>> IT JUTS OUT LIKE THE SPHINX HERE IN THE WAWCH AT THAT NATIONAL FOREST ABOUT 45 MILES OR SO DUE WEST OF LITTLE ROSHING, FORKED MOUNTAIN WITH ITS TWIN PEAKS, AND ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW, WE'LL TAKE YOU ON UP TO THE SUMMIT.

WE'LL ALSO EXPLORE WAPANOCCA AND DO A LITTLE MOUNTAIN BIKING AT DEVIL BEND'S STATE PARK, THEN CLOSE IT OUT BY HIKING ALONG THE NORTH SYLAMORE CREEK TRAIL.

NOW LET'S HEAD ON UP THE MOUNTAIN.

IT IS ONE OF THE MORE INTRIGUING MOUNTAINS IN ARKANSAS, FORKED MOUNTAIN, LOCATED IN THE OUACHITA NATIONAL FOREST, TAKE FOREST ROAD 86 FOR FOUR MILES, THEN TURN RIGHT ONTO THE ROAD THAT GOES UP TO THE BASE OF THE MOUNTAIN.

JOINING US FOR THE CLIMB ARE JEFF PICKETT AND EDDIE CULPEPPER OF HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE, WHO ARE FREQUENT CLIMBERS OF THIS MOUNTAIN.

THERE ARE A COUPLE OF ROUTES YOU CAN TAKE UP FORKED MOUNTAIN.

PROBABLY THE EASIEST IS THE FOREST ROUTE WHICH GOES OFF TO THE LEFT.

THERE THERE'S THE BOLDER ROUTE THAT GOES OFF TO THE RIGHT.

IF YOU'RE REALLY LACKING SENSE AND WANT A CHALLENGE, THEN TAKE THE MIDDLE ROUTE AND GO STRAIGHT UP, LIKE WE WOUND UP DOING.

NOW, IF YOU MAKE THIS TREK YOURSELF, DON'T WORRY, YOU DON'T HAVE TO SCALE THIS ROCK WALL.

YOU JUST KIND OF VEER OFF HERE TO THE RIGHT AND FOLLOW THE BOULDERS UP TOWARDS THE SUMMIT.

NOW, AT THIS POINT YOU HAVE AN OPTION.

YOU CAN GO THROUGH WHAT IS CALLED THE CHIMNEY, KIND OF A LITTLE SHORTCUT, AND THEN KIND OF -- YOU CAN GO AROUND IT.

WHICHEVER WAY YOU WANT TO DO IT.

OFTEN GO THROUGH THE CHIMNEY AREA.

THIS ROUTE IS EXTREMELY STEEP AND VERY STRENUOUS, AND YOU MAY NOT WANT TO TAKE IT BECAUSE OF SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

INDIVIDUALOGRAPHER JEFFREY JAMES ALSO ENCOUNTERED A TAD BIT OF DIFFICULTY.

FINALLY, AFTER ABOUT TWO HOURS, WE REACHED THE LOWER FORK SUMMIT.

>> THE FIRST TIME I HAD MY SCOUTS CLIMB, WE CLIMBED I GUESS YOU WOULD SAY THE NORTH SLOPE, WHICH IS A MORE GRADUAL SLOPE, AND THEN AS THE BOYS GOT A LITTLE BIGGER AND WANTED A LITTLE BIT MORE CHALLENGE, WE TRIED DIFFERENT AREAS OF CLIMBING.

THE ROCK FALL AREA BELOW US HERE, KIND OF IN THE GAP BETWEEN THE TWO PEAKS, IS PROBABLY THE EASIEST WAY TO CLIMB BECAUSE THERE'S BOULDERS AND IT'S FAIRLY EASY TO CLIMB OVER THE BOULDERS AND JUST KIND OF WORK YOUR WAY UP SLOWLY.

THEN THERE'S THE WAY WE CAME UP TODAY, WHICH IS A LITTLE MORE STRENUOUS, GO THROUGH THE CHIMNEY, BUT IT'S THE QUICKEST WAY, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE WANTING TO GET ON UP HERE IN A FAIRLY QUICK HURRY.

YOU KNOW, YOU CAN JUST KIND OF PICK YOUR OWN ROUTE, THOUGH.

IT'S ONE OF THOSE KIND OF MOUNTAINS.

>> WELL, THE FIRST TIME I COME UP HERE, EDDIE BROUGHT ME UP HERE.

I MOVED BACK TO ARKANSAS ABOUT 2001, AND I'D SEEN THIS MOUNTAIN COMING DOWN HIGHWAY 7.

YOU CAN SEE IT WHEN YOU COME DOWN ROCKY CROSSING UP THERE.

AND I'D SEEN IT SITTING OUT HERE, AND IT WAS AN ODD-SHAPED MOUNTAIN.

YOU KNOW, SITTING OUT HERE ON FLAT SIDE WILDERNESS.

SO WE COME UP HERE I GUESS ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO AND HIKED UP TO IT, AND I LIKE IT.

IT'S UNIQUE.

IT'S A UNIQUE PLACE TO COME TO.

IT'S -- LIKE EDDIE SAID, IT JUST KIND OF SPRINGS UP OUT OF THIS FLAT LAND AROUND HERE.

IT'S SITTING IN THE SOUTH BUSH RIVER VALLEY, AND IT'S REALLY PROMINENT OUT HERE.

YOU SEEN IT WHEN YOU DROVE IN.

YOU COME AROUND THE CORNER, AND HERE IT IS.

AND IT'S PRETTY EASY TO CLIMB IF YOU DON'T COME UP WITH THE WAY WE COME UP.

THERE'S OTHER WAYS TO COME UP, BUT IT'S A GOOD PLACE TO COME TO.

YOU CAN GET UP HERE, AND THERE'S A LOT OF SOLITUDE.

YOU DON'T SEE MANY PEOPLE ON THIS MOUNTAIN UP HERE.

EVERY TIME I'VE COME UP HERE, I DON'T THINK WE'VE SEEN ANYBODY.

AND IT'S PRETTY CLOSE TO MOST OF THE MEANT AREAS IN ARKANSAS, SO IT'S NOT FAR TO DRIVE HERE.

>> ONLY 35 MILES FROM LITTLE ROCK, I THINK, SOMEWHERE AROUND THERE.

>> 35, 40 MILES, SO YOU'RE REALLY NOT THAT FAR TO GET DOWN HERE.

YOU CAN SPEND THE DAY DOWN HERE.

THERE'S A COUPLE OTHER SPOTS YOU CAN GO TO HERE.

YOU CAN GO DOWN TO CEDAR CREEK.

THERE'S A NICE WATERFALL THERE.

THERE'S ANOTHER PLACE, I CALL IT BARE CAVE, OTHER PEOPLE CALL IT DIFFERENT THINGS.

THERE'S A NICE OVERHANG THERE, GOT A NICE CAMPGROUND THERE, YOU CAN CAMP.

IT'S JUST A NICE DAY TRIP.

>> SCENERY?

WELL, THERE'S NO WORDS TO DESCRIBE IT.

>> THERE'S REALLY NOT.

WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT IT, I THINK, THAT IT'S STANDING BY ITSELF OUT HERE THAT YOU CAN SEE FOREVER IT SEEMS LIKE.

YOU CAN SEA OUT TO THE WEST, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT WAY ON A CLEAR DAY ALMOST TO LITTLE ROCK.

I MEAN, YOU CAN -- IT'S A NEAT PLACE TO COME TO.

THE OTHER THING YOU CAN DO HERE IS WE'RE NOT FAR, IF YOU LOOK OVER TO MY RIGHT, THAT'S WINONA CITY DRIVE.

IT'S A NICE CITY DRIVE TO DRIVE TO.

WE ARE AT ABOUT 138 0 FEET, BUT IT GOES 1380 FEET PROBABLY FROM 400 OR 500, SO YOU GO UP THIS PRETTY SEVERE CLIMB TO COME UP HERE.

>> YEAH, NO JOKE.

>> I'M NOT A GEOLOGIST, BUT IT'S ALWAYS UNIQUE TO ME THAT IT SITS OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL THESE OUACHITA MOUNTAINS SURROUNDING IT, AND IT'S REALLY A PROMINENT POINT OUT THERE.

YOU CAN'T HELP BUT SEE IT.

AND IT'S JUST, LIKE YOU SAY, YOU ARE DRIVING UP THE ROAD, TURN THE CORNER, AND THERE IT IS.

IT'S JUST AWE-INSPIRING AT TIMES.

>> OF COURSE, THE NAME, FORKED MOUNTAIN, BECAUSE IT'S KIND OF TWO PEAKS, TWO POINTS.

WE'RE STANDING HERE ON THE LOWER ONE, AND BEHIND YOU OVER THERE IS THE PEAK ITSELF; RIGHT?

>> AND OF COURSE, THE LOCALS CALLED IT FORK--ED MOUNTAIN.

I KNOW IT'S NOT PROPER ENGLISH AS MY ENGLISH TEACHER WOULD SAY, BUT THAT'S WHAT THE NATIVES CALL IT, FORK-ED MOUNTAIN.

THERE'S A LEGEND, AND I THINK YOU'VE GOT A COPY OF THE LEGEND.

IT'S KIND MUCH AN INTERESTING STORY.

IT'S A UNIQUE PEAK.

IT REALLY IS.

>> AND SO WE LEAVE YOU WITH A FORKED MOUNTAIN LEGEND.

A QUAPAW INDIAN MAIDEN FROM THE SOUTH AND AN OSAGE WARRIOR FROM THE NORTH HAD FLED TO THIS MOUNTAIN TO ESCAPE THE MAIDEN CHIEF WARRIOR.

AFTER THE CHIEF CAUGHT THEM AT THE TOP, HE CALLED ON A GREAT SPIRIT TO SPRIT THEM WITH A BOLT OF LIGHTNING, CAUSED THEM TO SPLIT IN TWO WITH THE MAIDEN SPIRIT ON ONE PEAK AND THE OSAGE SPIRIT ON THE OTHER.

AFTER TIME, ONE PEAK CAME DOWN AND THE OTHER PEAK COMBINED THE COUPLE'S SPIRITS INTO ONE.

>> BEING STRATEGICALLY LOCATED ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI FLYWAY 20 MILES NORTHWEST OF MEMPHIS, WAPANOCCA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE IS A PRIME WINTERING AREA FOR MIGRATORY WATERFOWL.

THE OBSERVATION DECK, WHICH OVERLOOKS WAPANOCCA LAKE, IS AN EXCELLENT LOCATION TO OBSERVE LARGE NUMBERS OF WILDLIFE.

ANOTHER GOOD WAY TO SEE WILDLIFE HERE IS TO GET ON THE WATER ITSELF, SUCH AS WE DID WITH REFUGE MANAGER BILL PETERSON.

>> THEY CAN FLOAT IT, THEY CAN DRIVE IT, AND THE BEST TIMES OF THE YEAR ARE, I GUESS, DECEMBER AND JANUARY.

>> THE BEST TIME OF THE YEAR IF YOU WANT TO SEE WATERFOWL, FALL AND SPRING.

WE HAVE A LOT OF MIGRATORY SONG BIRDS COMING THROUGH.

THERE'S FISHING ON THE LAKE, A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.

>> NOW, YOU HAVE A -- THERE'S A LAUNCHING RAMP THAT PEOPLE CAN, OF COURSE, HAVE THEIR OWN CANOE, THEIR OWN KAYAK, OR WHATEVER.

>> SURE.

WE HAVE TWO LOCATIONS.

WE HAVE A LARGER BOAT RAMP USUALLY USED BY LANGLEERS ALONG HIGHWAY 77 -- ANGLERS ALONG HIGHWAY 77, AND JUST RIGHT BY THE REFUGE HEADQUARTERS, CANOE AND KAYAK LAUNCH.

THAT'S THE WAY WE CAME IN.

>> AND THE DRIVING TOUR.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.

>> SURE.

DRIVING TOUR'S ABOUT THREE MILES LONG.

IT'S A ONE-WAY ROUTE.

ACCESS BEGINNING AT THE REFUGE HEADQUARTERS, AND IT'S A GREAT ROAD, SO ALL-SEASON ACCESSIBLE FOR CARS, ANY VEHICLE.

>> AND WHAT CAN FOLKS SEE ALONG THE WAY?

WHAT KIND OF -- AS FAR AS THE TERRAIN HERE AND THE WILDLIFE?

>> IT COVERS THE ENTIRE REFUGE, SO THEY'LL SEE LAKE WAP KNOWLEDGEA, CYPRESS SWAMP, HARDWOODS, SOME OF OUR REFORESTATION AREAS, AND GRASSLANDS.

IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO SEE ALL THE WILDLIFE AT WAPANOCCA.

>> I GUESS BACK IN THE 1800s, THERE'S QUITE A HISTORY, THIS USED TO BE A HUNTING CLUB HERE.

>> IT WAS.

A FAMOUS WRITER WAS A MEMBER, THEY SOLD THE PROPERTY TO THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE IN THE 1960s FOR A WILDLIFE REFUGE.

>> AND THE NAME WAPANOCCA, WHAT'S THE STORY BEHIND THAT SNEBING SPOO I BELIEVE IT'S NAMED AFTER A CHICKASAW INDIAN CHIEF.

WHEN DESOTO CAME THROUGH, HE CAMPED ON THE SHORES OF LAKE WAPANOCCA FOR SEVERAL DAYS, AND THERE WAS A LARGE NATIVE AMERICAN VILLAGE HERE.

>> NATIVE AMERICAN ARTIFACTS THAT HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED ON THE REFUGE ARE ON DISPLAY AT THE VISITORS CENTER, ALONG WITH EXAMPLES OF THE WILDLIFE THAT MAKE WAPANOCCA THEIR HOME.

THE VARIETY OF WILDLIFE THAT DOES CALL WAPANOCCA HOME IS QUITE ABUNDANT.

BEST VIEWING TIMES, OF COURSE, ARE EITHER EARLY IN THE MORNING OR LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING, WHEN WILDLIFE IS MOST ACTIVE.

SINCE THE REFUGE WAS ORIGINALLY FOUNDED FOR WATERFOWL, MALLARDS MAKE UP ABOUT 75% OF THE DUCKS USING THE REFUGE, WHICH IS WHY THE WAPANOCCA HUNTING CLUB WAS SO POPULAR BACK IN THE LATE 1800s.

SOME OF THE OTHER FEATHERED FRIENDS THAT CAN BE FOUND HERE ARE WHITE-FRONTED SNOW AND CANADA GEESE AND WOOD DUCKS.

WITH ALMOST 5500 ACRES OF DIVERSIFIED WILDLIFE HABITAT, INCLUDING OPEN WATER, CYPRESS SWAMPS, AGRICULTURAL FIELDS, HARDWOOD FOREST, FLOODED TIMBER, MUDFLATS, AND GRASS LANLDZ, ALL OF IT DOES CREATE QUITE AN ATTRACTIVE PLACE FOR BOTH WILDLIFE THAT LIVES HERE YEAR ROUND AND FOR THE WILDLIFE THAT JUST STAYS FOR A SHORT VISIT.

SO, EITHER BY CANOE OR KAYAK, CAR OR TRUCK, WAPANOCCA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE IS QUITE THE ADVENTURE IN THE HEART OF THE MISS SIPI DELTA -- MISSISSIPPI DELTA RIVER REGION.

>> WE'RE VERY ACCESSIBLE, AND A GREAT DAY TRIP, EVEN HALF-DAY TRIP.

IF PEOPLE WANT TO COME OUT AND ENJOY NATURE.

>> THIS IS KIND OF A UNIQUE ABOUT WHAT, FOUR MILES FROM THE MISSISSIPPI?

>> YES.

>> AND ALL AROUND HERE IS AGRICULTURE EXCEPT THIS OASIS.

>> IT IS.

WE'RE REALLY AN ISLAND OF NATURAL HABITAT.

GREAT LOCATION FOR THE NORTHEASTERN PART OF ARKANSAS, FOR PEOPLE TO COME OUT AND SEE THE DELTA, AS IT WAS A FEW HUNDRED YEARS AGO.

>> YOU'RE RIGHT.

THIS IS ACTUALLY WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE ALL AROUND HERE.

>> YEAH.

>> BEFORE AGRICULTURE REALLY BECAME BIG IN THIS AREA.

>> YEAH, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CHANGES, BECAUSE THE FIELDS WERE SO LOW, IT WAS DIFFICULT TO DRAIN, AND THE WATERFOWL HABITAT, WE'RE STILL IN GOOD SHAPE.

>> DEVIL'S DEN STATE PARK IN THE NORTHWESTERN PART OF THE STATE IS, OF COURSE, WELL KNOWN FOR ITS CREVASSE AREA AND DEVIL'S DEN CAVE AND ALL THE HIKING TRAILS, BUT NOT TOO MANY FOLKS MAY BE AWARE THAT THERE'S A GREAT MOUNTAIN BIKING TRAIL HERE, AND JOINING US TODAY IS ROB POTTS WITH LEWIS AND CLARK OUTFITTERS, AND WE ARE GOING TO DO IT TO IT.

SHALL WE?

DEVIL'S DEN STATE PARK IS MOSTLY KNOWN FOR ITS CAVE AND CREVASSE AREA, BUT THE FOSSIL FLATS MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAIL REALLY IS A NEAT, TUCKED-AWAY ADVENTURE SURPRISE.

>> IT'S A GREAT TRAIL.

THIS IS ACTUALLY -- WE WOULDN'T HAVE MUCH MOUNTAIN BIKING IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS IF IT WEREN'T FOR THE DEVIL'S DEN TRAIL, THE FOSSIL FLATS TRAIL, AND TIM SCOTT, WHO GOT THIS TRAIL STARTED.

20 YEARS AGO, I THINK ABOUT 20 YEARS AGO.

>> ONE OF THE FIRST IN THE STATE.

>> IT IS, AND CERTAINLY THE FIRST IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.

>> A GOOD PORTION OF THE TRAIL MEANDERS ALONG PICTURESQUE LEE CREEK.

IN FACT, YOU'LL TRAVERSE THE CREEK AT LEAST TWICE ALONG THE TRAIL.

MOUNTAIN BIKING IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS IN GENERAL DOES OFFER A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES.

>> NORTHWEST ARKANSAS HAS SOME OF THE BEST MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAILS AROUND.

I'VE MOUNTAIN BIKED SEVERAL PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, AND THEY'RE REALLY GOOD HERE.

IF YOU START IN THE SOUTH, ONE OF THE NEWEST TRAILS -- OR THE NEWEST TRAIL -- IS LAKE LINCOLN, WHICH IS JUST NORTH OF LINCOLN, ARKANSAS.

AND THEY'VE GOT ABOUT SEVEN MILES OF TRAILS OUT THERE RIGHT NOW.

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL LAKE.

AND NOW THIS, WE HAVE A MOUNTAIN BIKER COMING ACROSS HERE, THIS TRAIL IS REALLY AWESOME.

YOU'VE GOT THE CREEK, YOU'VE GOT THE OVERLOOK, JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING HERE.

>> OH, IT IS.

IT'S A GREAT TRAIL.

THERE'S -- THE ONE WE JUST DID, YOU'VE GOT THREE OPTIONS.

YOU CAN DO A THREE MACHINE MILE LOOP, WHICH IS PRETTY EASY.

YOU CAN GO A LITTLE HARDER AND DO A FOUR-MILE LOOP.

AND THEN YOU CAN MAKE IT GO UP WHAT THEY CALL RACER'S HILL, AND THAT WILL MAKE IT A FIVE-MILE LOOP, AND RACER'S HILL IS PRETTY TOUGH.

>> YEAH, THERE ARE SOME TOUGH SPOTS THAT WE RAN ACROSS, BUT THAT'S THE CHALLENGE OF IT.

YOU PROBABLY AN INTERMEDIATE TO MORE DIFFICULT?

>> YEAH, YOU WOULD RATE -- CERTAINLY THE THREE-MILE LOOP YOU COULD CALL BEGINNER TO INTERMEDIATE.

MOST OF IT IS INTERMEDIATE.

THEN RACER'S HILL, I WOULD SAY INTERMEDIATE TO MAYBE ADVANCED.

>> SO EXPLORE SOME OF THE MOST SPECTACULAR OZARK MOUNTAIN SCENERY IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS HERE AT DEVIL'S DEN STATE PARK BY WAY OF THE FOSSIL FLATS MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAIL AND ENJOY A DIFFERENT SIDE TO THIS 2500-ACRE PARK.

>> THE NORTH SILL WILL A MOTHER CREEK BACKPACKING TRAIL.

AS FAR AS BACKPACKING TRAILS GO, THIS IS A PRETTY NEAT ONE.

TOTAL LENGTH IS ABOUT 15 MILES OR SO.

WE ARE GOING TO GO EASY ON YOU, NOT GOING TO DO THE ENTIRE LENGTH, BUT WE ARE GOING TO PICK IT UP MID SECTION HERE AT THE BLANCHARD SPRINGS RECREATION AREA.

COME ALONG WITH US.

IF YOU PREFER TO START AT THE TRAILHEAD AFTER TURNING WEST HIGHWAY 14 AT ALISON, GO A HALF MILE THEN TURN RIGHT ON A GAVEL ROAD, THEN FOLLOW THE SIGNS FOR ANOTHER HALF A MILE.

IF YOU DO DECIDE TO HIKE THE ENTIRE 15 MILES AND MAKE IT AN OVERNIGHT EXCURSION, THERE ARE THREE EXCELLENT CAMPING AREAS ALONG THE ROUTE, BLANCHARD SPRINGS, GUNNER POOL, AND BARKSHED, WHICH WAS ACTUALLY AN EARLY 20th CENTURY FOREST CAMP.

BY DOING THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE TRAIL, YOU'LL BE REWARDED WITH TOWERING BLUFFS, WET-WEATHER WATERFALLS, AND TRANQUIL CREEK BOTTOMS.

FOR MOST OF THE WAY, THE TRAIL DOES MEANDER ALONG THE WATERS OF NORTH SYLAMORE CREEK.

ALONG THIS HIKE, YOU WILL ALSO PASS BY REMNANTS OF SEVERAL OLD HOMEINSTEAD.

-- HOMESTEADS.

AND THEN THERE ARE SOME RATHER UNUSUAL AND INTERESTING BOTANICAL FEATURES.

BUT IT'S THE OVERLOOKS THAT REALLY MAKE THIS HIKE WORTHWHILE, AS YOU TAKE IN ALL THE UNSPOILED BEAUTY OF THE CREEK BELOW, ALONG WITH THE OZARK HILLS AND HOLLOWS.

SO LINK UP ON THE NORTH SYLAMORE CREEK TRAIL YOURSELF, EITHER RIGHT OUTSIDE OF MOUNTAIN VIEW AT BLANCHARD SPRINGS, AT GUNNER POOL, OR AT BARKSHED, AND FOR MORE ON THIS DESTINATION PLUS MANY OF OUR OTHERS AND TO READ MY BLOG OR TO ORDER A COPY OF AN EPISODE, VISIT OUR WEBSITE, AETN.ORR/EXPLORINGARKANSAS.

AND WE'LL SEE YOU AGAIN THE NEXT TIME FOR ANOTHER EXCITING ADVENTURE ON EXPLORING ARKANSAS.