Ouachita Routes

[wisaunders]

I'm about to start planning a three day trip in the Ouachita National Forest.  Anyone have any suggestions/past experiences they could share.  I don't know much about the area but I'm hoping I can put together a three day loop route on fire roads with around 50 miles per day.  I'm thinking this is my best place to get around 150 miles of mostly dirt in and not have to travel more than 5 hours from Dallas.

Thanks

[sherpaxc]

I have lots of info. I've done about 6 trips out there. Do you want singletrack or dirt roads?

[wisaunders]

Thanks, looking mainly for dirt roads but some single track would be fun.  Would like to shoot for a 150 mile round trip over three days.

[sherpaxc]

Focus on the Womble trail. It's about as easy as dirt roads. Ride from end to end and try and connect dirt roads back. I've mainly just done pure singletrack trips out there using both the Womble and ouachita.

[Paul_c]

Is there any way to connect the Womble and the LOVT?  I'll be doing a 2 day the 2nd weekend of November.  I am planning on just doing Womble out and back.  I'm new to this so trying to take it easy.  30 miles per day with plenty of photo ops and plenty of room for error. Ive done the Womble and feel it's a good test site since there is a nearby town.


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[sherpaxc]

I've never ridden the Lovt, but I think you can take roads from the end of the Womble to there.  It can't be too far.  The Womble is pretty much the perfect bikepacking route to start on.  Another fun way to do it (but is a bit more difficult in terms of terrain) is to take the Womble from the lake to the other side and catch the Ouachita and wrap it back around.  A lot more climbing  but still really nice.

[REV]

I've never ridden the Lovt, but I think you can take roads from the end of the Womble to there.  It can't be too far.  The Womble is pretty much the perfect bikepacking route to start on.  Another fun way to do it (but is a bit more difficult in terms of terrain) is to take the Womble from the lake to the other side and catch the Ouachita and wrap it back around.  A lot more climbing  but still really nice.

Travis, are you connecting the two via the portion of the womble that is north of the bridge?

[sherpaxc]

Not sure what bridge you're talking about.  Hwy 27?  yes, right were the Fishing Village is.  Basically, you could park at the Fishing Village, go North (I think?  take a RIGHT on Hwy 27, cross the bridge, then Left onto Womble).  Follow Womble until it dead ends at the Ouachita.  Take a left on the Ouachita Trail and follow it past the Big Brushy Campground (roughly 5 miles?) where you will cross a dirt road that you can take into Oden where the OT Race starts.  The trick is figuring out the dirt roads to get to North Fork Lake where the Womble starts.  I have no GPS, I've just done it enough that I know the roads.  Then Womble back to the Fishing Village. 

This is a 2 day ride for people who are fit.  Really it can be done in a day.  But if your plan is to camp out then 2 days should be fine.  There are other routes to make it longer and more difficult of course.  But this is a great start.  That stretch of the Ouachita is by far the easiest section when compared to others.  The Ouachita is EXTREMLY difficult in many places. 

[Paul_c]

I used to fantasize and dream about doing the Ouachita trail from start to finish and then realized the trail is just not bike friendly.  From what I understand it is a hikers trail and a lot of the trail is unrideable.   


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[sherpaxc]

I used to fantasize and dream about doing the Ouachita trail from start to finish and then realized the trail is just not bike friendly.  From what I understand it is a hikers trail and a lot of the trail is unrideable.   


Sent from my hammock

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder eh?  After watching/reading about some of the adventures some people are having in Alaska, Virginia, Montana it made me realize that picking up your bike, dragging it a bit, falling over it at times isn't the end of the world.  Sure it doesn't look good on Strava or whatever (as if I even use that), but the struggle itself is a heck of a lot of fun. 

It's as close to a pure big singletrack trip you're going to get without going West.

[THenne]

A friend and I are working up a 300-400 mile Loop as we speak that will include all the sweetness we have in our backyard.  More coming as we ride and document thru the season!

[sherpaxc]

I'm all ears!  Any rough outline? 

[THenne]

Roughly looping thru all the ONF and including sections of 6 legal trails so lots of ST.  Just working on GPS data etc via section runs as trails open up. 

[sherpaxc]

You had me at st. Think it'll be put together by next fall?

[THenne]

Our best season for much of the ST is winter/spring because of all the growth.  Trail work really only gets done in the fall because of the summer heat and fall frosts/freezes helping the cause.  We are just now riding some trail sections up here because the snakes,ticks,chiggars and poison ivy are going to sleep!  I  do a parallel all gravel loop summer/fall  but not as cool as connecting all the trail around here.

[sherpaxc]

I'd agree about that. We've done plenty of nasty bush whacking out there. The spring is for sure easier to ride out there compared to the fall. But the fall sure has some nice colors. Well, bviously people are interested in a big route up there. Almost 600 views so people are keeping an eye on this. If you don't mind sharing your intel when you put it together that would be awesome. If not I can understand that too. There are some hard earned miles out that way!!

[THenne]

Give me a shout if you are coming up this way and we can put in a couple days.  Few know how good this area is and it can all be looped so no shuttling really necessary.  four79four95zero77one  Todd

[sherpaxc]

Thanks. I will be back out there in the spring for sure.

[mr clean]

Hey Todd,
That information really excites me. Glad to hear y'all are doing this. I've just recently got my gear together and still getting some of it. But I am totally stoked about this type of riding.
CAB (cold as balls) will be at the fishing village again this year. We have reserved all 6 cabins for the weekend of 2/19/14. Come by and see us. Sure we will have plenty of bacon. We have about thirty confirmed riders coming thus far.

[hikernks]

Todd,

I'd be very interested in doing that as well.  I live in east KS and it's only a few hour drive for me.  When you get it complete, would you mind throwing up a GPX track or mapmyride or some such?  Also, if there is a plan for a group ride, I could probably make it.  Thanks again, and I look forward to hearing more about this!