Thank you! Yes, I kind of look at Russellville as the “gateway to the Ozarks.” The Ozarks is my favorite place to go - the Richland Creek wilderness area, in particular. I had no idea that the Ouachitas had such beautiful areas as I saw on ERL. The Ouachita Trail, itself, was a 220 mile walk in the woods, more or less. But ERL was absolutely stunning!
I do most of my backpacking in Arkansas, because it's the perfect halfway point between me and my buddies down in TX. Until we did the ERL this past December, we spent all of our time further north in the Ozark region. I was amazed at how different the Ozarks and Ouachita regions are- in terms of topography and vegetation. The ERL had a lot more pine forests than the Ozarks. And I believe the Ouachitas are true mountains- as opposed to the Ozarks, which were formed by erosion. I don't think I could ever get bored exploring "The Natural State."Originally Posted by AmberG
I tell my husband that all the time. As close as they are, they’re very different forests. I think the rock formations and all of the water draws me to the Ozarks more than the Ouachitas. I’m a sucker for creeks and waterfalls. The river is definitely what made the ERL for me.
I'm actually going to be back in AR next week on the Butterfield Hiking Trail at Devil's Den State Park. I was there 4 years ago, and it was a lot of fun! It's a short loop, but still plenty of challenges and great scenery.
I’ve read one article about that trail, but it’s been awhile. I keep meaning to look into it some more. Isn’t it something like 14-15 miles? That would be a good overnight hike. You’ll have to let me know how it goes!
I think the official trail mileage is around 15-16 miles; but when we did it 4 years ago, we did like 17 miles total. The spur trail to the campsite where we camped was decently long. This trail has a little bit of everything: water crossings, bouldering, climbing up a small waterfall, and of course lots of ups and downs.
Every trail ends up being longer than the ‘listed mileage,’ in my experience. Lol. But sounds like my kind of place
It was a good place to grow up, I spent my first almost 16 years there, and wish my parents were into the outdoors so I could have some time in the wilderness areas there. We moved to Utah, and that's where I really got into it.
I drove through Wyoming and the very NE corner of Utah on my way to CO once - it was only an extra 2 hours, and I’d never been there before, so why not. I think it was Ashley National Forest? I passed Flaming Gorge on the way out of Wyoming into Utah, and going back to those areas is high on my list. I’ve also been wanting to visit the Utah side of the Rocky Mountains. It’d be hard not to be outdoorsy in places like that!
Utah is truly an underrated, beautiful place. The central Wasatch range outside of Salt Lake City is just amazing, and the high Uintah range is an amazing wilderness area. We still have family out there, so I try to get out there once or twice a year, I love it!
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks