Hill adds 6-mile hike to goal of 100 in parks

U.S. Rep. French Hill, R-Ark., accompanied by several friends and acquaintances, spent much of Saturday in an Arkansas forest logging miles 13 through 18 of a planned 100-mile journey across national parks this year.

Hill plans to hike in spurts in the Ouachita National Forest and the Ozark/St. Francis National Forest and to paddle the Buffalo National River throughout the year to meet his goal to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the U.S. National Park Service in 2016.

The 100-Mile Challenge was proposed by the National Park Service earlier this year and has been promoted in several national parks and forests across the country.

In Arkansas, organized hikes, walks, paddles and other activities will take place throughout the year at Arkansas Post National Memorial, Buffalo National River, Fort Smith National Historic Site, Hot Springs National Park, Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site, Pea Ridge National Military Park, President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home National Historic Site and Trail of Tears National Historic Trail, according to a news release from the National Park Service.

On Saturday, Hill and his crew walked a 6-mile trail in the Flatside Wilderness Area of the Ouachita National Forest, ending on a mountain just below the Flatside Pinnacle, with views of the rolling and greening bluffs of western Arkansas.

The group of 15 people trekked up and down for more than four hours. The dead leaves and broken branches from the past winter crunched beneath their feet, but the weather was warm, the sun shined, the creek flowed below and the view of the bluffs above was unblocked by the still mostly bare trees.

They had the trail almost to themselves on the warm, sunny Saturday, except for a group of Ole Miss students backpacking during their spring break.

Hill said places like the Flatside Wilderness Area, Lake Sylvia and other spots in the Ouachita National Forest -- just a little more than a half hour west of the heavily trafficked Pinnacle Mountain State Park -- too often get ignored by hikers.

After seeing the National Park Service propose the 100-Mile Challenge, asking people to hike 100 miles this year, Hill -- a lifelong hiker -- decided he'd do it and stop at some of his favorite places along the way, such as the Flatside Wilderness Area, celebrating the blessings of the Natural State.

"It wasn't a hard sell to me," he said.

Nor was it a hard sell to state Rep. Rick Beck, R-Center Ridge, whose district is near the Flatside Wilderness Area. Beck has been a Boy Scout leader and has taken scouts hiking and camping in Arkansas and other states.

He recalls one time he took scouts to Petit Jean State Park, just north of the Ouachita National Forest. One scout looked upon the bluffs in the area, pointed and asked, "When did they put these here?"

Beck said appreciating nature and protecting it is important.

"We need our national forests and state parks," Beck said. "If we don't protect our forests, they'll be cut down, and there's a host of environmental issues with that."

Among the hikers was Roy Burton, whom Hill invited after Burton approached him about his National Backpackers Day group. Burton carried 35 pounds on his back Saturday in training for a weeklong backpacking trip he's taking this summer in the Grand Canyon.

Some of Burton's favorite spots are in the national parks and forest areas. His two favorite trails are the North Sylamore Creek trail in the Ozark National Forest and the Horseshoe Bend trail at the Buffalo National River.

He loves to hike for many reasons, he said, noting that it's a healthy hobby.

"And it's free," he said.

Going into Saturday, Hill had already hiked seven miles of the Ouachita Trail near Pinnacle Mountain State Park and five miles of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park in Washington, D.C. After Saturday's hike, he planned to paddle a few miles of the Buffalo National River.

"I just love the outdoors," he said.

Metro on 03/27/2016