March 2019 – FoOT presented new Eagle Scout Nolan McKee an award in recognition of his Eagle Scout Project of upgrading the Oak Mountain Shelter on the OT. With Nolan are Bo Lea, FoOT president, and Jerry Vaccaro, FoOT member and lead carpenter for the project.

Below are listed several ways you can participate in the maintenance and further development of the Ouachita National Recreational Trail and the Womble Trail. In addition, there are two special ways you can help:

Donate Your Time

Friends of the Ouachita Trail (FoOT) is an all-volunteer force. The most important thing you can do is dedicate your time to help accomplish our mission. Volunteers can either adopt a section of trail or join periodic work parties. Information on both is listed below.

Provide Financial Support

FoOT also needs financial support. Contributions in any amount are appreciated. You may donate online by clicking on the link below. If you prefer to send a check, please make your check payable to “Friends of the Ouachita Trail” and send it to the following address:

Friends of the Ouachita Trail
PO Box 8630
Hot Springs, AR 71910

Click the Donate link to donate to FoOT using PayPal or a credit card.

Join FoOT

Membership in FoOT is offered to those who contribute to the improvement of the Ouachita Trail or the Womble trail in one of the following ways:

1. Providing and reporting volunteer hours in areas such as:

ADOPTING a section of trail
Participating in SPECIAL trail maintenance needs {Assistance to Adopters with their adopted sections, or trail projects {shelters, bridges, tread needs,etc.}
Participating with an ORGANIZATION that maintains membership in FoOT
Serving as a member of the MANAGEMENT TEAM (Board Member, Officer, District Captain, Chairperson, Board Consultant)
Participating in fundraising EVENTS (e.g. Annual Fall Maintenance Event)

2. Making a financial contribution to FoOT in such categories as:

Paying annual membership DUES [$25.00]
Making a minimum contribution to the Trail Adoption Investment Plan [$300]
Making (or having made in the past) a financial commitment to the FoOT Legacy Foundation
Donating funds to support a special project [greater than $25.00]
Making a GIFT donation [greater than $25.00]

**To become a FoOT member, look under the Forms tab above for the Online Membership Form or the Paper Membership Form and follow the instructions provided there.**

Adopt a Section of Trail

If you are interested in helping FoOT maintain the OT, consider adopting a section of the trail! Sections marked as ‘Not Adopted’ on the Trail Conditions Report are available for adoption now. Other sections can be “split-off” from a currently adopted section and our members are sometimes agreeable to “swap” a section they had previously adopted, so if you know a section you’d like to adopt and maintain, even if it is not listed below, please contact us about it. Whenever possible, please refer to mileages as noted in Tim Ernst’s Ouachita Trail Guide or the Trail Condition Report when naming a section you’d like to adopt.

Remember: larger sections can be divided into smaller pieces or adopted by a group, club, or team of family and/or friends. To adopt a section of the OT, or for answers to trail adoption questions, please click the link below to begin the process of adopting a trail segment. After you complete the process you will receive your “adoption papers” and Trail Maintenance Guide.