Recently, I set out on my first solo hiking adventure, starting with some mountains in my own state that I’d never visited before, the Ouachitas. Since I didn’t know what to expect and since I’d be hiking alone, I wanted to be fully prepared. So the first thing I did was to get the ten hiking essentials and packed a backpack the night before. Was I planning on spending the night? No. Did I expect to have one of the rare bear encounters of the Ouachita National Forest? No. But if I got lost, I wanted to be prepared. Now that I have this bag fully packed, I’m going to keep it packed and ready for all of my hiking adventures.
On the morning of my hike, I set my alarm for 4:00 so I could set out at 5:00 since I had a three and a half hour drive ahead of me. Oklahoma is generally a very flat state, so when I saw the elevation rising in the distance, I felt a sense of overwhelming awe at the beauty of these mountains in my own state and had to pull over and stop the car to get a picture.
The weather was perfect, cool in the 60s, and as I got closer a beautiful mist hovered on the mountains. Before starting my hike, I stopped at a local coffee shop in the nearby town of Talihina, called “My Crystal Chandelier Coffee House.” This place was so cute! I watched the locals greet each other cheerily as I sipped on my toasted marshmallow latte and fawned over the charming artwork for sale by Okie Watercolors. I was looking around for a crystal chandelier but didn’t see one until I stepped into the restroom and found one there!
After coffee, it was time to head to the trailhead, which starts at Talimena State Park on Highway 271 on the west side. But before I went to the park, I took advantage of some roadside scenic stops to look at the Ouachitas. This was a beautiful view of the morning mist on the mountains with greens rolling into blues upon blues.
There are actually two trails that start from Talimena State Park, I know because I accidentally started on the wrong one at first. But you’ll recognize the Ouachita National Recreational Trail entrance because it is clearly marked with big signs at the start of the trail.
There were two people at the trailhead, but absolutely no one else on the trail, so I had the place to myself. I took a leisurely walk, observing the plants along the way like these lovely bird’s foot violets (viola pedata, mountain pansy) and western buttercups (ranunculus occidentalis).
There was a curious little tee-pee structure towards the start of the trail and I wondered who put it there and how long it had been there. It even had a little pathway made of branches.
It was an easy hike, just a little rocky, but with clearly marked path signs marked in blue on the trees and with gentle inclines. At one point I had to cross a shallow stream by stepping on rocks to get across, but there was nothing too difficult on the distance that I walked on the trail. I hiked for about 45 minutes to an hour, going deeper and deeper until the sounds of the highway faded away, and then stopped for a spell to take in all of the sites and sounds of the forest, which was just emerging from its winter slumber. Since I was hiking alone, I decided this was a good point to turn around and head back to the park and then home.
The Oklahoma side of the trail is near the Talimena National Scenic Byway, or Talimena Scenic Drive, known in Oklahoma for its beautiful views, especially in the fall. So I wandered up the byway for a few miles to take in some last scenes of the Ouachitas before heading back home, which was well worth a few extra miles.
The Ouachita National Recreation Trail is the longest trail in the Ouachita National Forest, stretching 192 miles from Oklahoma to Arkansas with elevations ranging from 600 to 2,600 feet.
Tags: Ouachita Mountains, Ouachita National Recreation Trail, Ouachitas