http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060504/LIFE06/605040342/1037 Just saw this fantastic article today and all of the hiking places are in Arkansas!
Lost Valley Trail in Newton County, Ark.
Enthusiasts share their favorite trails in Missouri and Arkansas, but say that it's only a sampling — there are many not yet discovered. By Susan Atteberry Smith
FOR THE NEWS-LEADER
For Doug Gilliam, little compares to lacing up his hiking boots and taking off with a backpack to explore the beauty of the Ozarks on foot.
"It's my favorite pastime," Gilliam says.
At age 48, the Sparta man has been hoofing it over these hills about 30 years, long enough to know which trails open onto the most beautiful views — and which are kind or "killer" for the average hiker.
And, like other avid hikers from the southwest Missouri area, he's happy to share his favorite trails, even as he admits there are still many more to discover.
"Without a doubt," Gilliam says. "As long as I've been hiking, there's trails that people don't even know about. There are still trails that I haven't even hiked. You could go to a different place every weekend all summer long and not hit them all."
Here, a few places to start, none farther than a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Springfield.
Lost Valley Trail
Newton County, Ark.
Springfield hiker Mike Mihalik
calls this 2.3-mile hike “very pretty, very easy.”
Off Arkansas 43 between Ponca and Boxley, turn into the Lost Valley Campground to get to the trail, which crosses Clark Creek, according to the book “Arkansas Hiking Trails,” by Tim Ernst.
Two large waterfalls, Cob Cave and even elk can be seen from the trail, Mihalik says.
Hike difficulty: easy to fairly easy.
Hemmed-In Hollow
Newton County, Ark.
This deep, isolated valley in the Ponca Wilderness Area south of Compton in northwest Arkansas offers views of waterfalls and wildflowers, making it another one of Mihalik’s favorites.
Mihalik, who first hiked Hemmed-In Hollow in 1974, says spring is the best time to hike it: flowers are blooming, but trees not yet in full blossom don’t obscure the vista.
As for the challenge of the 5- to 7.2-mile loop to and from the Compton trailhead, Mihalik says, “It’s a killer going up, but it’s fun going down.”
Hike difficulty: moderate to very difficult.
Hawksbill Crag Trail
Madison County, Ark.
To get to this scenic trail, head south from Boxley on Arkansas 21, then look for a dirt road that appears just before the Buffalo River crosses the highway. Drive almost six miles west (Cave Mountain Church is a landmark), then turn into a parking lot labeled
“Wilderness Access,” according to Ernst’s guidebook.
Although this three-mile hike in the Upper Buffalo Wilderness Area is “not a place for people who are scared of heights,” Mihalik says, the view of the river valley is beautiful.
Hike difficulty: fairly easy to moderate.
Noblett Lake
Howell County
The centerpiece of this forested hiking area just south of Cabool, off Highway AP, is a 28-acre lake built by Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s.
Gilliam, who enjoys identifying trees as he hikes, appreciates the short-leaf pines along four- and eight-mile loops around the lake.
Besides taking in pretty views of the water from the trails, visiting a natural wonder called Hellroaring Spring also makes hiking Noblett Lake worthwhile, Gilliam says.
Hike difficulty: fairly difficult.
Swan Creek
Christian and Douglas counties
Just north of Hercules Glades, between Oldfield in Christian County and Goodhope in Douglas County, are the trails of Swan Creek — some of hiker Tammy Pulliam’s favorites.
Pulliam describes this portion of the Mark Twain National Forest as “very rugged.” Yet despite the fact it’s possible to hike there for days, she says, paths as short as two-and-a-half miles are also among the area’s marked trails. A compass and topo map could come in handy, since there is no map of the area, she says. Waterfalls, for Pulliam, are the main attraction: “It’s beautiful — breathtakingly beautiful.”
Hike difficulty: easy to very difficult.
RESOURCES FOR HIKERS
Wilderness Adventurers is a new club organizing hikes for after-work hours, weekends and overnight trips. Call Michael Mihalik at 417-862-6427 for more information.
The Springfield Conservation Nature Center offers regularly scheduled guided hikes at various sites throughout the Ozarks. Registration begins the first day of each month. Call 417-888-4237 for more information.
Some books for hikers:
“Ozark Hideaways: Twenty-Seven Day Trips for Hiking and Fishing,” by Louis C. White (1998).
“Arkansas Hiking Trails: A Guide to 78 Selected Trails in the ‘Natural State,’” by Tim Ernst (2003).
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Contact freelance writer Susan Atteberry Smith at blawrence@News-Leader.com.
