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Black Fork Mountain Wilderness Trail
If you are looking for an extremely beautiful out-of-the-way strenuous day hike or moderate two-day backpacking trip, the Black Fork Mountain Wilderness Trail definitely fits the bill. A narrow ribbon of practically deserted blacktop that is nestled over, around, between, and beside the beautiful rolling mountains of the Ouachita (WASH-it-ah) National Forest gets you there. The drive itself is beautiful, and you will be more than rewarded for your time, especially if you make the trip in late October or early November when fall colors are at their peak. If you want to see photos to get a feel for the area, go to the park search at the www.llbean.com Web site and look up Queen Wilhelmina State Park, Arkansas. The trail is 5.8 miles each way and is moderately strenuous. It does not circle, but like many good trails, hiking back in the opposite direction is like hiking on a completely different trail. The trail includes more variations in scenery, flora, fauna, elevation, and terrain than you can imagine encountering in about six miles each way. Tim Ernst’s "78 Hikes" book has a very good detailed description of this trail and many others. The trail is in black bear country, so you’ll probably want to cook away form camp and hang a bear bag if you plan to spend the night on the trail. Also, the only dependable water source is the Ouachita River just past the trailhead, so plan accordingly. The unusually well-maintained trailhead starts just off US 270 in the bottom of the valley between the Black Fork and Rich mountains, and follows the Ouachita Trail northeast for a mile before it turns West and eventually climbs to the crest of the Black Fork Mountain. The elevation at the end of the trail is 2600 feet. White blazes are generously spaced throughout the entire trail, so it’s pretty hard to get turned around, even in sections where the trail all but disappears. Right after leaving the trailhead, you will cross the Ouachita "River" on a footbridge. The trail then crosses a set of railroad tracks, plunges into the woods, and wanders to and fro through trees and rocks and boulders, and up and down small hills. After a mile of this single track trail--which provides a good warm-up--the trail splits off to the West and begins climbing the Black Fork Mountain in earnest. Part of this ascent is on a long-abandoned forest road which eventually turns into single track again after a mile or so. At mile 2.4, the trail leaves the Ouachita National Forest and enters the Black Fork Mountain Wilderness. You are teased with glimpses into the valley below as you ascend, but around mile 2.5 there is an indescribably beautiful panoramic view on a large rock outcropping. You can survey the entire valley as well as the rolling mountain ranges for many miles beyond. The trail levels out a bit at this point (whew!) and the large deciduous trees in the valley below have slowly given way to stunted oaks and pines. You pass a small frog pond around mile 2.6, then swing precipitously down the south side of the mountain at mile 3.5 and continue down through rocks and boulder fields. You'll swear that you are going to end up back on the highway in the valley if you keep descending, but eventually the trail swings back up the mountain and you have to pay for that seemingly endless downhill section. Around mile 4.0 the trail squeezes between a huge rock ledge and a pine tree growing right up out of it. A "mule trial" intersects from below at around mile 4.3, and this is where you begin your fairly rapid climb back up. Around mile 4.6, after leveling off, you will come to a spectacular and wondrous sight. Veer off the main trail to the right and follow the side trail a short distance to view an entire mountainside and valley completely covered with boulders. These light-colored boulders are so thick that trees are literally unable to grow between them. The boulders reminded me of the crushed rock that covers the banks of some overpasses and bridges, only this is on a Paul Bunyan scale. Plan to spend some time here just gazing in wonder, climbing around on the boulders, and trying to figure out just how this rock formation might have happened. From here, the main trail alternates between climbing moderately and leveling off, and eventually swings back to the ridge on top of the mountain. It passes through some enchantingly beautiful grassy areas where you will encounter an old homestead around mile 5.4. All that is left of the homestead is a stone chimney. This is a great area to consider camping. You can take your pick of level, grassy areas off the trail, as opposed to steep, rocky areas that dominate the vast majority of the rest of the trail. You may want to consider camping on the north side of the mountain if weather and gear permit, because of the train tracks that run through the valley to the south. It is so quiet on the mountain at night that it sounds like the train is fifty feet away from your tent if you camp on the south side. I can vouch for this from personal experience. As the trail continues, it eventually swings back to the south, giving you more incredible views of the valley below and mountains beyond, including Queen Wilhelmina Lodge, which is across the valley on the top of adjacent Rich Mountain. The trail eventually fades out, becomes hard to follow and the trees become extremely stunted as you near the end. The gnarled 100+ year-old oak trees are only 6 to 8 feet tall here. You will finally encounter a large rock with a white blaze on it in the middle of the now practically non-existent trail at mile 5.8, signaling the end of the trail. Your trip back will likely hold many pleasant surprises. The great number of scenic variations serve to keep your interest as if you had not hiked the trail before. Although I didn’t hesitate a single time going in, I found myself wondering where the trail was several times on the way out--it’s that different. After looking around, however, it is easy to pick up the white blazes and continue on. I have had the opportunity to hike a number of rugged and beautiful trails around the Ozarks, and have to say that the Black Fork Mountain Wilderness Trail is definitely a top contender for its beauty and scenic variation.
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