Backpack Trail Guide

Trails / Arkansas / Ouachita Mountains

Ouachita Trail: Flatside Wilderness (Oak Mountain Shelter to Brown Creek Shelter)

Flatside Wilderness, Ouachita National Forest, Jessieville-Winona-Fourche Ranger District (west of Lake Maumelle)

The Ouachita Trail crosses the whole Flatside Wilderness in the eastern Ouachita Mountains, west of Lake Maumelle. Between the Oak Mountain Shelter and the Brown Creek Shelter, it runs 15.1 miles, which Friends of the Ouachita Trail says is the longest gap between shelters on the trail, because of the wilderness. Along the way are long views from Flatside Pinnacle and North Fork Pinnacle toward Forked Mountain.

Shelters at each end make it an easy section to plan.

The hike

Wikipedia says the Flatside Wilderness is one of two federally designated wilderness areas the Ouachita Trail passes through. AR Own Backyard describes it as about 10,000 acres of remote, mountainous timberland protected under the Arkansas Wilderness Act of 1984. Explore the Ozarks says the trail travels from Flatside Pinnacle on the eastern end to White Oak Mountain on the southwestern end, and that White Oak Mountain, at 1,650 feet, is the highest point in the wilderness.

The western end starts near the Oak Mountain Shelter at mile 167.4, according to the Forest Service mileage log, which lists a spur to the shelter just before Forest Road 124, at the edge of the wilderness. Explore the Ozarks says the Forest Road 124 trailhead, just off the Winona Auto Tour, is the best southern access to the wilderness.

From there the trail heads east across the wilderness. The Forest Service log notes Sugar Creek as a rainy-season water source, then Crystal Prong Creek, then a spur to Flatside Pinnacle. A Compulsive Hiker trip report describes expansive views from Flatside and North Fork Pinnacles and views of Forked Mountain. Looking east from Flatside Pinnacle, the writer could see Pinnacle Mountain, near the trail’s eastern end and about 53 trail miles away.

Flatside Pinnacle is a popular stop, even for day visitors. AR Own Backyard describes the short climb as uphill most of the way and rocky and steep at the end. Explore the Ozarks says views to the west span the whole wilderness to 1,350-foot Forked Mountain, with White Oak Mountain along the southern boundary.

The eastern end reaches the Brown Creek Shelter. The Forest Service log lists a spur to the shelter at mile 182.5, then Brown Creek and Forest Road 805 at mile 183.1. AR Own Backyard suggests a side stop at Brown Creek Cascade after recent rain. Explore the Ozarks notes that during wet weather the Flatside Wilderness has many small streams and waterfalls to explore.

The shelters are a highlight of the whole trail. A Treeline Review writer describes Ouachita Trail shelters roughly every 8 to 10 miles, meticulously clean and uncrowded. Friends of the Ouachita Trail lists the Oak Mountain, Brown Creek, and Nancy Mountain shelters in this stretch and maintains the trail. The Compulsive Hiker writer describes them as Adirondack-type huts, passed all three, and spent a night at Nancy Mountain, beyond Brown Creek.

The Forest Service guide says conditions are most favorable from autumn through spring, and that stream crossings at one-day intervals make excellent campsites.

For the Ouachita Trail’s western Arkansas end, see the Queen Wilhelmina section.

Tips

Camping

Camping is dispersed in the Flatside Wilderness, and the Oak Mountain and Brown Creek shelters sit at either end of this section. The Forest Service guide says stream crossings make excellent campsites. Explore the Ozarks lists Lake Sylvia Campground as the nearby developed option. Contact the Jessieville district office at (501) 984-5313 for current conditions.

Inside Intel: The shelters do the planning for you here. Friends of the Ouachita Trail places Oak Mountain at mile 167.4 and Brown Creek at mile 182.5, and the Compulsive Hiker writer passed all three shelters on this part of the trail. The same writer met a Little Rock hiking group at Brown Creek on their way to Flatside Pinnacle. Treeline Review found shelters on the trail clean and uncrowded.

Trail facts

The Lowdown

Wet-weather streams in the Flatside Wilderness:

Explore the Ozarks says the Flatside has many small streams and waterfalls in wet weather, and the Forest Service favors autumn through spring. Is a premium shell worth it? Here's what testers found.

See what testers found →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.