In addition, Ouachita Forest employees gave hundreds of additional hours prepping the sites and getting material delivered. More than 4300 volunteers hours were donate with over 36,000 miles driven to make the OT shelter system a reality. The existing shelters go east from there to Highway 9. They cover approximately 120 miles of the OT. You will find the new shelters from mile marker zero in Oklahoma to Highway 27 just north of Story, Arkansas. Actual planning for the project dated back ten years, with final approval to move forward with construction in the fall of 2012. Beginning with the completion of the first shelter at Foran Gap in March of 2013, the construction phase lasted just under four years. The shelters built by FoOT on the west end of the Ouachita Trail, along with the existing nine shelters on the east side of the OT create a shelter system covering all of the trail in the Ouachita National Forest. On NovemFoOT completed its twelfth and final shelter on Suck Mountain. This is a major accomplishment by FoOT volunteers and a major improvement to the Ouachita Trail. Big Bear and Blue Mountain Shelters are to be upgraded the first week of March followed by Brown Creek and Nancy Mountain Shelters the 4th week of March.Īfter Nancy Mountain is done the OT will have a shelter system of 21 shelters, with 12 being new and 9 being remodeled. The remaining 4 are scheduled for March of 2021.
#BIG CREEK SHELTER 3 UPGRADE#
In October, the Potter and Archer Shelters were done followed in November with the upgrade of Big Branch and Moonshine Shelters. Work was delayed in 2020 by the Corona virus, but in the fall 4 shelters were upgraded. In late 2019, FoOT received a Recreational Trail Program grant to upgrade the remaining 8 shelters. Nolan did an excellent job coordinating the work effort. The effort was also an Eagle Scout Project for Nolan McKee. The upgrade added a 10’X16’ covered deck along with shelves and benches. In June of 2018, FoOT did an upgrade to the Oak Mountain Shelter as a pilot project.
After the final new shelter on the OT was completed in 2016 with the addition of the Suck Mountain Shelter, FoOT turned its attention to upgrading the 9 old shelters on the east end of the OT.
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