From the Mules and More Archive...
Originally published in the October 1997 Mules and More
Note - Since this was originally published 24 years ago, be sure to check that the information is up-to-date before making any plans. Some links that might help are: Mack’s Pines Scenic 7 Highway . Let us know if you have new information and we will update this post accordingly!
Tales on Trails
Riding the east side of Scenic 7 can be a ride on the wild side
by Betty Robinson
Most trail riders in Arkansas are familiar with the Moccasin Gap Horse Trails on Scenic Highway 7 north of Dover, Ark. The Gap trails are well marked so many riders spend a lot of time ambling around on them. However, the east side of that highway in back of Mack’s Pines is also a great place to ride and most of the time you will never meet another rider.
Five loops sneak through the forest on the east side of Scenic 7 without more than a faded competitive ride marker to guide your route. The markings are scarce but the scenery is not. Riding on the east side of Hwy 7 is a little more of a challenge than the Gap trails because you have to depend on yourself and not trail markers. If you take your bearings from the highway and FS Road 1818, it is hard to get lost but you might not always be where you think you are. To ride in this area it is good to have a reference guide, such as a topo map and a compass or a GPS Satellite Navigator, unless you are very familiar with the area.
The easiest way to get on these trails is directly behind Mack’s Pines stables. From this point the trail leads off in two directions. If you take the one to the left you will meander around a little bit and finally ride for a ways on FS Road 1816, which takes you to another trail that drops off into a hollow where the road crosses the North Fork of the Illinois Bayou and has been a landmark for years. The water is clear and cold. This is a great place for lunch or a snack break. In the summertime, you can always find a good spot to cool your heels.
If you make this crossing and continue to the right, the road leads to Sherman Cemetery. This cemetery has some pre-Civil War dates but is still well maintained. Past this point, you cross the creek again. On your topo map the trail is a single dotted line that leaves FS Road 1815 and heads across Armadillo Flats. The last time Ruth and I were in this area we had to leave the road due to a large downed tree. The narrow, brushy, detour swirled around an old white oak trapped in vines. Just as we passed the tree, close enough for my stirrup to touch it, something caught my eye. When I looked to see what it was, I was eyeball-to-eyeball with a water moccasin. He was close enough I could have spit on his head, if I was a good spitter, which I’m not. I caught Ruth just past the flank cinch with the spurs. She did a brief squat, jumped in the air, and left there at a dead run.
At the end of the flats you are at your farthest point from Mack’s Pines. The trail turns back through the ghost area known as Tag. The whole community has disappeared now, with nothing to show for its existence but a sign on a gate. And I’m not sure if that’s gone by now.
Of course one alternative from here is to retrace your route. But I know many mule riders who do not like to do that. Instead, you can pick up FS Road 1816 at this point and ride all the way back to Highway 7. The Rock House Hollow Loop is just down the road on the left. This is a great four-to-five mile loop. You can pull down to here and park your trailer by using FS Road 1818. The Rock House Hollow Loop used to be one of the prettiest rides in the area. That was until the Forest Service went in, cut out the pines, ringed the few old hardwoods that were left standing, and cut about 50 yards worth of trees down across the road. There was absolutely no reason that I could see to make this giant dead fall and stop traffic. I guess they didn’t count on mule riders. It is a road… it is on the 1980 revision of 7.5 Simpson Quadrangle topo map. And I did ride through there. It will still be a beautiful place when the dogwoods are blooming or when the small streams are running from the spring rains. You just have to be willing to ride around and through about 50 yards of pure cussedness. To make this ride, when you leave FS Road 1818 you will be on 932218. The only way you will know this is by reading a topo. When you get to a giant speed bump and the road makes a “Y” don’t go over the speed bump. Follow the road to the right. The rest of the trail is pretty straight forward.
I guess you might be wondering where the road went from Mack’s stable if you went right rather than left. It goes down the mountain at a pretty fast clip. If you stay to the left on that trail you will wind down through Campbell Hollow and end up at Tag. Other trails just wander around across the mountains giving you the fun of exploring and finding new sites on your own.
Mack’s Place is a central hub to a lot of trails on both sides of the highway. He makes great hamburgers and keeps the drinks cold. He provides cabins, RV hookups, box stalls, and a place to put up a portable corral if that is your pleasure. Most of the time you can also find a map and a trail book or two for sale. When you get the urge for some new scenery, and you’re tired of using those training wheels or trail markers, grab a friend, a topo map and head out for a new adventure. Riding the east side of Highway 7 can give you a new outlook on life.