For at least half an hour, the solar eclipse seemed like a total bust. Sure, I could glimpse a chipped-out corner of the Sun with my rinky-dink eclipse glasses, but its apparently-undaunted intensity continued to bounce off the surface of Fiddler Creek, searing my skin and melting the chocolate in my food bag. But as totality approached, the atmosphere finally changed. An eerie glow settled over the landscape, and birds began to chirp their evening songs.

The Sun, even 99% covered, had bravely persisted in rendering daylight. But then – totality. A flip of the light switch. A blue dusk. The only evidence of the Sun was its corona, blazing out from behind the moon. Planets revealed themselves in the daytime.

Time is a strange phenomenon indeed. Those four minutes of totality seemed to pass in an instant. Before I could blink, the fabled ‘diamond ring’ emerged for a few seconds, as the Sun shone only through a tiny crater at the edge of the Moon’s surface. And moments later, as the Sun re-emerged, the whole thing was over. Sometimes, I wish I could freeze the clock and enjoy a few extra minutes of this once-in-a-generation event.

A few months prior, I’d noticed that the 2024 eclipse cut its path of totality directly over the 223-mile Ouachita Trail (OT) in eastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas. I’d previously hiked most of the OT in early March 2020. The solar eclipse gave me the perfect excuse to finish what I started. The odds of a sunny April day in Arkansas seemed low, but perhaps I’d get lucky. In any event though, I wanted to hike the OT for its own sake.

A Thru-hike of the Ouachita Trail Begins

Getting to the trail turned out to be half the battle. I took an overnight train to Texarkana, and caught a bus a couple hours north to Mena, AR. Eventually, getting to the beginning of the trail took nearly nine hours, and involved putting together five separate rides.

By the time I got to the western terminus at Talimena State Park, in eastern Oklahoma, the sun had nearly set. I snapped a quick photo and busted out a couple miles in the gathering gloom. Just before dark, I plopped down near a stream and snuggled into my quilt for the night. A quick cowboy camp would suffice.

The high terrain of Oklahoma proved the most chilly – and challenging – miles of the OT. The days were sunny and warm, but high pressure dominated the region for my first few days on trail. As soon as the sun set, the temperature dropped to the freezing mark. Equipped with warm clothes and an extra dose of fluffy down though, I cowboy camped my way through Oklahoma, reveling in the delightful orange sunsets and perhaps some of the brightest stars in the eastern United States.

The OT is well-marked along its entire length, but seldom-traveled in spots. The previous autumn’s leaf detritus lay thick on the ground, obscuring the rocky terrain of eastern Oklahoma. Each footstep was an adventure, with no indication of what kind of rocks I’d find underneath. In such conditions, my progress was tedious. I hiked deep into the evening hours those first few days. When I finally quit for the night, my legs ached badly enough that I struggled to fall asleep.

Hiking into Arkansas

Soon enough, I reached the Arkansas state line and my first resupply point – Queen Wilhelmina State Park. There, I charged my phone, met a couple other thru-hikers, and gorged myself at the magnificent breakfast buffet. Only three days in, I’d already developed an insatiable appetite.

It was a busy weekend in the National Forest. Plenty of families took advantage of the beautiful weather to stretch their legs with a quick day hike. And, a couple days before the event itself, eclipse-chasers were already starting to set up camp. On one occasion, I crossed a dirt road, only to find my way blocked by a car-camping couple who’d set up their tent directly in the middle of the trail. I apologized awkwardly as I danced past their guylines. I belonged in the backcountry, away from roads and the throngs of eclipse-seekers.

The event itself lived up to the hype. Despite an unfavorable forecast, clear skies persisted through most of the afternoon, allowing me an unimpeded view of the eclipse. As the evening progressed though, clouds began to pile up and a strong southerly wind swept moist air into the region. As darkness fell, lightning flashed to my south.

After dawdling for most of the afternoon during the eclipse, I needed to make serious miles. And given the night’s grim forecast (thunderstorms and heavy rains), I desperately wanted to get underneath a roof. There was a shelter eight miles away, but the thunder was only getting louder.

The next few hours were a blur, as I power-hiked through the darkness. The wind picked up, the lightning became almost continuous, and the humid air menaced rain. But, though the radar looked like a gallon of spilled paint, the downpour held off for the time being.

Finally, I spied the sign marking the short side-trail to the shelter. No sooner did I duck under the roof, than did the rain pour down by the bucketful. I made it, with minutes to spare!

I took advantage of a break in the weather the next morning to hike to the next road crossing, where I planned to resupply in the tiny hamlet of Story, AR. The trail had turned into a moat. A couple normally-dry creeks were running knee-deep. And more rain was on the way.

I’d planned for this eventuality. Each of my previous three springtime hikes in Arkansas had involved multi-day bouts of terrible weather, so I planned a couple of buffer days on this trip. I sat out the remainder of the day in Story, as well as the following day. When I hit the trail thereafter, I again had beautiful weather for the rest of the trip.

Story is a must-stop for any Ouachita Trail hiker. The Bluebell Cafe and its long-owner, Lori, have become legendary in the OT community. Lori offered me a ride from the trailhead to her store, and even a couple quick stops around town. The Bluebell itself is largely patronized by a stable crowd of remarkably-friendly locals. The sight of pouring rain through the cafe window made my burger taste even better.

After the rain-induced interregnum, I hit the trail for the final 100 miles of the OT. This western section proved lower, greener, and less rocky than the western half of the trail. I cruised through the easier terrain, reveling in the occasional mountaintop vista. A particular treat was Flatside Pinnacle, the best viewpoint on the entire trail. Though a fierce wind battered the mountain, I couldn’t resist the temptation of a thrilling lunch at the viewpoint.

The End of the Hike & Ouachita Trail Reflections

The last thirty miles of the OT finally brought a reprieve from the constant up-and-down. I cruised around the edge of Lake Maumelle, approaching the outskirts of Little Rock. The OT wouldn’t give up so easily though, delivering one final burst of rocky terrain at the eastern terminus in Pinnacle Mountain State Park.

I’ve often wished that I could have begun long-distance hiking in the 1980’s or 1990’s, rather than the 2010’s. Trails such as the Appalachian Trail (AT) or Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) are rightfully iconic, but as the popularity of thru-hiking has surged in the 21st century, the experience they offer has inevitably changed. Shelters on the AT are almost always full during peak season. It’s rare to go more than half a day without encountering other hikers. At times, the AT and PCT can seem like a 2,000-mile conga line, or a linear summer camp. Trail angels, no matter how kind-hearted, often burn out within a year or two, unable to keep pace with the relentless crush of traffic during the hiking season.

On the Ouachita Trail, I found an experience reminiscent of decades past. The OT is complete and well-maintained, but it’s not crowded. Its AT-style shelters are clean, well-built, and rarely occupied. Trail angels and shuttle services can engage each hiker one-on-one, rather than shuffling them through assembly-line style. Trailside businesses aren’t overwhelmed with hundreds of packages, and don’t need a complicated numbering system to keep track of them all. When locals help with getting hikers to town, it’s a genuine act of spontaneous generosity, rather than daily drudgery. In almost two weeks on the trail, I met only three other thru-hikers.

The Ouachita Trail is a throwback to the past. But perhaps it represents the future as well. As thru-hiking continues to surge in popularity, we need more trails to distribute the impact. The AT and PCT are arguably near their carrying capacity. But the Ouachita Trail isn’t. Neither is the Bartram Trail, Florida Trail, Pinhoti Trail, or the Idaho Centennial Trail. And that’s to say nothing of emergent trails like the Alaska Long Trail, which are still under development. In the Ouachita Trail, I caught a glimpse of both the past and potential future of thru-hiking. I couldn’t freeze the present. The Ouachita Trail was 223 miles long. I often wished it were twice that length. In the end, those four minutes of totality and those two weeks on trail were but a moment – a memory that I’ll treasure for decades.

Need to Know

Information

The Ouachita Trail is 223 miles, located on an east-west axis in eastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas. No permits are required to hike the OT. The majority of the trail is located within the Ouachita National Forest, with small segments of state and private land (with easements), mainly on the west end.

The west end of the trail is generally higher, rockier, and more difficult than the east end. Two of the best views include Rich Mountain and Winding Stair Mountain on the west end, and Ouachita Pinnacle and Flatside Pinnacle on the east end.

Common resupply points include the towns of Mena, AR and Story, AR. As an alternative to going into Mena, hikers may consider mailing a box to Queen Wilhelmina State Park. Check with the park before mailing a box for any special instructions.

Getting There

The western terminus, in Oklahoma’s Talimena State Park, is inaccessible via public transit. The closest transit hub is Fort Smith, AR (bus or air), an hour north. Several shuttle services offer transportation. The eastern terminus, in Pinnacle Mountain State Park, is accessible to Little Rock (rail, bus, or air) via a relatively inexpensive rideshare.

If section-hiking, the town of Mena, AR (near mile 68) makes a convenient endpoint, as it has twice-daily bus service to Kansas City, Fort Smith, and Texarkana.

Best Time to Go

The OT can be hiked at any time between October and April. Spring and fall are ideal. In recent years, winter thru-hikes of the OT have become more common. Winter hikers should be prepared for the possibility of subfreezing temperatures, snow, and ice. In times of drought, hikers may encounter the occasional dry stretch.

Maps and Books

Navigation is generally easy on the OT, though timber harvesting and prescribed burns have impacted the trail in a few spots, mainly on the west end. The trail is marked throughout with 2”x6” blue blazes. Maps can be ordered (or printed at home for free) here.

Tim Ernst’s Ouachita Trail Guide is the definitive guidebook for the OT. It’s well-produced and detailed. Although not necessary for navigation, it helps contextualize the trailside sights. A FarOut Guide is available as well. For planning and overview maps, the Delorme Atlas for Oklahoma and their Arkansas atlas can be helpful.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in Issue 57 of TrailGroove Magazine. You can read the original article here for additional photos and content.