Eagle Rock Look in Arkansas - 30 miles of wilderness hiking through the Ouachita Mountains
The Eagle Rock Loop is the longest loop trail hike in Arkansas at 30 miles. The Eagle Rock Loop route consists of a combination of several other trails including the Little Missouri, the Athens-Big Fork, and part of the Viles Branch Horse Trails.
The Eagle Rock Loop traverses through the southwestern portion of the Ouachita National Forest. Along the way, the Eagle Rock Loop has numerous river, stream and creek crossings and travels over nine mountains. The water crossings on the Eagle Rock Loop can be difficult, if not impossible at higher water levels, so it's important to check those before beginning your hike.
We hiked the Eagle Rock Loop in July of 2022 with our friend Paul, the Oklahomo Hiker. It was definitely hot for our northern blood, with daytime temperatures in the 90s and nighttime temps not much below 80 degrees. Along the way, even Paul admitted a few times it was hot.
We sweated a lot, and watching our nutrition and hydration was key to staying well and in good sprits on this hike for us. Thankfully with so many water crossings, the vast majority still running even though water levels were low, we were able to stay well hydrated, and also swim and cool off at each crossing.
We hiked the roughly 30 mile loop in 2 1/2 days. We began late (5pm) on a Sunday evening at the Winding Stairs Trailhead, hiked in a few miles to a campsite just past the Albert Pike Recreation Area (heading in a counter clockwise direction on the Eagle Rock Loop). The next day was roughly 14 miles to a campsite alongside Long Creek. The last day was another 14 or so miles back to our truck at the Winding Stairs Trailhead.
For more information on the Eagle Rock Loop Trail, the National Forest Service maintains a really good web page that includes trail descriptions and maps. We also utilized the FarOut app, which does include the Eagle Rock Loop as a paid trail download. AllTrails also included info on the Eagle Rock Loop.
You'll also notice no one seems to agree on the total distance. We had a touch over 30 miles, but that included the side trips that we took to view points and swimming spots.
Backpacking Gear We Used
Goodr Sunglasses
Osprey Levity Backpack
Gregory Zulu Backpack
Black Diamond Trail Back Trekking Poles
Revelation APEX | Lightweight Synthetic Quilt
REI Co-op Magma Trail Quilt 30
Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL MtnGLO Tent
ENO Hammock
Featherstone El Cordion Sleeping Pad
NEMO Tensor Ultralight Insulated Sleeping Pad
MSR PocketRocket 2 Stove
Snow Peak 450ml Titanium Mug
Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter
Bearvault BV500 Bear Resistant Food Canister
Altra Lone Peak 5 Shoes
Deliberate Life Designs Sandals
Darn Tough Midweight Hiking Socks
Patagonia Nine Trails Shorts
EMS Techwick Essentials Sleeveless Tee
prAna Slope Shorts
Energizer LED Headlamp
Garmin Instinct Watch
Garmin InReach Explorer+ GPS
Hydration and nutrition for this hike:
The Complete Cookie
Gatorade Endurance Carb Energy Chews
GU Energy Roctane Ultra Endurance Energy Drink
Jelly Belly Sport Beans - Energizing Jelly Beans
GU Energy Roctane Ultra Endurance Energy Drink Mix
NUUN Sport + Hydration Tablets
Knorr Rice Sides (various flavors)
StarKist Premium White Chicken
StarKist Tuna
Spam Singles
Instant Oatmeal
Starbucks Via Instant Coffee
The Eagle Rock Loop traverses through the southwestern portion of the Ouachita National Forest. Along the way, the Eagle Rock Loop has numerous river, stream and creek crossings and travels over nine mountains. The water crossings on the Eagle Rock Loop can be difficult, if not impossible at higher water levels, so it's important to check those before beginning your hike.
We hiked the Eagle Rock Loop in July of 2022 with our friend Paul, the Oklahomo Hiker. It was definitely hot for our northern blood, with daytime temperatures in the 90s and nighttime temps not much below 80 degrees. Along the way, even Paul admitted a few times it was hot.
We sweated a lot, and watching our nutrition and hydration was key to staying well and in good sprits on this hike for us. Thankfully with so many water crossings, the vast majority still running even though water levels were low, we were able to stay well hydrated, and also swim and cool off at each crossing.
We hiked the roughly 30 mile loop in 2 1/2 days. We began late (5pm) on a Sunday evening at the Winding Stairs Trailhead, hiked in a few miles to a campsite just past the Albert Pike Recreation Area (heading in a counter clockwise direction on the Eagle Rock Loop). The next day was roughly 14 miles to a campsite alongside Long Creek. The last day was another 14 or so miles back to our truck at the Winding Stairs Trailhead.
For more information on the Eagle Rock Loop Trail, the National Forest Service maintains a really good web page that includes trail descriptions and maps. We also utilized the FarOut app, which does include the Eagle Rock Loop as a paid trail download. AllTrails also included info on the Eagle Rock Loop.
You'll also notice no one seems to agree on the total distance. We had a touch over 30 miles, but that included the side trips that we took to view points and swimming spots.
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You can find this hike:
You can find this hike:
- On the National Forest Website
- On the FarOut App and on AllTrails
- In the Arkansas Hiking Trails Guidebook
Goodr Sunglasses
Osprey Levity Backpack
Gregory Zulu Backpack
Black Diamond Trail Back Trekking Poles
Revelation APEX | Lightweight Synthetic Quilt
REI Co-op Magma Trail Quilt 30
Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL MtnGLO Tent
ENO Hammock
Featherstone El Cordion Sleeping Pad
NEMO Tensor Ultralight Insulated Sleeping Pad
MSR PocketRocket 2 Stove
Snow Peak 450ml Titanium Mug
Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter
Bearvault BV500 Bear Resistant Food Canister
Altra Lone Peak 5 Shoes
Deliberate Life Designs Sandals
Darn Tough Midweight Hiking Socks
Patagonia Nine Trails Shorts
EMS Techwick Essentials Sleeveless Tee
prAna Slope Shorts
Energizer LED Headlamp
Garmin Instinct Watch
Garmin InReach Explorer+ GPS
Hydration and nutrition for this hike:
The Complete Cookie
Gatorade Endurance Carb Energy Chews
GU Energy Roctane Ultra Endurance Energy Drink
Jelly Belly Sport Beans - Energizing Jelly Beans
GU Energy Roctane Ultra Endurance Energy Drink Mix
NUUN Sport + Hydration Tablets
Knorr Rice Sides (various flavors)
StarKist Premium White Chicken
StarKist Tuna
Spam Singles
Instant Oatmeal
Starbucks Via Instant Coffee
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Hike the Eagle Rock Loop in five minutes!
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