Ritter Road

Total Miles
3.6

Elevation

397.28 ft

Duration

1 Hours

Technical Rating

6

Moderate

Best Time

Spring, Summer, Fall

Show in App
Ritter Road 12

Trail Overview

A short trip from Hot Springs, Arkansas, Ritter Road is one of the more technical trails in the typically timid and scenic Ouachita National Forest. The south end of this trail can be accessed by traveling north from Hot Springs on the Arkansas 7 Scenic Byway and heading east on Lake Winona Road. Tur- by-turn directions may lead you to other roads directly south of Ritter Road, but these may be gated and inaccessible. Ritter Road is narrow in some areas and can result in trail rash for full-sized vehicles. Featuring rocky sections, deep ruts, washouts, muddy holes and a water crossing, this trail can prove to be challenging and exciting. Many of the deep ruts and washouts can be bypassed to one side, but some are unavoidable and could easily swallow a 40" tire if not careful. Near the end of the road, there is a water crossing that can have some deep sections so be sure to check the current and water levels before crossing.

Photos of Ritter Road

Ritter Road
Ritter Road

Difficulty

Deep ruts and washouts. A water crossing that can easily be over 18" deep. Pretty consistent in difficulty throughout the trail.

Technical Rating

6

Status Reports

Ev Hamilton
Jul 22, 2024
4x4
Open
Normal
The trail was in great shape. High clearance recommended. Rode my KTM 690 and had a nice outing.
Jay Stokley
Jul 20, 2024
4x4
Open
The above description is pretty accurate. Deep washouts and ruts can not be avoided in places and a stock vehicle will likely have problems. There are more water holes on the north part than the south, but all had hard bottoms. The river crossing was tame today. Biggest issue is erosion washouts. Some are quite deep.
Dayna Hancock
Jun 08, 2024
2021 Jeep Wrangler
Open
Rough/Deteriorated
Proceed with caution. This trail was washed out but no issues driving in 4x4 vehicles.
Zach Minich
May 29, 2024
Open
Washboard
Proceed with great caution, completed solo in my old 4Runner. Meant to use this as a shortcut back to a campsite I had spotted earlier and took me nearly 3 hours just to get through Ritter road, on 2 wheels multiple times and several deep water crossings. Ended up finding the trail in total darkness. Can’t reiterate enough to proceed with caution

Popular Trails

Million Dollar Highway

Million Dollar Highway

Total Miles
3.0
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa
Primitive Camp and Shooting Range in Poison Springs WMA

Primitive Camp and Shooting Range in Poison Springs WMA

Total Miles
2.2
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi
Cossatot River Campgrounds Route

Cossatot River Campgrounds Route

Total Miles
21.9
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Fa / Su
Bliss Ridge / 1505-1

Bliss Ridge / 1505-1

Total Miles
4.4
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Go Farther

Try onX Offroad Elite for free for a week — no strings attached. Get access to thousands of off-road dirt trails and snowmobile trails across the nation. View your favorite zones in 3D. Send trails to friends. Start planning the trip of a lifetime now.