The trail has spectacular vistas, inviting stream-side walks, lots of deep green swimming holes, myriads of bluffs and rocks and boulders, endless forests and hundreds of waterfalls. It passes through 18 campgrounds and crosses 50 forest roads providing easy access to visitors.
In the late 1970s, the Ozark Trail Association, other hiking groups and federal agencies agreed to build a Trans-Ozark Trail from Lake Ft. Smith State Park, Arkansas to St. Louis, Missouri. Volunteers and other interested persons have built and maintained sections totaling up to 300 completed miles in addition to those of the Ozark Highlands Trail. Eventually, it will reach 1,000 miles across the Ozarks making it the largest hiking trail in the central United States.
People can hunt along the trail that passes through Ozark National Forest and Buffalo National River. Wear blaze or orange clothing during deer season so hunters won’t mistake you for a deer. No one has shot a hiker as of June 2010, but that doesn’t mean it can’t happen. Rattlesnakes, copperheads and water moccasins live in the forest. Don’t play with them. They are wild animals.
No cell phone service is available on the Ozark Highlands Trail. No grocery stores are nearby to replenish your food. The Ozark Highlands Trails does allow dogs on the trails except for those within Buffalo National River and posted areas. Hiking the Ozark Highlands Trail alone is safe. No other dangers exist different from those in your own neighborhood. Deer, bear and other wildlife exist in the forests around the trail, but most of those animals sleep during the day and move around at night. Also, wildlife fear you more than you fear them.
The trail follows lakes, rivers and creeks and climbs to White Rock Mountain where breath-taking views exist. The highest point on the trail, Hare Mountain, is 2,360 feet. Be prepared to climb as this is not a flat trail but one that climbs to numerous peaks offering spectacular views. The trail loops around to many lakes and creeks and to campgrounds, so you are never far from water.
