About Us

Organization

The Ozark Highlands Trail Association (OHTA) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit all-volunteer organization that was founded in 1981 to build, maintain, and enjoy the Ozark Highlands Trail (OHT). When complete, the OHT will stretch 320 miles across northern Arkansas from Lake Fort Smith State Park to Lake Norfork – where it will connect to the Ozark Trail in Missouri.

We have detailed information about the OHT, answers to frequently asked questions, an online store where you can purchase maps and accessories, and an event calendar. You can get trail alerts, meeting and outing announcements, and OHTA news as soon as it’s posted by subscribing to our RSS feed. We’re on Facebook and Instagram too.

Members receive the monthly OHTA Bulletin if we have a correct email address. Drop us a note if you’re not getting it.

Build

About 270 miles of trail have been built. Most of the remaining 50 miles are in the Lake Norfork area, where we have people scouting routes and procuring easements. Construction in this area could begin in a year or two. The other gap is the Lower Buffalo Wilderness where the National Park Service has not yet authorized construction.

Maintain

OHTA volunteers currently maintain about 240 miles of the trail. You can be one of them! The trail is divided into short pieces that can be adopted for routine maintenance and we have group maintenance outings to target problem areas. OHTA membership is required for work trips in order to be covered by government accident insurance.

Enjoy

OHTA is an outings club too – we try to have at least as many “fun” hikes as we do work trips. These casual trips will take you to some of the most scenic spots in the Ozarks. We are also an educational organization, with emphasis on teaching low impact camping and hiking techniques, and helping to ease those who are new to hiking into the back country. Beginners welcome! All outings are open to the public, and there is never any charge. Check our calendar.