Trail Overview
This through route connects St. Louis Valley Road with Arkansas Highway 309 and travels through the Mount Magazine Wildlife Management Area. The road is primarily a maintained gravel surface with sections of packed dirt and loose gravel. Most of the route is wide enough for two vehicles to pass comfortably. A few portions have looser, less-embedded rock that creates a rougher surface, but the road remains well defined throughout. The surrounding landscape consists of mixed pine and hardwood forest, with grasses, younger pines, brush, and occasional more open areas along the roadside. Wildlife is common throughout Mount Magazine WMA, so keep an eye out for animals crossing the road, particularly deer and turkey. Highway 309 at the end of the route is also designated the Mount Magazine Scenic Byway.
Difficulty
This maintained gravel road has no major obstacles, with only a few rougher sections containing loose, less-embedded rock. During dry conditions, the gravel surface can become very dusty, potentially limiting visibility of oncoming traffic.
History
The Mount Magazine area has a long history of transportation, forestry and recreation. During the Great Depression, federal programs including the Civilian Conservation Corps and Works Progress Administration developed roads and recreation infrastructure around the mountain. Cove Lake was constructed as part of the Mount Magazine land-use project and was completed in 1938, while CCC crews based at nearby Blue Mountain performed forestry work and improved roads throughout the area. Many of today's routes travel through the same national forest landscape that was extensively managed and developed during this period.
Offroad