|
Boardstand-Old Military Road Loop
of the Ouachita Trail
|
This 22.1 mile loop combines the first section of the Ouachita Trail with two prominent trails in Holson Valley, the Boardstand and Old Military Road Trails. It is probably the best hike in Oklahoma providing a sampling of the OT without the need for a shuttle. The Map: A free full size version of the map is available on the right as a downloadable jpg. It is also available printed in color on 11x17, "Rite in the Rain” all weather writing paper for $5 plus S&H by emailing Charlie at cew5151@gmail.com. The map is nominal 1:24,000 based on USGS 7.5 minute quadrangle topographic maps. The Loop was mapped with a WAAS enabled GPS and is drawn in different colors to designate each trail. Also shown is the Choctaw Nation Trail (yellow), other trails and forest roads not shown on the standard quads. Other features include trailheads, segment mileage, general directions to park, waypoints and waypoint coordinates. GPS File: Right click this link to download the track in a gpx format. Save it to your computer and use your GPS software to load it to your GPS. Google Earth Track: Right click this link to download the track in the Google Earth kml format. Save it to your computer, and open it in Google Earth and trace the route in interactive 3D. Background: Situated in the rugged Ouachita Mountains, the Boardstand-Old Military Road Loop offers the best 2 night hike in Oklahoma. It is comprised of 3 trails, the Ouachita, the Old Military Road and the Boardstand and, with 7 different trailheads, there are plenty of options for customizing the hike. On this narrative the Old Military Trail branches off the Ouachita just north of Talimena State Park and takes you over Winding Stair Mountain to the Holson Valley Trailhead. There it becomes the Boardstand, traverses Holson Valley and cuts south up Winding Stair to the Ouachita Trial. The OT basically runs the crest (video) of Winding Stair Mountain westward back to the state park. The Oklahoma Ouachitas can be very hot and very dry so hikers are encouraged to check about water availability with the Forest Service and cache water if necessary. The Ouachita Mountains were formed by low angle thrust faults of Pennsylvanian aged clastic rocks. The top of Winding Stair Mountain is a competent sandstone of the Jackfork Formation; the valleys are formed from eroded shale. The mountains have a maximum relief of about 1,600 feet and, in this area, reach a maximum elevation of almost 2,400 feet. The ecosystem was originally shortleaf pine/bluestem grass and supported elk and bison. Unfortunately, large-scale harvest between 1910 and 1940 changed the character of the forest. It is now mixed pine and hardwood, mostly oak and hickory, and much smaller than the trees in the virgin forest and the bison and elk are long gone. But, alas, the snakes are still there so watch out! The forest service has a restoration program to revert the forest back to the shortleaf pine/bluestem grass assemblage but it will take decades. On the upside, if you visit the forest in the spring you might be treated with the pinks of the bloomiing redbuds and whites of the dogwoods and fruit trees. The Hike: The trail begins at Talimena State Park (Trailhead #1, TH1), just off of US Highway 271 northeast of Talihina Oklahoma. The trailhead for the Ouachita Trail (blue blazes) is well marked and on the east side of the park. Camping, showers and restrooms are available. They have changed to a new system for reservations and camping at the park that relies on a mobile app. I suggest you investigate this before you arrive. If it is a hassle, park at the Holson trailhead for free. You don't need a permit on the trail and it is open camping. From the state park, head north on the Ouachita trail and enter the mixed hardwood (predominately oak and hickory) and pines of the Ouachita National Forest. At 0.7 miles turn left at the junction of the Old Military Road (white blazes) and finish the 400 foot climb up Winding Stair Mountain. Watch both ways, cross Talimena Scenic Drive and cut through the Old Military Road Vista (TH2, mile 1.6). Talimena Drive is a national scenic byway that runs along the crest of the Ouachitas from Talihina OK to Mena AR and is a fun drive (video) offering winding curves and plenty of vistas. The Old Military Road vista has a historical marker telling how the road was built by the US Army in 1832 and was used to relocate the Choctaw Indians to Indian Territory and move troops to the interior from Fort Smith. The trail heads downhill for a mile where it joins up with the Choctaw Nation Trail (formerly the Indian Nation Trail. Mile 2.5). The CNT is a 40 mile trail blazed in yellow that flanks both the north and south side of Winding Stair Mountain. For the next 11 miles, the trail will be blazed both yellow and white where it is both the Old Military Road and the CNT. The Old Military Road trail finishes its decent into Holson valley and meanders towards the east for about 5 miles until it hits the spur trail to the Holson Valley trailhead (TH3, mile 7.5). It is 0.7 mile to the parking lot. No services are available but parking is free. If water is flowing in the creeks, there is a pretty little falls about 0.1 miles north on the spur. The Old Military Road trail ends at the spur and the Boardstand Trail (also blazed white) begins. The Boardstand is so named because the Holson Valley, like the rest of the Ouachitas, was originally populated with short leaf pine trees. Easy access in the broad valley made it ideal for harvesting for lumber. While the current second growth forest is an oak pine mix, the forest service's restoration program is bringing back the shortleafs. The trail continues in a southeasterly direction and crosses Forest Road 6010 (aka Deadman Rd) after 2.6 miles (mile 10.1). After another 2.5 miles (mile 12.6) the CNT and Boardstand separate, the former heading east and the latter turning south and heading up Winding Stair Mountain. If you need to camp in this area, there is year-round water in a wildlife pond just north of the junction. I have used it and it seems fine, but like all the water in the forest, be sure to filter it. It is almost 800 feet and one mile (mile 13.6) to the Ouachita Trail. Turn right (west) and climb another 0.6 miles to Deadman Gap and cross Talimena Drive again. (There is a vista a few hundred feet down the highway to the west where you can park. TH4). The trail descends a few hundred feet over the next 0.6 miles to Bohannon Creek. There is a single tent camp site just before the crossing. The creek is fairly dependable but if it is not running look for a rock basin about a hundred feet down stream. On the other side of the creek at the top of a short climb there is a flat area that makes a great camp site. You have go back down the hill for water but it isn't too much trouble if you are prepared. Just past the flat area is the junction with the Bohannon Trail. See the Talimena-Bohannon Loop web page for more information. Over the next 1.1 miles, the trail climbs another 600 feet to Forest Road 6010 (TH 5, mile 16.3). The next 2 miles offer several spectacular views of the mountains to the south and climbs to the high point of the trail, 2200 feet. At mile 17.1 is the spur trail to Panorama Vista on Talimena Drive (TH 6) and at mile 17.2 is the Panorama Vista campsite. The campsite has room for several tents but is dry. Cache water (and a couple beers) at Panorama Vista. At mile 18.6 is the Frazier Creek campsite, a spacious one tent site (you could force more) with abundant rock furniture and a big fire ring. Though water is usually available, this campsite can be dry (video) until the fall rains come. Cache water up the draw on Talimena Drive. More great views (video) follow. At mile 19.7 is the spur trail to Potato Hills Vista (TH 7) and the beginning of the final decent to Talihina State Park. Don’t be confused by the intermittent yellow blazes over the next mile and a half, the CNT criss-crosses the Ouachita trail several time. The loop closes on its self at mile 21.4 where the Ouachita Trail intersects the Old Military Road trail. Turn left and return to Talihina State Park (mile 22.1). Info: The Boardstand-Old Military Loop was featured in the June 2007 Backpacker Magazine, Wild Weekend, Midwest Edition. A short loop that begins at Talimena SP and returns via the CNT was featured in June 2007 Backpacker Magazine, Waypoints, Midwest Edition. USGS 7.5 minute quadrangle topographic maps: Blackjack Ridge and LeFlore SE (trails not shown). Contact Talimena State Park at (918) 567-2052. Contact the Ouachita National Forest, Choctaw Unit, Hodgen OK, at (918) 653-2991. An 8.5” x 11” sketch map is available through the forest service. Directions to Talimena State Park: Take US Hwy. 271 seven miles north east of Talihina OK. Turn right. To Buy Map: This map is available by emailing cew5151@gmail.com ($5 plus S&H). |
|
Weatherproof Topographic Maps at
OuachitaMaps.com - Hiking Trails of the Ouachitas and Ozarks Home |
