OT itinerary
Every mile marker on the OT route, in order, with the distance and elevation change between each one, and which permit each stretch needs. To set alerts for your dates, go to the Ouachita Trail permit page.
Which permit covers this route
The OT. One reservation is a trailhead or zone plus an entry date; you roam after that, issued by walk-up.
- Stops mapped
- 39
- Across the markers
- 223.0 mi
- Published route length
- 223 mi
The stops below are the route's published mile markers, in order, with the elevations recorded against each one.
Distance and elevation change on each leg are the difference between the two published figures either side of it, so the legs are arithmetic on the markers and nothing more.
The OT route, stop by stop
Mile 0.0
1,024 ft
Talimena State Park (western terminus)
Western terminus on Highway 271 near Talihina, Oklahoma; Segment 01 begins here and heads into the Winding Stair National Recreation Area.
0.7 miles to Old Military Road Trail
Mile 0.7
Old Military Road Trail
A historic spur trail crossing near the start of Segment 01.
7.3 miles to Deadman's Gap
Mile 8.0
Deadman's Gap
Named access point and water-stash opportunity on Segment 01.
11.9 miles to Horsethief Springs
Mile 19.9
Horsethief Springs
Named water source and trail junction; Horsethief Springs Trail and Cedar Lake Recreation Area access nearby.
3.8 miles to Winding Stair Trailhead/Campground
Mile 23.7
Winding Stair Trailhead/Campground
Developed Forest Service campground and trailhead; closed in winter with no water, per the FS mile log.
6.8 miles to Big Cedar Creek / Big Cedar Trailhead (Highway 259)
Mile 30.5
Big Cedar Creek / Big Cedar Trailhead (Highway 259)
Reliable water and a Highway 259 access point; also the point where the trail's mountain-bike-open western section ends.
3.8 miles to Pashubbe Trailhead
Mile 34.3
1,168 ft
Pashubbe Trailhead
Access point where hikers refill water at Pashubbe Creek before the climb up Rich Mountain.
4.9 miles to Kiamichi River (first crossing)
Mile 39.2
Kiamichi River (first crossing)
Good campsites and reliable water; the FS guide warns the crossing area may flood during heavy rain.
7.1 miles to Rich Mountain / Arkansas state line (trail high point)
Mile 46.3
2,610 ft
Rich Mountain / Arkansas state line (trail high point)
The Ouachita Trail's highest point at 2,610 feet, and the Oklahoma-Arkansas state line, close to the Talimena Scenic Drive.
3.2 miles to Pioneer Cemetery
Mile 49.5
Pioneer Cemetery
Historic cemetery along the trail near the Queen Wilhelmina State Park boundary.
2.1 miles to Queen Wilhelmina State Park lodge
Mile 51.6
2,569 ft
Queen Wilhelmina State Park lodge
State park lodge with restaurant and rooms with hot showers, a popular resupply stop; camping inside the park boundary is restricted to the campground.
0.2 miles to Lover's Leap Overlook
Mile 51.8
Lover's Leap Overlook
Scenic overlook just east of the Queen Wilhelmina State Park lodge.
6.0 miles to Black Fork Mountain Wilderness Trail intersection
Mile 57.8
Black Fork Mountain Wilderness Trail intersection
Junction with the trail into the Black Fork Mountain Wilderness.
0.7 miles to Eagle Gap / Clear Fork
Mile 58.5
1,455 ft
Eagle Gap / Clear Fork
Reliable water at Clear Fork; the FS guide says to fill up here as the next dependable water is scarce until mile 68.
9.6 miles · 45 ft down to Foran Gap (Highway 71)
Mile 68.1
1,410 ft
Foran Gap (Highway 71)
Highway 71/270 access point with a registration box.
26.4 miles to Big Brushy Campground (Highway 270)
Mile 94.5
Big Brushy Campground (Highway 270)
Developed Forest Service campground with dependable water at Brushy Creek, part of the Big Brushy Trail Complex.
6.6 miles to Fiddler's Creek
Mile 101.1
Fiddler's Creek
Reliable water source at the Segment 06/07 boundary.
7.6 miles to Suck Mountain
Mile 108.7
1,584 ft
Suck Mountain
Named mountain crossing on Segment 07.
8.0 miles to Story Creek
Mile 116.7
Story Creek
Reliable water near the town of Story, Arkansas.
5.0 miles to Highway 27 trailhead (Story, AR access)
Mile 121.7
Highway 27 trailhead (Story, AR access)
Trailhead with parking on Highway 27, the access point for the town of Story, labeled on the official Forest Service segment map.
0.9 miles to John Archer Trail Shelter
Mile 122.6
John Archer Trail Shelter
One of 23 open-sided trail shelters spaced along the OT for overnight use, listed by the trail association with GPS-derived mile markers.
4.9 miles to Bill Potter Trail Shelter
Mile 127.5
Bill Potter Trail Shelter
Trail shelter reached by a steep spur; reliable water is at Irons Fork Creek just ahead at mile 128.8.
6.5 miles to Big Branch Trail Shelter
Mile 134.0
Big Branch Trail Shelter
Trail shelter with reliable water, reached by a steep spur.
9.2 miles to Blue Mountain Shelter
Mile 143.2
Blue Mountain Shelter
Trail shelter on Segment 08/09.
3.8 miles to Ouachita Pinnacle
Mile 147.0
1,952 ft
Ouachita Pinnacle
Named summit landmark on Segment 09.
3.8 miles to Big Bear Trail Shelter
Mile 150.8
Big Bear Trail Shelter
Trail shelter with fairly reliable stream water.
7.6 miles to Moonshine Shelter
Mile 158.4
Moonshine Shelter
Trail shelter reached via a road trace, near the Middle Fork Saline River crossing ahead.
2.0 miles to Highway 7 Trailhead (Middle Fork Saline River)
Mile 160.4
Highway 7 Trailhead (Middle Fork Saline River)
Major trailhead with parking; the Forest Service calls Segments 10 and 11 the most popular sections of the OT because of their proximity to Little Rock.
7.0 miles to Oak Mountain Trail Shelter
Mile 167.4
Oak Mountain Trail Shelter
Trail shelter just before the Flatside Wilderness boundary.
1.4 miles to Flatside Wilderness boundary (FR #124 trailhead)
Mile 168.8
Flatside Wilderness boundary (FR #124 trailhead)
Trailhead with parking at the edge of the Flatside Wilderness.
1.8 miles to Green Thumb Spring
Mile 170.6
Green Thumb Spring
Reliable water with trailhead parking inside the Flatside Wilderness.
8.8 miles to Flatside Pinnacle spur
Mile 179.4
Flatside Pinnacle spur
Spur trail to the Flatside Pinnacle overlook.
3.1 miles to Brown Creek Trail Shelter
Mile 182.5
Brown Creek Trail Shelter
Trail shelter reached by a spur, at the edge of the Flatside Wilderness.
2.3 miles to North Fork Pinnacle spur
Mile 184.8
North Fork Pinnacle spur
Spur to another named pinnacle overlook on Segment 11.
2.5 miles to Lake Sylvia
Mile 187.3
630 ft
Lake Sylvia
Spur to Lake Sylvia and its Forest Service campground; trailhead with parking.
2.2 miles to Nancy Mountain Trail Shelter
Mile 189.5
Nancy Mountain Trail Shelter
The easternmost trail shelter listed by the trail association within the Forest Service section.
2.3 miles to Highway 9 crossing
Mile 191.8
Highway 9 crossing
Access point just before the Ouachita National Forest boundary.
0.7 miles to Ouachita National Forest boundary
Mile 192.5
Ouachita National Forest boundary
End of the Forest-Service-maintained and -mapped trail; the last ~30 miles to Pinnacle Mountain State Park cross private and other public land.
30.5 miles to Pinnacle Mountain State Park (eastern terminus)
Mile 223.0
303 ft
Pinnacle Mountain State Park (eastern terminus)
Eastern terminus, 15 miles west of Little Rock, Arkansas.
Getting a OT for the dates you want
Planning the route is the easy half. OT dates go fast, and the ones that come back are cancellations. They return to the booking system without warning and are gone again quickly. PermitSnag checks OT around the clock and alerts you the moment a date opens.