Mt. Magazine Weekend

Many of us plan to stay at the Mt. Magazine lodge for this weekend.  There are also options for cabins and camping at this state park.

Tentative schedule of events (from Kim)... you're welcome to join us for any/all of these or spend time doing your own thing if some of this is not of interest to you:

• BCOS members attending this event may have different availability for what time they can travel up to Mount Magazine on Friday (for example I probably can't get on the road until close to 10 am) so I'm not planning to arrange a "caravan"... everyone coming is welcome to arrange carpooling with friends or travel up solo and we'll all just meet on-site.
• For those that can get up there by Friday afternoon I'm planning to do our first hike starting at 3:00.  We'll meet at the lodge and carpool to the Dripping Springs trailhead.  This trail is an out and back (about 3 miles total) with some beautiful bluff overlooks.... other special features include Needle’s Eye, Dripping Spring, The Window, and Fern Cave. 
• Friday night we'll plan to eat an early dinner at the restaurant in the lodge... in my experience they have really great food with a beautiful view of the bluffs and valley below!  After dinner we can take our lawn chairs and any snack/dessert/adult beverage of your choice to watch the sunset from either the Cameron Bluff overlook or the Hang-gliding launch area (maybe we'll see some hang-gliding in action this weekend!!)
• Saturday I have 2 trails planned for us to hike.... We'll meet at the lodge at 9 am and then stage some vehicles at the end of these trails so that we can do them as one-way hikes (instead of out and back hikes).  One of these is the Bear Hollow trail (we'll hike from a north overlook to the Benefield Campground area 2.8 miles where we'll have car(s) staged for shuttling).  Points of interest on the Bear Hollow trail include WPA steps, Sunrise Rock, Inspiration Point, Bear Head Bluff, and Shoal Creek. Some of the best scenery on the mountain is found along this trail.  Next we'll do the North Rim Trail.  We'll hike from the visitor center along this trail to the Cameron Bluff overlook.  This 2.7 mile trail is rated moderate to strenuous.  My recollection is that it's not any more challenging than the trails we've done at Petit Jean.  There are some beautiful bluffs and water features along this trail.  Plan to pack/bring a lunch to eat between or along these 2 hikes. 
•  Saturday afternoon I'm thinking some of us might be ready for a break from hiking and so we can plan to drive to nearby Paris, Arkansas for some sightseeing (they have their own Eiffel Tower), shopping and dining in town.  If anyone has visited this town and has suggestions for what to see/do there I'm all ears :) 
• Sunday morning (9 am) is when I'd like to do the Signal Hill Trail hike before we head home.  This is a short hike (starting at the lodge) to the highest point in Arkansas.  It's not the most scenic trail (views are mostly blocked by trees) but you will be able to say you've been there!  

  Be sure to let me know if you're coming on this adventure!  Thanks! 

Contact:  Kim Cox - kcox@bpcc.edu - 318-464-1928