campgrounds are the only other reliable source of drinking water. The water from the pump is technically potable but tends to be very cloudy. If you are picky about such things you might consider filtering it. There are a few stream and river crossings but they are all drainages that come from the Badlands, and we don’t recommend drinking from them even after filtering. They apparently have high mineral/metal content and tend to clog filters with sediment. They also aren’t conveniently located so I didn’t bother. I did filter out of a few cattle tanks near the north end of the trail, but they are inconsistent.  

Know Before You Go

Plentiful wildlife: Bison, wild horses (in TRNP), pronghorn, mule deer, prairie dogs, prairie rattlesnakes, and bull snakes can all be found along this trail. You will also encounter plenty of cattle grazing on the national grassland and private property. Be aware of your surroundings and give the wildlife plenty of space (especially the bison and rattlesnakes).  

Have a plan for drinking water! It is hard to overstate the importance of this as it is the most challenging aspect of the trail. If you plan on hiking before Memorial Day, call ahead and make sure the water pumps have been turned on. 

Check the water levels before attempting to cross the Little Missouri River: The trail crosses the Little Missouri twice (Sully Creek and Elkhorn). The water levels are typically fine for crossing but it can be impassable in the spring or after heavy rains. Check USGS or download RiverApp and search for “Little Missouri River (ND).  

Resources 

Dakota Cyclery – Shuttle Service

Guide Book

Trail Maps

The Maah Daah Hey Trail Association 

bikepacking.com 

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The Centennial Trail is a 123-mile point-to-point hike in the Black Hills of South Dakota, best hiked from late spring to fall. The trail is mostly well-marked and -graded and can be hiked in 5-10 days.

Region: Plains Midwest (Black Hills, South Dakota)
Length: 123 miles (5-10 days)

Physical Difficulty: Moderate

• Tread is mostly good, but brief route-finding may be required
• Total elevation gain is 20,000-22,000 feet, depending on direction of travel
• Sustained climbs of 2,000-3,000 feet, rarely steep
• Weather can change quickly

Logistical Difficulty: Moderate

• Transportation options limited
• Resupply options available, but limited
• Water availability varies, depending on year and season
• Dispersed camping allowed along most of the trail

Season: Late Spring, Summer, Fall

Elevation: ~3,300 – 5,856 feet 
Total Elevation Gain: ~22,000 feet (southbound); ~20,000 (northbound)

Want this map for offline use? Get a discount on Gaia Premium here 

Hiking the Centennial Trail

South Dakota’s Centennial Trail is a little-traveled, beautiful route through the Black Hills, which resemble the foothills of the Rocky Mountains (and with which they share a geological origin). With an average elevation of 4,000-4,500 feet and sustained climbs of up to 3,000 feet, it’s an excellent way to experience long-distance hiking at moderate altitude.

The Centennial Trail offers diverse landscapes and ecosystems over its 123-mile length, from rolling meadows and open grasslands to montane forests, lakes, and streams. 

The trail passes through Wind Cave National Park and Custer State Park, where hikers are likely to see American bison, and is just a 2-mile (uphill!) hike away from famous Mount Rushmore (and its cafeteria). Hikers not interested in Mount Rushmore can take an alternate route to summit Black Elk (formerly Harney) Peak, South Dakota’s high point. The Northern Terminus is the breathtaking summit of Bear Butte, rising 1,600 feet above the plains. Looking due east, the nearest mountains are in northern Vermont. For centuries a sacred site, Cheyenne, Lakota, and Hunkpapa people still tie colorful cloth prayer bundles to junipers and trees along the steep, spectacular ascent. Buffalo, deer, or elk are often visible on the grassy skirts far below. Hiker-friendly Hot Springs is just a quick hitch from the Southern Terminus.

While generally well-tracked and -signed, the Centennial Trail sees surprisingly little long-distance traffic, so hikers may need to do some minor route-finding in remote areas. The trail is remarkably free of crowds, though hikers may encounter people at U.S. Forest Service campgrounds and certain trailheads.

How to Get to the Centennial Trail

Nearest Major City: Rapid City, South Dakota (33 miles to Northern Terminus)

Nearest Town to Northern Terminus: Sturgis, South Dakota (8 miles)
Nearest Town to Southern Terminus: Hot Springs, South Dakota (7 miles)

Northern Terminus: Bear Butte State Park
Southern Terminus: Wind Cave National Park

For a southbound hike, hikers can fly into Rapid City Regional Airport to access the Northern Terminus. Shuttle services to both Sturgis and Hot Springs are available (though somewhat infrequent) at the airport through Rapid City Airport Shuttles and RapidShuttle. Some hikers fly into Denver and rent a car one-way for the six-hour drive to Rapid City.

After I finished this trail, I hitched out of the park, then used a shuttle to get from the Rapid City airport back to Bear Butte—an additional few miles than the shuttle driver agreed to, but I left him a good tip.

When to Hike the Centennial Trail

Generally speaking, hiking is best from early summer to early fall. The Black Hills and surrounding area are on the high plains, where winter can—and frequently does—push well into spring. Even in early summer the weather can be gorgeous one hour and stormy the next, though overall the climate is dry. Once summer is in full swing, temperatures range from nighttime lows in the 50s to highs in the 80s. Water availability varies, depending on the year, and some streams can go dry in late summer. 

I hiked this in late August 2019. In some years, that might mean carrying more water because of dry streams. There was tons of water in 2019, so I never had an issue. My weather was sublime. High 80s during the day, a few rain showers, and in the 50s at night.

Centennial Trail Terrain

The majority of the trail ambles through the south-facing ponderosa-pine and north-facing spruce ecosystems of the Black Hills—the English translation of Pahá Sápa, a Lakota word describing the appearance of the area’s dark evergreen forests from a distance.

But the area around Bear Butte, as well as the southern reaches of the trail through Custer State Park and Wind Cave National Park, feature rolling prairie interspersed with forested areas (including treeless stretches due to wildfire). The trail passes by several lakes, both natural and human-made, and crosses many streams. Hikers are likely to see bison, snakes, frogs, toads, and lizards, and may see eagles, hawks, vultures, deer, elk, and mountain goats—as well as plenty of cattle.

Logistics: Camping, Water, Resupply 

Permits: Hikers must self-register to enter the Black Elk Wilderness, Custer State Park, and Wind Cave National Park. Pets are not allowed in Wind Cave, Mount Rushmore, or Bear Butte State Park.  

Camping: Dispersed camping is allowed along most of the trail. Fees required at U.S. Forest Service campgrounds on the trail.   

Jurisdiction: The Centennial Trail crosses land managed by the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, and state parks. There is a small amount of dirt-road-walking; off-trail vehicles are allowed on 14.4 miles of the trail between Pilot Knob and Dalton Lake. 

Water: The trail crosses numerous large creeks and streams, some of which may require hip-deep fording or be dry, depending on precipitation levels and snowpack earlier in the year. The Facebook group Hiking Centennial Trail, administered by the authors of the most detailed guidebook to the trail, is a good resource for water information.

Resupply: The trail is short enough that it’s possible to thru-hike without a resupply. However, it also passes two minuscule towns that have restaurants and adequate resupply options, Merritt and Nemo. Whispering Pines campground, about a half-mile off the trail, offers limited resupply (candy bars, sports drinks, canned tuna, beer, etc.). Snacks and drinks are available at the cafeteria and store at Mount Rushmore.

Know Before You Go

The Centennial Trail is an outstanding, little-traveled trail that offers plenty of challenge, coupled with varied and gorgeous scenery, unusual wildlife, and swimming opportunities. The climbs are substantial, but not onerous, and even in forested areas, views are plentiful. Water may be an issue in dry years, but not so much that caching is required, and resupply options, while limited, are sufficient for the length of the average trip. Northbounders end on the “Katahdin” of the Centennial Trail, a genuinely spectacular jaunt up Bear Butte, while southbounders can wrap up their journey with a visit to famous caves or a soak in a natural hot spring. 

Centennial Trail Resources

-Local hikers Cheryl Whetham and Jukka Huhtiniemi’s Hiking Centennial Trail is a detailed guide to the trail itself, tailored to NOBO hikers (though SOBOs can simply read it back-to-front, though it focuses on the route and environment rather than logistics). 

-Hiking Centennial Trail Facebook group

-National Geographic Trails Illustrated Black Hills Map Pack Bundle

-Author’s detailed blog about hiking the Great Plains Trail pilot trail, which includes the Centennial Trail

Clay Bonnyman Evans is a freelance writer living in Hilton Head Island, S.C. and his hometown, Boulder, CO. He’s the author of several books, including the Amazon bestseller, Bones of My Grandfather: Reclaiming a Lost Hero of World War II,”and his most recent, The Trail Is the Teacher: Living and Learning on the Appalachian Trail. He has hiked the Colorado Trail, Appalachian Trail, Foothills Trail, Pinhoti Trail, Centennial Trail, and the Great Plains Trail Pilot Trail, and will start hiking the Pacific Crest Trail on April 7, 2021.

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The Ouachita Trail is a 223-mile point-to-point backpacking route in Oklahoma and Arkansas. It is a blazed trail with frequent shelters, and can be hiked in 10-18 days.

Find my Ouachita Trail gear here, and the resupply guide here.

Region: Middle South, Plains Midwest (Oklahoma / Arkansas, National Forest)
Length: 223 miles (10-18 days)

Physical Difficulty: Moderate

• Trail can be rocky and overgrown
• Most climbs and descents are mildly graded and switchbacked
• Lots of PUDs

Logistical Difficulty: Moderate

• No permit needed
• Oklahoma terminus (west) is hard to access
• Many road crossings and easy resupply hitches

Season: Fall, winter

Average Elevation: 1,000 feet
Total Elevation Gain: ~30,000 feet

Hiking the Ouachita Trail

The Ouachita Trail is almost entirely under trees, winding through the Ouachita National Forest for hundreds of miles. The western side is decidedly more challenging than the eastern side, so we started with that to get the toughest part out of the way.

This is a blue-blazed trail with incredible signage and frequent blazes. Each mile is marked (yes, every single mile) and there are gorgeous shelters every 10 miles or so. The Ouachita Trail has the wonderful Friends of the Ouachita Trail (FoOT) that works hard to care for the trail and provide resources.

All along the OT, painted and signed arrows point you in the right direction, and you’ll encounter less than two miles of road walking along the entire length of the trail. You cross a highway several times—convenient for resupply—and you also hit Queen Wilhelmina State Park, which has a lodge with a restaurant before you’re even out of Oklahoma.

The initial few days (40 or so miles) felt as rocky and challenging as the hardest parts of Northern Pennsylvania on the Appalachian Trail. (If you know, you know.) Dense layers of slick leaves obscure the rocks, so each step felt cautious and unsteady since it was impossible to know what was under the leaves. I slipped and slid for two solid days, and to make it more challenging, the trail is incredibly well-marked for the most part, but can be frustratingly obscure through this tricky Oklahoma section. Since there are so many leaves carpeting the forest, it’s hard to tell if you’re on the trail or not.

After the first few days (heading east), the trail is a lot easier to follow and the terrain is milder and easier to follow. The climbs and descents are never more than 1,500 feet in elevation change, and there are very few steep climbs. Depending on the section, some days can accumulate the elevation gain—we had a few days with 3,500 feet of gain, but the individual climbs are switchbacked and rarely gain more than 500 feet at a time.

We hit a few overgrown sections around Blue Mountain across a low ridgeline. This was rough, since it wasn’t just overgrown, but overgrown with thorns and briars. But for the most part, the trail is extremely well maintained. Some sections are dense and green with ferns, others have towering oak and pine trees.

As you cross the halfway point, the ridgelines open up and you get sweeping views of the Ouachita National Forest rippling out in every direction. It’s truly stunning and expansive—I had never been to Arkansas or Oklahoma before and didn’t know what to expect. In the last 70 miles there are a few short side trails to different pinnacles. You’ll definitely want to take them and get a view of the low-slung mountains you just traversed.

The final section around Lake Maumelle is very flat and fast. Some sections are a bit overgrown, but overall there is almost no elevation gain for the last 30 miles.

This is a very quiet trail, getting fewer than 50 thru-hikers each year. We encountered a few section hikers, and saw a couple of hunters each day. Everyone we met was incredibly kind and friendly. This is a perfect trail for a first thru-hike or an AT shakedown. It’s blazed, it has a FarOut guide, and it is amazingly well-maintained and a wonderful distance to get some real backpacking in without committing to six months of hiking.

How to Get to the Ouachita Trail

Western Terminus: Talimena State Park, Oklahoma
Closest City: Oklahoma City (3 hours)

Eastern Terminus: Pinnacle Mountain State Park, Arkansas
Closest City: Little Rock (20 minutes)

We hiked this trail eastbound from Talimena, since that’s the harder side to access and we had prearranged a ride. There is no public transportation to either end, so your options are a car shuttle, a ride from a friend, or arranging a private shuttle. If you hike eastbound, getting to Little Rock when you finish is an easy hitch from Pinnacle Mountain State Park. You can post in message boards when you’re a few days from finishing and you’ll likely get offered a ride to the airport.

There is an active Facebook group where people post car swaps and rides.

Ouachita Trail Western Terminus

From Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City, it’s a three-hour drive to Talimena State Park, and you’ll want to arrange a ride in advance or plan it with someone else in the active Facebook group.

You can also drive yourself to Talimena State Park and leave your car there for a small daily fee, then arrange a ride back through the trail community. Call the park in advance for information at 918-567-2052

Shuttles*
-Mike with Ouachita Trail Guide shuttles on the west side. 918-383-0060
-Lori, with the Bluebell Cafe at midtrail can do longer shuttles. 870-867-3999
*It’s not guaranteed any shuttle will drive you from OK City to Talimena

Ouachita Trail Eastern Terminus

From Clinton International Airport in Little Rock, it’s about 20 minutes to Pinnacle Mountain State Park. Little Rock has Uber and Lyft, which is the most obvious solution. You can also post in the Facebook group and try to share a ride with someone.

Again, there is no public transport to either end, so you’ll have to plan in advance.

When to Hike the Ouachita Trail / Which Direction

For a winter / shoulder-season trail, the Ouachita Trail is ideal. Think of it like an off-season trail compared to a “regular season” thru-hike. It never reaches over 2,200 feet, and while you might encounter freezing days and nights, it’s entirely doable throughout the winter.

Late October through late March is very possible, with the bulk of the hikers hitting it in November. We hiked it in late November in 11 days, averaging about 20 miles per day. Depending on how challenging the day was, we would hike up to two hours after dark. As the trail got easier (and I got in shape), we were able to cover 20 miles during the limited daylight hours of a late-November hike.

It’s totally fine to hike this trail in either direction. Hiking eastbound from Oklahoma gets the hardest terrain out of the way first. If you are concerned about your fitness and want to start on easier terrain, start on the Arkansas side. Our decision was primarily due to getting a ride to the western terminus.

Ouachita Trail Terrain

The Ouachita Trail is a low-elevation, forested trail. You’ll climb and descend switchbacks over low peaks for most of the hike, with much of the climbing and descending in the first half of the trail. Some sections (Oklahoma) are quite rocky, but overall you can make really good time on smooth terrain. The last 30 miles or so are almost entirely flat.

Ouachita Trail Resupply

You have a few options for resupply on the Ouachita Trail. The trail crosses numerous forest service roads, and some hikers choose to cache a few days’ worth of food in bear-proof containers at these crossings. If you go this route, you’ll need to have a decent estimate of your hiking pace, and you’ll also have to drive the entire route twice: once to drop off the food, and once to pick up the containers.

You can also send maildrops to Queen Wilhelmina Lodge at Mile 51, and Bluebell Cafe at Mile 121.

The best way to do this is with one resupply in the middle, since Bluebell Cafe will pick you up and take you back to the trail, and Mount Ida, Arkansas, has a grocery story and a Dollar General. We resupplied three times on the trail, and didn’t do caches or mail drops. It was very easy and the locations were spaced a few days apart. The first and last time were hitches into town, and the middle was calling the Bluebell Cafe for a ride.

Resupply 1, Mena, Arkansas
Mile 51 or 56, Day 3-4
Hitch from Wilhelmina Lodge or the road crossing at Highway 270. Mena has a WalMart, and it took two hitches to get into town.

Resupply 2, Bluebell Cafe / Mount Ida, Arkansas
Mile 121, Day 7-9
Bluebell Cafe is located in Story, Arkansas. They love hikers and are happy to shuttle from the Highway 270 trailhead about 20 minutes from their store. Call them in the morning and give them an estimate of your arrival time to the trailhead. If they give you a ride, be sure to get food at the cafe and buy something. They are a tiny local business who does a lot for the community. We got a ride from a customer into the nearby town of Mount Ida, where they have a local store and a Dollar General.

Resupply 3, Hot Springs Village, Arkansas
Mile 155, Day 9-11
There is a large trailhead at the Route 7 road crossing here, and it was fairly busy. You’re only 65 miles from the end, so we just bought a few days’ worth of food from the Dollar General. We also ran into Warren Doyle at McDonald’s (???), making for an easy ride back to the trail.

Logistics: Camping, Water, Hunting Season

Camping: Camping is free and frequent along the Ouachita Trail, with amazing shelters spaced every 10 miles or so off well-signed intersections. There are numerous campsites with fire rings, and even if you don’t see a listed campsite on Gaia or FarOut, there will be a nice flat spot nearby, guaranteed.

Water: Water can be a concern on the Ouachita Trail, but if you keep track of water sources and streams on your app or map, you’ll be fine. We carried enough bottles for a three-liter capacity, and never ran out. There were two potential 20-mile waterless stretches, but even with that, there were a few icky streams we could have used if we were desperate.

Local trail crew and trail angels will often cache water at crossings and in shelters, but totally relying on other people’s caches is never smart. If you use the last of a gallon jug at a cache, do your part and strap the empty bottle to your pack and pack it out.

Hunting Season: The prime time to hike the OT is also whitetail season in Arkansas. We saw more hunters than hikers. Everyone gets along well and respects each other, but not a day went by when we didn’t hear shots ring out in the woods. You really, really need to wear at least one piece of blaze orange during an OT thru-hike. I totally spaced on this and didn’t wear a piece of orange, and I was fairly nervous at times. I respect hunters immensely and I trust them to know where they’re firing, but it should have also been my responsibility to keep myself safe by wearing blaze orange. A blaze hat, pack cover, or vest would have been fine.

Ouachita Trail Know Before You Go

Weather: A late-fall / winter thru-hike means being prepared for everything from 50 degrees and sunny to days and days of fog and rain. The visibility was low at times, which can be especially challenging when night hiking in the fog. Good rain gear is a must.

Shorter Daylight: Since this is a shoulder-season hike, you have far fewer daylight hours to hike. Plan accordingly—if you don’t like night hiking, you might hike fewer hours and your hike will last longer. If you’re night hiking, be prepared with a good headlamp (at least 300 lumens) and plenty of spare batteries, or a battery pack to recharge your headlamp. This was something I did not plan for, and had to buy a second headlamp in Mena.

Shelter and Trail Courtesy: The Ouachita Trail has the unique position (at least in my trail experience) of being a trail with a lot of amazing amenities and also very low foot traffic. As word of this trail spreads, the foot traffic will increase. Be respectful of the shelters, campsites, and resources. Don’t leave food as “trail magic” in the shelters (it attracts mice), and really take the time to appreciate the incredible pride and care that the FoOT and trail volunteers put into this corridor.

Ouachita Trail Resources

Friends of the Ouachita Trail

Friends of the Ouachita Facebook (they also make groups for each hiking year)

Bluebell Cafe Facebook

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