This 27-mile auto tour works its way west to east along Forest Road 132 between State Highway 7 and 9. The trip takes about 1 hour if you don't stop. Plan extra time to visit the tour stops. The gravel road is designed and maintained for two-way travel, suitable for an automobile.
Please use caution on the curves and leave room for oncoming traffic. The route is marked at all intersections The tour stops are designated by name on large signs. The tour may be started from either State Highway 7 or 9.
Oak Mountain Vista
(From Hot Springs, drive north on State Highway 7 for 37 miles. Turn east on Forest Road 132 and continue for 6.8 miles.)
Look around, notice all of the oak trees and you'll discover how Oak Mountain got its name. To the south, take in the rolling beauty of the Ouachitas. They are composed of 17 separate rock formations including shale, sandstone, chert, novaculite, and limestone; veins of white quartz crystal are often visible. The Ouachita Mountains are known as one of the few places in the world that produce high quality white and clear quartz crystal. The crystal occurs in".pockets" within the quartz veins. These mountains were formed as a result of great forces and pressure that buckled relatively flat, sedimentary rocks at great depths. The contorted mass moved as much as 7 miles.
Forked Mountain Vista
(From Oak Mountain Vista, continue east on Forest Road 132 for 1. 7 miles.)
Dominating the skyline of the Flatside Wilderness is Forked Mountain at 1,300 feet.
Crystal Mountain
(From Forked Mountain Vista continue east on Forest Road 132 for 5.3 miles.)
Laced through many of the Ouachita's rock formations are veins of white quartz containing pockets of what many consider to be the best quality quartz crystal in the world. These pockets vary in diameter and contain brilliant clear to milky-white quartz crystals. While on Crystal Mountain, take time to stop and look closely for some of the quartz veins. You may find some quartz crystal in the sandstone boulders and rock outcrops near the road. Surface collecting of a small amount of quartz crystal is allowed. Digging for crystals requires a permit issued by the District Ranger in Perryville.
Lake Winona Vista
(From the Crystal Mountain continue east on Forest Road 132 for 0. 5 mile.)
This 43-square-mile area constitutes the Lake Winona watershed. Set within the forested slopes of the Ouachita National Forest and supplied by rainfall, the lake produces a soft, pure, high quality water. Lake Winona supplies 40 percent of Little Rock's water. The Forest Service is sensitive to the way it manages such areas because of the effect on water users in many communities.
Side Trip Flatside Pinnacle
(From Crystal Mountain continue down Forest Road 132 for 3 miles to Forest Road 94. Go west on F.S. Road 94 for 2 miles to a small area with a vista looking off to the west. A sign in the parking area marks the trail that will take you to the Pinnacle.)
Flatside Wilderness Area derives its name from Flatside Pinnacle, a 1,550-foot high rock outcrop. A 10-minute hike up the 0.2-mile trail will lead you up to Platside Pinnacle. Awaiting you is an unforgettable view of the wilderness area. This rough terrain and lush forest invites the adventurous. Areas like this 10,000 acres provide outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of experience.
North Fork Pinnacle
(From Lake Winona Vista drive east 5.6 miles. Park at the trail sign and take the short hike to North Fork Pinnacle.)
At the top, you will take a step back in time to the days of fire towers. Notice the foundation from the original tower. This tower, built in the 1930's by Civilian Conservation Corpsmen, was staffed with personnel whose sole function was to watch for smoke.
Imagine that you are a fire lookout and you see smoke billowing up through the forest. You quickly phone two other fire towers, and with special instruments, pinpoint the location of the fire. From this information, crews were dispatched to fight the fire. North Fork Pinnacle not only had a fire tower but a small house where lookout personnel lived. The landscape of the Ouachita Mountains was dotted with these fire towers.
Today, fires are spotted from airplanes that patrol the skies of the forest during periods of high fire danger. Quite often, visitors to the forest call in the first alarm from public and cellular phones.
Lake Sylvia
(From the North Fork Pinnacle Trail sign continue east on Forest Road 132 for 3. 0 miles.)
Look closely and you'll see a small lake, Lake Sylvia. A commitment by the Girl Scouts of America to establish a camp on Narrows Creek in Perry County initiated the construction of a 35-foot dam in 1936, which created this lake. The project was completed by the Federally-funded Civilian Conservation Corps. Lake Sylvia is a 16 acre lake stocked annually by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Nestled along the shore of Lake Sylvia is a small recreation area offering camping, swimming, picnicking and hiking.
Nancy Mountain Vista
(From the previous stop, continue east on Forest Road 132 for 1.1 miles.)
Below this point, the Ouachita National Recreation Trail traverses the pine and oak-clad Ouachita Mountains. From start to finish you can hike 218 miles across these mountains to major recreation areas, scenic overlooks and other attractions. Opportunities range from photography to tests of physical stamina. Elevations start at 600 feet and go to 2,600 feet. The trail provides day and overnight hiking. Hardy backpackers are enticed to explore its rugged terrain, and the less daring enjoy quiet woodland walks. This segment of the Ouachita National Recreation Trail was built in the 1970's by Green Thumb, a rural work program for senior citizens, and was often referred to as the Green Thumb Trail. These workers carefully developed this 36-mile stretch with hard work and hand tools.
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