Trace State Park: Nester Trail (Blog Hike #951)

Trail: Nester Trail
Hike Location: Trace State Park
Geographic Location: west of Tupelo, MS (34.26021, -88.88655)
Length: 4.7 miles
Difficulty: 4/10 (Moderate)
Dates Hiked: April 2023
Overview: A semiloop on the east side of Old Natchez Trace Lake.
Park Information: https://www.mdwfp.com/parks-destinations/state-parks/trace/
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=935531
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: From the intersection of Gloster Street and Main Street in downtown Tupelo, take Main St. west 10 miles to Faulkner Road and turn right on Faulkner Rd.  Drive Faulkner Rd. north 2.1 miles to the state park entrance.  Pay the entrance fee, and park in the parking lot to the left (south) of the entrance station.

The hike: Located in northeast Mississippi less than 10 miles off of I-22, Trace State Park protects many acres of succession forest around its namesake Trace Lake.  Both the park and the lake are named for the historic Natchez Trace, which runs north-south about 7 miles east of here.  Yet the Trace is not this park's only claim to history: Davy Crockett lived on this property for a short time in the 1830's when he worked as a horse trader with the Chickasaw.

            The park has some nice amenities that include aquatic recreation on Trace Lake, one of the best disc golf courses in Mississippi, a 76-site developed campground, 5 cabins, 3 cottages, and more than 35 miles of trails.  Although most of the trails were built by mountain bikers for mountain bikers, they are also open to hikers, and they see sufficiently little traffic that encountering other users of any type is rare.  I chose to hike the Nester Trail described here because it is one of this park's few trails to have a dedicated parking lot.  Thus, the trail is easy to find, and it offers a nice woodland journey with occasional views of Trace Lake.

Nester Trail trailhead

            A small brown metal sign marks the start of the Nester Trail, which immediately heads into the woods.  As I mentioned in the introduction, this trail was designed by mountain bikers for mountain bikers, so it has more twists and turns than usual for a hiking trail.  Although it is not immediately obvious, you are heading clockwise around the Nester Trail's loop.  The trail on the ground can be faint, but there are enough trail markers to keep you on track.  The relatively young forest here is dominated by oak, hickory, and sweet gum trees with a few pines mixed in.

1 mile marker

            Just past 0.5 miles, the park entrance road comes in sight through the trees to the left.  Blue diamond mileage markers appear at 0.5 mile intervals.  You cross several minor ups and downs, but the trail is designed to keep grades gradual enough to ride a bike comfortably.  Moreover, the overall terrain here is pretty flat.  I encountered only 1 other user (a hiker) during my hike here.

Red cedar thicket

            At 1.5 miles, you cross a gated dirt road.  Next you pass through a dense red cedar forest before treading around a sunny meadow area.  After more winding through the woods, you reach the east end of the dam that forms Trace Lake at 2.4 miles.  You can walk out on the dam to get a good lake view if you wish, but there is a better lake view from the trail coming up in another 0.5 miles.

Dam that forms Trace Lake

            Now on the west arm of the loop, the trail winds its way north with Trace Lake visible through the trees to the left.  2.9 miles into the hike, you pass through a sunny meadow area that provides the aforementioned nice lake view.  The trail continues to wind its way north passing through ravine after ravine and topping ridge after ridge, each one looking similar to the previous one.  Wooden bridges get you over most of the creeks in these ravines.

View across Trace Lake

            Near 4 miles, you pass through another red cedar thicket.  One final hill and a couple of final turns deposit you on the shoulder of the park road at 4.6 miles.  Turn right and walk a short distance along the road to return to the parking lot and complete the hike.

Lake Dardanelle State Park: Meadowbrook Trail (Blog Hike #950)

Trail: Meadowbrook Trail
Hike Location: Lake Dardanelle State Park
Geographic Location: west side of Russellville, AR (35.28450, -93.20275)
Length: 1 mile
Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: April 2023
Overview: A short flat campground loop through young forest.
Park Information: https://www.arkansasstateparks.com/parks/lake-dardanelle-state-park
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=935473
Photo Highlight:

Short Video: (coming date TBD)

Directions to the trailhead: In western Arkansas, take I-40 to US 64 (exit 78).  Exit and go east on US 64.  Drive US 64 east 1.8 miles to SR 326 and turn right on SR 326.  Drive SR 326 south 2.9 miles to the state park entrance on the right.  Turn right to enter the park, then turn right at the first intersection.  Park in the long parking spaces on the right next to the red and blue sign for the Meadowbrook Trail.

The hike: Occupying 40,000 acres in western Arkansas, Lake Dardanelle is one of the largest reservoirs on the Arkansas River.  Dardanelle Dam was built by the Army Corps of Engineers (COE) between 1957 and 1969, and it includes navigable locks and a power plant.  The dam and lake are part of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System, which ensures the river is navigable by barges all of the way from the Mississippi River up to the Tulsa Port of Catoosa in northeastern Oklahoma.

            Located on the lake's north/east shore is Lake Dardanelle State Park, which dates to 1966.  The park is popular due to fishing and boating on Lake Dardanelle, its 74-site developed campground, and large Visitor Center with aquariums.  For hikers, the park offers only one trail, the short campground nature trail described here.  While not a destination hike, this trail makes for a nice easy leg-stretcher hike while you are driving I-40 across western Arkansas, and I was glad I stopped here.

Southern trailhead

            Marked with round aluminum markers, the Meadowbrook Trail is laid out as a loop with spur trails to the north and south.  This description starts on the southern spur where a blue and red sign marks the trailhead.  Heading north, the trail immediately heads into the woods, which is younger forest dominated by sweet gum and red cedars.  In less than 500 feet, the trail splits to form its loop.  For no particular reason, I turned right to start heading around the loop counterclockwise.

Trail bridge over stream

            Traffic noise from SR 326 enters your ears from the right as you continue to head north.  Ignore some spur trails that exit left.  When I hiked here on a Saturday afternoon in late April, it had rained hard the night before.  Water in this very flat forest has nowhere to drain, so I had to step around quite a few muddy areas with standing water.  Fortunately, wooden bridges get you over the worst of the wet areas.

Overlook platform

            At 0.4 miles, you reach the north end of the loop.  We will eventually take the trail going sharply left to get back to the south trailhead, but first turn right to head up the north spur, which leads to 2 points of interest.  In a very short distance, you reach a wooden overlook platform.  This platform is quite boring: it overlooks nothing but some forest with a few birdhouses.  Continuing north brings you to the campground amphitheater at 0.5 miles.  This amphitheater sits in a nice grove of large pine trees, and it makes a nice place to rest and have a trail snack at the midpoint of this hike.

Campground amphitheater

Large oak tree

            The amphitheater marks the northern terminus of the Meadowbrook Trail, so now you need to head back south.  For a little variety, where the trail splits to form its loop, turn right and hike the loop's western arm for your return journey.  This side of the loop features some large old oak trees known as wolf trees.  Wolf trees have branches close to the ground, indicating they once grew in a sunny area.  At the close of the loop, angle right to return to the south trailhead and complete the hike.  While you are here, be sure to check out the park's Visitor Center, which features some interesting aquariums and some scenic views across Lake Dardanelle from its rear entrance.