Eastern BRT

I was thinking about checking out the eastern part of the BRT, from Hwy 65 to Richland Creek. Is it open and clear? Is it worth seeing?

I hiked the BRT about a month ago, and it was all clear and open. I think it is all worth seeing over and over again. I love this trail, so go have fun.

Nope, not that one, I'm talking about the new 18 mile stretch that's not connected to the rest.

I agree the main stretch is worth seeing over and over. I'd like to do the whole thing next time, maybe this fall.

You'd be hard pressed to find any trail in Arkansas that isn't worth hiking.
I have not hiked that particular trail, but you can check at the OHTA website and you might be able to get some info there. That trail actually goes to Woolum, although Richland Creek dumps into the Buffalo River at that same point.
Good luck and let us know what you think of the trail when you get back.
UL

it's good to know that there is a new 18 mile trail that I need to go hike

I hiked most of this eastern part of the BRT, and thought I would ramble a few things off. I am not going to say it is as interesting as the main Buffalo River Trail and Ponca Wilderness area, but it is somewhere to go. I only hiked from Tyler Bend to Richland Creek, about 14 miles out and then back. An okay weekend hike would be shuttling two cars and to hike from CR 12, which is west of Snowball, and travel east, around Point Peter Mountain, proceed east to Tyler Bend, cross the Hwy 65 bridge then proceed to Gilbert, a distance of about 21 miles, and there are side trails at Tyler Bend to make it more interesting.

The Richland Creek crossing, where it connects to the end of the OHT, across from Woolum, doesn't look like a very good crossing to me. It was deep, swift, and had a muddy bottom, I would think using the ford off of CR 12 and would be a better choice for someone that was thru-hiking this area. The trail on the east side of the Richland Ck. bottom was already overgrown with waste-high weeds (April 18th) and grasses, I could barely find the trail...this area doesn't get a lot of traffic. I assume this part of the BRT will someday be designated as OHT, so the thru-hikers will have to make this crossing, if they are purists.

I really didn't find anything about the trail extraordinarily interesting. There are no waterfalls, although there are several blufftops with a multiple river valley views that make it worthwhile. It seems there were two established campsites with rock rings on the top of Whisenant Bluff and Peter Cave Bluff, although my memory may be a little off here. There were plenty of places to get water, although I don't know how these would hold up in drier months. I think Ben Branch, Slay Branch, perhaps Whisenant Hol, and Calf Creek would have some water most of the year, and there is a short side trail to the river at Ben Branch.

My least favorite parts were on the north side of Peter Point Mountain, where the trail follows an old road. You know how those old Arkansas roads get...lots of loose sandstone rocks, erosion, and clay mud...it was a hassle on the feets. Another part follows a well used gravel road for about 3 miles, and that got old after about 1.5 miles. Most of the trail is open to horses and is blazed with yellow rectangles at junctions, except for the hiker only parts, which have white rectangles. On the return trip east, near Arnold Cemetery Rd junction, blazes were absent for some reason and I took a wrong turn (it was raining) following yellow blazes down another road . So, pay extra attention to your map, if you go.

I didn't see a soul in two days, other than a few turkey hunters on the gravel road part, nor did I see any fresh horse or foot prints, nor a whole lot of horse droppings. I think the elk use the trail more than anyone, as there were several water seeps on the north side of Peter Point Mtn. I don't know how old this trail actually is, on the old road part I didn't really like, there was an old car with graffiti names written on it, one was dated '99, but this isn't actual hiking trail tread.

Now, I've got to check out the really new part from Hwy 14 to Spring Ck. Rd. I have a feeling it is a prettier trail, with waterfalls.

Coldspring:
Here's a link to us talking about that new part of the BRT.

http://www.arkansasbackcountry.com/buffalo-river-trail-f27/bushwacking-the-lower-buffalo-wilderness-t516.htm

I still haven't had a chance to hike it, but I'm definitely going pretty soon. Since there is a lot of bushwacking involved, it may be better to do that trail in the winter time.
UL

Coldspring:
BTW, thanks for the trip report.
UL

ulhiker wrote:Coldspring:
Here's a link to us talking about that new part of the BRT.

http://www.arkansasbackcountry.com/buffalo-river-trail-f27/bushwacking-the-lower-buffalo-wilderness-t516.htm

I still haven't had a chance to hike it, but I'm definitely going pretty soon. Since there is a lot of bushwacking involved, it may be better to do that trail in the winter time.
UL

That sounds like quite a bushwhack. I'm getting too old... What I've seen of the actual OHT Sylamore trail post-icestorm doesn't look like it would be any easier hike than an actual bushwhack. Everything off Push Mountain Rd. looked like a warzone, I'll bet it was one of the hardest hit areas.

Actually, I was talking about a new 6 mile trail to a different Spring Creek...from Hwy 14 traveling WEST to Spring Creek Rd, which is west of Evening Star. It is already built and signed. I checked out the trail at Hwy 14 and Spring Creek Rd., it looked promising. I think it goes further west of Spring Creek Rd, but don't know how far. I understand some organization is hosting a hike of this trail on Sat. Apr 25th.

There might even be a flagged route and cleared path all the way between Maumee South Rd., north of Morning Star and this Spring Creek. I have seen some trail under construction that leads around the top of several waterfalls and by a few springs...it's going to be beautiful when it's finished.

I've actually worked on the construction of this trail and hiked the 6.1 mile section from Hwy. 14 bridge to Spring Creek Rd. which is the only section officially open. There is an additional couple of miles finished west of Spring Creek Rd. that doesn't quite go to Spring Creek but I believe it is flagged for a ways. The trail will eventually go from Hwy. 14 to the Hwy. 65 bridge.

I was up there the first of the month for a week and we worked on a section that is just east of Maumee and there is a spot there with an awesome waterfall and some really great scenery.

So far I've worked 3 weeks up there in the last two years and plan on doing another week this fall with a group of volunteers from the Ozark Society. It will be really great when the whole thing is done and I get to hike the whole thing after helping build it.

A friend of mine checked out the trail on the weekend of July 4th, 2009. I thought I would post some of his observations for future reference. He did mention that the trail gets horse usage on the horseable sections.
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The trail has some great overlooks...Peter Cave Bluff view is
fantastic; the best view I have seen of the River. The rest of the
trail, other than the overlooks, is just okay, in my opinion, except
that I like the hiker only portions and the trails on the ridges next
to the river.

Calf Creek was flowing well, and there was water
in Slay Branch and in Whisenant Hollow; no water in Ben Branch. There
also is a side trail as you come down from Whisesant Bluff and before
you bend away from the river. The side trail leads to a camping spot
and access to the river, though it is a little steep. We made it
through the old field to Richland Creek fine, though it is a bit nasty
(weeds-grass) along there. I didn't like the crossing at Richland Creek.

We camped the first night just past (eastward) the old homestead on Point Peter
Mountain; the second night just almost to the best overlook at Peter
Cave Bluff.

We saw two elk on the road just north of Slay
Cemetery. Pretty neat. They were in no hurry to move on, so we got a good look at them.