Ozark Highlands Trail reaches Missouri border
Spread the word to hikers across the country and around the globe: The Ozark Highlands Trail (OHT) has reached the Missouri state line! Originating at Lake Fort Smith State Park, the 300-mile footpath winds its way through northern Arkansas’ scenic forests before terminating at the Missouri border.
In the words of French poet Moliere, “Long is the road from conception to completion.” The road to completion of the OHT is an interesting tale, replete with heroes.
Construction of the trail began in 1977. With a secondary goal of providing young people with meaningful work experience and needed earnings, trail construction was performed by various government-funded youth employment programs, such as the Young Adult Conservation Corps and Youth Conservation Corps.
Their work was short-lived. In 1981, with only 40 miles of trail completed, the government program lost funding, and work was halted. Noted Arkansas photographer and author Tim Ernst then proposed a plan to use volunteer labor to complete 165 miles of trail and extend it to the Missouri state line. Ernst founded the Ozark Highlands Trail Association (OHTA) to achieve this ambitious objective.
OHTA’s dedicated volunteers completed construction to the original eastern terminus at the Woolum crossing of the Buffalo River in 1984. By incorporating the existing Buffalo River Trail (BRT), the OHT/BRT reached Dillard’s Ferry on Arkansas 14, adjoining the Lower Buffalo Wilderness.
Trail construction is not allowed in a wilderness area. Consequently, hikers are in for a “true wilderness adventure.” The next 15 miles to the OHT Spring Creek Trailhead are bushwhacking, meaning no trail and no markers. But no worries, hikers can purchase Duane Woltjen’s “Ozark Highlands Trail Route Lower Buffalo Wilderness” to guide them. The guidebook and OHT maps may be purchased at ozarkhighlandstrail.com/shop.
The OHT Sylamore Section begins at the Spring Creek Trailhead. In 2000, Woltjen and his wife, Judy, of the OHTA stepped up to lead this construction. The yeoman task of completing the 87-mile OHT/OKT (Ozarks Keystone Trail) from Matney Knob to the Missouri state line was headed by Jackson Rhoades.
After almost 50 years of volunteer labor, the 300-plus mile Ozark Highlands Trail is open for business.
“A special thanks to the thousands of volunteers who have built and maintain one of the great hiking trails in the USA — generations of hikers will follow in your footsteps,” Ernst said.
Fortunately, as OHTA’s leadership roles concluded over the years, others like current OHTA President Philip Brown have stepped up to fill those positions. His incentive mirrors that of other volunteers.
“My motivation for joining the OHTA was to ‘give back to the trail’ as a trail maintainer,” Brown said. “I accepted the duties of OHTA president to work with the board and association members to assist in the evolution of the organization.”
A walk in the woods
Arkansans are fortunate to have an internationally renowned hiking trail in their backyard. In September 2023, Sophie Dumortier traveled all the way from Switzerland to hike the OHT. Although an experienced backpacker, she found the rugged, isolated terrain of Arkansas’ Ozark Mountains more challenging than European hiking.
After settling into a backpacking routine, she expressed excitement at spotting a young fox, a boar and numerous Arkansas deer. She jokingly compared herself, with her backpack, to the turtles along the trail.
At the conclusion of Dumortier’s 165-mile, 16-day backpacking adventure, she grew comfortable with its tranquility, describing the adventure as “a great experience alone in this beautiful wild nature.”
Backpacking the OHT is not for everyone. But for many, the trail calls to them. Severing the cord with the so-called “real world” for an extended escape into the woods can be therapeutic.
The Trans Ozark Trail
As Ernst and the OHTA worked to extend the OHT to Arkansas’ northern border, John Roth and the Ozark Trail Association (OTA) constructed the Ozark Trail (OT) across southeastern Missouri. The two trails are now joined to form the Trans Ozark Trail, a continuous 700-mile footpath from Lake Fort Smith State Park, to St. Louis, Missouri. The OHT/OT are now part of the elite club of internationally renowned trails that include The Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail.
It’s just one more reason to be glad to call The Natural State home.