Ozark Highlands Trail
A long backpacking trail across the Ozark Mountains of northern Arkansas, from Lake Fort Smith State Park towards Norfork Lake, built and maintained by volunteers since 1981 and a National Recreation Trail since 1989.
At a glance
- Starts in
- Lake Fort Smith State Park
- Ends in
- Norfork Lake
- Length
- 435 km
- On foot
- ≈ 17–22 days
- Countries
United States
About the trail
The Ozark Highlands Trail crosses the Ozark Mountains of northern Arkansas from Lake Fort Smith State Park in the west towards Norfork Lake in the east, where it is planned to connect with the Ozark Trail in Missouri. It was dedicated as a National Recreation Trail in 1989, and the state's tourism site describes it as a popular backpacking route for its varied landscapes and scenery.
The trail is the work of the Ozark Highlands Trail Association, founded in 1981 to build, maintain and enjoy it. Dozens of volunteers still give thousands of hours to building and looking after the path.
According to the association, the trail currently offers 270 miles of hiking and backpacking and will stretch for about 325 miles across northern Arkansas once it is complete.
No source gives the days on foot, so they are worked out from the length at 20–25 km a day.