White Rock Mountain via Shores Lake Loop in Ozark National Forest, AR

Hike White Rock Mountain via Shores Lake Loop Ozark National Forest, AR

Class 1 13.5 miles 2700 gain 5-7 hrs Loop Aug 7, 2017
Effort
Beauty
Personality
Solitude

White Rock Mountain via Shores Lake Loop GPX Track

I need to offset my substantial website costs somehow! You can download a hike/drive GPX to assist you here. Before sharing my GPX tracks with others, please remember my site is otherwise a free resource.

I learned of this beautiful loop last year just after leaving the Ozarks, so it's been on my to-do list and beckoning me back to the area. On a map, it just seemed like it had a lot of everything I love about hiking in the Ozarks, so I was pretty excited to make it my finale hike for 2017 southeast hiking.

Google Maps doesn't take you exactly to the trailhead (coordinates for trailhead above), but it's easy to get there. Navigate to the coordinates above which take you to the Shore Lakes Campground. From the entrance, follow signs to the trailhead to the north, within the campground. After parking at the Shores Lake parking area (accessed from within the campground), I followed the West Loop of the Shores Lake Loop, which skirted the side of a pretty ridge, with nice views of the forest before joining with the bright blue clear waters of White Rock Creek. The colors were totally unexpected, and I don't know if the creek is always this gorgeous, but I spent a bit of time staring at it as the trail winded along the ridge above the creek before it led me to a beautiful waterfall that required a dip. The trail then ascended rapidly up to the summit of White Rock Mountain on a fairly well-maintained trail. Shortly after meeting with the Ozark Highlands Trail, a side trail leads to the summit of White Rock Mountain where there is a stunning overlook into the Ozark National Forest, including a look down onto the ridge which I had come up. There was also a "lodge" at the summit for OHT through hikers, and since the door was open, I let myself in and filled up water before continuing back to where I left the OHT along my intended loop.

The fun sort of stopped here: after a full day of no ticks and beautiful, changing scenery, the trail got more narrow and didn't have much to offer. Just lots of trees, and eventually, three tick nymph bombs. Three. Fortunately, I had tape and could remove most of the little demon spawn, but it definitely was a stressful experience. They clearly could (and would) strike at any time. The trail felt like it took forever back down, and it completely missed a potentially wonderful opportunity to follow the Salt Fork Creek, which it paralleled just far enough away that it was out of sight and mostly out of earshot. As soon as I got back to the trailhead, covered up to my waist in tick babies and numerous adult ticks (they really are terrible this year), I threw out all my clothes into a garbage dumpster, which housed a live and terrified raccoon that obviously scared the crap out of me. I found a forest service volunteer who said he'd deal with it, and then showed me a video of a bear that was feet from my car earlier that day. I went to wash off in a river and was bitten by four horseflies. And then I got the itch of poison ivy all over my legs. Time to leave the east for a while.

PEAKS ON HIKE
Elevation (ft) / Prominence (ft)
Peaks on hike
Elevation
Prominence
1
White Rock Mountain
2320 ft
120 rise

Hire me or show me some love!

Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I'm not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!

I went left (west loop) first, definitely the more interesting part of the hike. The east loop, as you will see later, is like wtf.
I went left (west loop) first, definitely the more interesting part of the hike. The east loop, as you will see later, is like wtf.
Really pretty trail along an big slope.
Really pretty trail along an big slope.
Image 2 from gallery
Gorgeous stream crossing with blue water.
Gorgeous stream crossing with blue water.
Image 4 from gallery
The trail then parallels White Rock Creek for a while.
The trail then parallels White Rock Creek for a while.
You go high above the creek, with nice views looking down on its blue water.
You go high above the creek, with nice views looking down on its blue water.
Image 7 from gallery
Image 8 from gallery
Image 9 from gallery
Approaching a waterfall.
Approaching a waterfall.
A nice cool off spot.
A nice cool off spot.
Continuing along White Rock Creek a bit longer.
Continuing along White Rock Creek a bit longer.
The trail begins to ascend up White Rock Mountain.
The trail begins to ascend up White Rock Mountain.
Image 14 from gallery
Pretty views along the way.
Pretty views along the way.
Image 16 from gallery
Image 17 from gallery
Cross a forest road.
Cross a forest road.
Image 19 from gallery
Join with the Ozark Highlands Trail briefly.
Join with the Ozark Highlands Trail briefly.
Image 21 from gallery
Image 22 from gallery
I took a short detour to get to the summit of White Rock Mountain, an obvious marked trail.
I took a short detour to get to the summit of White Rock Mountain, an obvious marked trail.
Image 24 from gallery
Image 25 from gallery
White Rock Mountain Trailhead.
White Rock Mountain Trailhead.
At the "scenic view overlook".
At the "scenic view overlook".
View looking southwest.
View looking southwest.
View looking northwest.
View looking northwest.
Image 30 from gallery
Image 31 from gallery
It's definitely pretty in parts, but I was covered in tick nymphs by the end of it, so that maybe constituted my foul mood?
It's definitely pretty in parts, but I was covered in tick nymphs by the end of it, so that maybe constituted my foul mood?
Image 33 from gallery
Overall fairly uneventful, though.
Overall fairly uneventful, though.
Crossing the White Rock Mountain dirt road.
Crossing the White Rock Mountain dirt road.
Image 36 from gallery
Image 37 from gallery
Image 38 from gallery
Image 39 from gallery
The trail starts to parallel Salt Fork Creek, but stays far away from it, even far enough that you can't hear it. Why? Why not make the trail interesting and go close. It was kind of a slog for a while.
The trail starts to parallel Salt Fork Creek, but stays far away from it, even far enough that you can't hear it. Why? Why not make the trail interesting and go close. It was kind of a slog for a while.
There. Salt Fork Creek through the trees, seen only for short time. Anyway, eventually the trail meets back up at the Shores Lake trailhead.
There. Salt Fork Creek through the trees, seen only for short time. Anyway, eventually the trail meets back up at the Shores Lake trailhead.

Hire me or show me some love!

Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I’m not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!