Friends of the Ouachita Trail (FoOT) is an all-volunteer force. The most important thing you can do is dedicate your time to help accomplish our mission. Volunteers can either adopt a section of trail or join periodic work parties. Information on both is listed below.
FoOT also needs financial support. Contributions in any amount are appreciated. Please make checks payable to “Friends of the Ouachita Trail” and send them to:
Friends of the Ouachita Trail
PO Box 8630
Hot Springs, AR 71910
Membership in FoOT
Membership in FoOT is offered to those who contribute their time to perform trail maintenance, other work such as fund raising or clerical work or their financial support.
Membership categories include the following:
- WORKING MEMBER/ORGANIZATION: Adopts a trail section for maintenance OR works at least ten (10) hours on FoOT activities.
- SUPPORTING MEMBER: Does not work or works less than ten (10) hours on FoOT activities AND pays a membership fee of at least $25.00.
- SUSTAINING MEMBER: Adopts a trail section or works at least ten (10) hours on FoOT activities AND pays a membership fee of at least $15.00
- SUPPORTING ORGANIZATION: Does not work or works less than ten (10) hours on FoOT activities AND pays a membership fee of at least $50.00.
- SUSTAINING ORGANIZATION: Adopts a trail section or works at least ten (10) hours on FoOT activities AND pays a membership fee of at least $30.00
The sections below are available for adoption now. Other sections can be “split-off” from a currently adopted section and our members are sometimes agreeable to “swap” a section they had previously adopted, so if you know a section you’d like to adopt and maintain, even if it is not listed below, please contact us about it. Whenever possible, please refer to mileages as noted in Tim Ernst’s Ouachita Trail Guide when naming a section you’d like to adopt.
If you are interested in helping FoOT maintain the OT, consider adopting and maintaining one of the segments shown in the table below.
| Adoptions Available as of 4-4-13 | ||||
| Section | Mile X to X | Miles: | Description | Comments |
| 1 | 12.5 to 15.5 | 3.0 | Smaill Rock Glacier to FR 8553 | |
| 1 | 15.5 to 18.7 | 3.2 | FR8553 to Rock Glacier | |
| 1 | 19.9 to 21.7 | 1.8 | Horsethief Springs to FR 6014 | |
| 2 | 39.2 to 42.0 | 2.8 | Kiamichi River TH to River Crossing No. 3 | Reroute completed at 39.4. See Kiamichi River crossings guidelines. |
| 2 | 42.0 to 43.8 | 1.8 | River Crossing No. 3 to OT sign at bottom of Rich Mtn | |
| 2 | 46.3 to 47.8 | 2.8 | AR State Line to FR514 | |
| 3 | 63.0 to 64.0 | 1 | Milepost 63 to Milepost 64 | Should be able/willing to carry/operate a weedeater in rocky terrain for a considerable distance. |
| 3 | 64.0 to 65.0 | 1 | Milepost 64 to Milepost 65 | Should be able/willing to carry/operate a weedeater in rocky terrain for a considerable distance. |
| 4 | 68.1 to 70.0 | 1.9 | Foran Gap/Hwy 71 to Milepost 70 | Fairly easy maintenance other than uphill grade |
| 4 | 70.0 to 72.1 | 2.1 | Milepost 70 to the Wolf Pinnacle old fire tower road (on left) | Weedeating only |
| 4 | 73.0 to 74.1 | 1.1 | Milepost 73 to Tan-a-Hill Gap/FRM43 | Fairly easy maintenance |
| 4 | 74.1 to 76.0 | 1.9 | Tan-a-Hill Gap FRM43 access to Milepost 76 | Fairly easy maintenance |
| 4 | 76.0 to 77.1 | 1.1 | Milepost 76 to Milepost 77 | |
| 4 | 77 to 78.5 | 1.5 | Milepost 77 to area with many big oak trees/rocks | |
| 4 | 78.5 to 79.9 | 1.4 | Area with many big oak trees/rocks to Turner Creek Gap/FR 7172 access | |
| 4 | 86.3 to 87.7 | 1.4 | FR 76 new crossing to FR 774 | |
| 5 | 103.0 to 106.1 | 3.1 | Milepost 103 to Milepost 106.1 | Good gravel road access mid-way; recently maintained. |
| 6 | 128.8 to 131.0 | 2.2 | Irons Fork Creek to Mile 131 (FR 736) | |
| 5 | 138.8 to 139.7 | 0.9 | HWY 298 TH to FRJ29B | Good gravel road access mid-way; recently maintained. |
| 6 | 139.7 to 143.2 | 3.5 | FRJ29B to Blue Mt Shelter | |
| 7 | 153.0 to 155.1 | 2.1 | FR 107 2nd crossing to Hoot Owl Gap | |
| 7 | 163.9 to 165.4 | 1.5 | Sugar Creek to FR 153 | |
Remember: larger sections can be divided into smaller pieces or adopted by a group, club, or team of family and/or friends.
Email adoptions@FriendsOT.org for more information information about FoOT membership.
For trail adoption questions, please contact our VP of Recruitment, Sid Wood. After you sign up you will receive your “adoption papers” and Trail Maintenance Guide. Click here to see a sample volunteer agreement.
The FoOT Patrol Team
We would really like for you to adopt a section of trail of your very own. If you would like to help with trail maintenance, but some reason you cannot adopt your own section of the Ouachita Trail, you can become a Working or Sustaining Member of FoOT with all the benefits by joining the FoOT Patrol Team.
The FoOT Patrol is a group of volunteers who assist the regular trail adopters with large projects and do special projects on the Ouachita Trail PLUS we have fun while doing so. You will be a sort of Volunteer Independent Contractor or Free Agent!! You could join planned group outings, or you will need to contact FoOT at least two times a year to find projects you can do on your own or help a trail adopter with their section. To become a member of the FoOT Patrol team, contact: Sid Wood.