Oklahoma · Hiking

Ouachita National Recreation Trail

Ouachita National Recreation TrailPhoto: Chasqui (Luis Tamayo), CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
218 mi
one way
27,764 ft
climb
2,630 ft
high point
Point to point
route
Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov
best months

Caution today

Agency alerts are in effect for this area; weather is good · USFS, OpenWeather · checked just now

Is Ouachita National Recreation Trail open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Ouachita National Forest. It doesn't name Ouachita National Recreation Trail, so check the source for the area it covers (5 listed).

As of · Source: USFS · Ouachita National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

The Ouachita National Recreation Trail is a long, moderate hike in the Kiamichi Ranger District of Oklahoma's Ouachita National Forest. It is a point-to-point route of about 218 miles, with a total elevation gain of roughly 27,800 feet, and it rises from a low point of about 260 feet to a high of about 2,630 feet. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Mena, Arkansas, show October highs around 73°F with lows near 48°F, and April highs around 70°F. That station sits well below the trail, so temperatures on the higher ground run cooler. The trail starts at the Ouachita Trail-Talimena State Park Trailhead, and the trip is estimated to take about 86.5 hours. Bikes are not allowed on this route. Several other trails lie close by. The Choctaw Nation Trail is about 0.1 mile away, and the Old Military Road Trail is about half a mile off. The Choctaw Nation - North Spur is about 1.3 miles away, and the Boardstand Trail, a mountain biking route, is about 4.8 miles away.

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov

    Best time to visit Ouachita National Recreation Trail

    Best months: March–June and September–November. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      49° / 28°

      10 wet

    2. Feb

      54° / 31°

      10 wet

    3. Mar

      62° / 38°

      11 wet

    4. Apr

      70° / 46°

      10 wet

    5. May

      77° / 56°

      11 wet

    6. Jun

      85° / 65°

      10 wet

    7. Jul

      90° / 68°

      9 wet

    8. Aug

      90° / 66°

      9 wet

    9. Sep

      83° / 59°

      8 wet

    10. Oct

      73° / 48°

      9 wet

    11. Nov

      61° / 38°

      9 wet

    12. Dec

      52° / 30°

      10 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Mena, AR, 39.8 mi away at 1,152 ft. The station sits about 1,500 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Choctaw Nation TrailPhoto: Chasqui (Luis Tamayo), CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Choctaw Nation Trail

Next door

46.5-mile out-and-back trail in Oklahoma with 3,248 ft elevation gain.

Old Military Road TrailPhoto: On the White Line, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Old Military Road Trail

Next door

7.13-mile point-to-point trail in Oklahoma with 995 ft gain and 1,498 ft loss.

Wsm Eq - 1004DPhoto: MARELBU, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Wsm Eq - 1004D

~21 min drive

Easy 2-mile out-and-back trail in Oklahoma.

HIKE

Boardstand

~7 min drive

6.18-mile out-and-back trail in Oklahoma with 882 ft elevation gain

Old Military RoadPhoto: On the White Line, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Old Military Road

~2 min drive

4-mile out-and-back trail in Oklahoma with 1,135 ft elevation gain.

BILLY CREEK WESTPhoto: MARELBU, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

BILLY CREEK WEST

~24 min drive

2.1-mile out-and-back trail in Oklahoma with 368 ft elevation gain

HIKE

Choctaw Nation Trail

~8 min drive

24.25-mile out-and-back trail in Oklahoma with 2,327 ft gain.

Choctaw Nation - North SpurPhoto: Chasqui (Luis Tamayo), CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Choctaw Nation - North Spur

~2 min drive

7.88-mile out-and-back trail in Oklahoma with 755 ft gain.

Mountain Top TrailPhoto: MARELBU, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Mountain Top Trail

~27 min drive

2.20-mile out-and-back trail in Oklahoma with 202 ft elevation gain.

HIKE

Wsm Eq - 1004C

~20 min drive

12.6-mile out-and-back Oklahoma trail with moderate difficulty and scenic variety.

Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors