How can you help?

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.

FoOT also needs financial support. Contributions in any amount are appreciated. Please make checks payable to "Friends of the Ouachita Trail" and send them to:

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

Membership in FoOT

Membership in FoOT is offered to those who contribute their time to perform trail maintenance, other work such as fund raising or clerical work or their financial support.

Membership categories include the following:

WORKING MEMBER/ORGANIZATION: Adopts a trail section for maintenance OR works at least ten (10) hours on FoOT activities.
SUPPORTING MEMBER: Does not work or works less than ten (10) hours on FoOT activities AND pays a membership fee of at least $25.00.
SUSTAINING MEMBER: Adopts a trail section or works at least ten (10) hours on FoOT activities AND pays a membership fee of at least $15.00
SUPPORTING ORGANIZATION: Does not work or works less than ten (10) hours on FoOT activities AND pays a membership fee of at least $50.00.
SUSTAINING ORGANIZATION: Adopts a trail section or works at least ten (10) hours on FoOT activities AND pays a membership fee of at least $30.00

Adopt a Section of Trail

The sections below 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 when naming a section you'd like to adopt.

Section	Mile XX to XX	Mileage	Description
1	8.0 to 13.4	5.4	Deadman's Gap TH to Cedar Branch
1	13.4 to 18.7	5.3	Cedar Branch to Horsethief Trail
1	18.7 to 19.9	1.2	Horsethief Trail to Horsethief Springs
2	39.2 to 44.0	4.8	Kiamichi River Access to Mile 44
5	98.0 to 101.0	3.0	Mile 98 to FR 274W

Remember: larger sections can be divided into smaller pieces or adopted by a group, club, or team of family and/or friends.

Groups have adopted the sections below and are looking for additional folks to join their teams. This might be a great way to get involved with maintenance without taking-on a section by yourself!

Section	Mile XX to XX	Mileage	Description	Adopter
7	143.2 to 147.8	4.6	Blue Mtn. shelter to FR 107 (west access)	Jack Newman
7	147.8 to 150.8	3.0	FR 107 (west) to Big Bear Shelter (included)	Newman/Glazer Team

For all adoption questions, please contact our VP of Recruitment, Loretta Melancon. After you sign up you will receive your "adoption papers" and Trail Maintenance Guide.

Come Join a Work Party

Dreaded FoOT Patrol member using chainsaw on the Ouachita Trail

If you would like to help with trail maintenance, but really don't want the responsibility of adopting your own section of the Ouachita Trail, you can come to any maintenance outing as a guest volunteer or you can join the "Dreaded FoOT Patrol" and receive regular email messages about upcoming maintenance projects thus becoming a Working or Sustaining Member of FoOT with all the benefits.

Why "Dreaded"? It started out as a joke and just stuck. In addition to helping adoptive volunteers with large projects, the DFP (as we are affectionately called) often does the "dreaded" trail inspections to keep us all current on trail conditions.

All kidding aside, we are just a group of volunteers who assist the trail adopters and do special projects on the Ouachita Trail PLUS we have fun while doing so. To become a member of the Dreaded FoOT Patrol team, contact: Kris McMillen.

Check out the awesome outings we have planned! Please contact the coordinator for more information on each outing. Also be aware that we have to flex with the weather and other factors, so contact the coordinator to confirm dates.

Date	Description	Contact
This Spring	NEEDED: Volunteers to lead work party outings.	Kris McMillen