Posted 2008-01-04 7:55 AM (#73737 - in reply to #73524) Subject: RE: 4-J Big Piney
Veteran
Posts: 174
Location: Missouri
Crowleyridgegirl,
Just holler sometime, we love to ride up there. There is a wooden bridge that isn't real long but one you have to cross and there is a board missing. My husbands horse's leg went thru and thought he was going to break it. Very scary. If it is dry I think you can bushwhack around it but it is really viney and grown up on either side. It is one of those bridges that doesn't have any sides on it, and several years ago we had someone riding with us on a green horse and we told him to lead across but he didn't and his horse got scared and went off of it. We thought it had killed him but fortuantely he was just banged up a bit. There's plenty of riding though and we found some side trails the other day and hope to ride those next time and see where they go.
I don't know if you can park at Hunter anymore? We were thru there back in the fall and it was all grown up and maybe even had some cable there and the school is all posted too. There is a cave just below Hunter we ride at some but now alot of that riding is fenced and posted. I think people on 4 wheelers poaching and littering have ruined alot of our places to ride.
I wonder how those people at Chilton get out too when we have lots of rain. It is quite a ways back there. They have done quite a bit of road grading t hough and the road is much better.
Where in Ark are you located? We're near Doniphan.
Posted 2008-01-14 7:31 PM (#74414 - in reply to #73524) Subject: RE: 4-J Big Piney
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 322
Location: Fort Madison, Iowa
I'd ask them to try to stay away from the row that sits next to the public road and in the center. I think the best camping area is on the west side along the tree line because in the afternoon you'd have shade. In the lower campground your horses wouldn't be far since they have stalls in that area too. In the lower campground I'd ask to be put on the west side if you'd like to have shade in the afternoon.
Posted 2008-01-14 8:33 PM (#74425 - in reply to #73536) Subject: RE: 4-J Big Piney
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 322
Location: Fort Madison, Iowa
Big Creek is a place that's a goal to go to someday. I had reservations to go five years ago with a group but changed jobs that same month so I had to cancel. Heard it's real nice and was described as similar to the 4-J. I know two couples that go to both, Big Creek in the Spring and the 4J in the Fall.
I've camped at the Circle B before and have been checking into the One Horse Gap campground. He mentioned the riding area is some of the same as Circle B. The Bay Creek Campground area is beautiful and would recommend them too.
The Buffalo River area is another goal place to go too. We went to Arkansas once but didn't like the campground area since it almost took one hour one way just to get to some good riding and it was the only trail out of this campground. I was shown some pictures from a friend that went to the Buffalo River area and it looked beautiful
I'd like any information you'd have on the Buffalo River area and I also the Cedar Lake in Oklahoma. Heard the Eastern part in Oklahoma is really nice but not sure where it was someone was telling me about and they're to get back with me yet. Any information will be appreciated.
I noticed where you live and I have friends that go to the 4J in October that live in Harrisonville, MO, Melvern & Manhattan, KS.
Posted 2008-01-14 11:15 PM (#74433 - in reply to #74425) Subject: RE: 4-J Big Piney
Expert
Posts: 2615
There is a book about the Buffalo River and its' watershed areas that was written by a Helen Elsner and co-authored (I believe this is correct) by L.R.Alexander.They have GPS coordinates and over 100 pictures in the book,the two of them rode out a lot of the old trails using something akin to machetes,I think to clear them. It is an excellent book well worth reading and having for anyone that has ever ridden,plans to ride,or would love to just look at the Buffalo River area. The Buffalo River was the first US river to be named a national river.It is also one of the few rivers left in the lower 48 states that does not have any dams.The website is www.nps.gov/buff.I am not sure about the website for the book but believe that it would be available online.I did a search,but you might try googling "Buffalo River book by Helen Elsner."