Attached are photos of some of the ongoing issues faced with the management of the Lake Ouachita Vista on Hickory Nut Mountain. Over the Memorial Day weekend, there were large crowds on the mountain, filling the campground with extra campers spilling out into the nearby woods and many along FS Rd 47 between FS RD 50 and Crystal springs Rd. Two of us traildogs went up the mountain on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, to pick up litter and look for further damage after we received photos of two vehicles parked on at the Vista, one of whom decided it would a great idea to pull the front wheels of his jeep up onto the Vista’s wall. Fortunately, someone took photos of this event and sent them to the sheriff’s office and to our email. We are actively trying to identify the jeep owner and have requested the U.S. Forest …Click to read the full article
On Feb. 7, 2012, we had seven volunteers assisting in the clearing of the old Fire Tower spur trail and the tower site. The old site was badly overgrown with vines, briars, and numerous fallen trees. After five hours of clearing, we had located the concrete anchors of the tower, the foundation to the watchers’ cabin, a water cistern, and what we believe was a stone cooler used for perishables at the site. We also found the two National Geological Survey medallions installed in 1953. The trail from the Hickory Nut Mountain Trailhead sign to the tower site is only .15 miles and just a ten minute hike from the parking area. The photo gallery below includes a rough proposal for the interpretive sign we plan to install at the site, along with photos of the construction, including the cabin foundation. Jerry
