Tim Ernst
Arkansas Coordinator - Pathfinder
Fayetteville, Arkansas


photo by Susan "Butch" Henley


Marking the trail, somewhere in Arkansas
The Arkansas Route
(photo by Tim Geoghegan)


May 13, 1981 -- Washington, D.C.
(photo & text from Tim Ernst's journal)
We were getting ready to hike down Pennslyvania Avenue to the steps of the Capitol, and then on to the Washington Monument after backpacking across the country. A photo that was taken later the day of me wearing this shirt - with a pair of arms and hands hugging me and above/below the graphic - was published in hundreds of newspapers all over the country (that photo that I do not have a copy of was taken by an Associated Press photographer).


Tim Ernst.com


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Why this lesser-known trail in northern Arkansas
should be your next thru-hike - July 21, 2021.
trans-ozark
Ozark Highlander Trail:
Backpacker online article   and in   PDF format
Now you can hike from Lake Fort Smith State Park
almost to St. Louis on the Trans-Ozark Trail - January 10, 2022.
trans-ozark
Trans-Ozark Trail:
Arkansas online article   and in   PDF format


These Arkansans labor (and laugh) over Ozark Highlands Trail
so other hikers donŐt have to


by Bob Robinson - November 14, 2022
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette article

(photo caption)
Dalene Ketcher (left), Isaiah Cooper, Dan Griese and Peter Cooper repair an eroded bench cut during the Ozark Highlands Trail Association maintenance campout based at Redding Campground on the Mulberry River - Oct. 21-23, 2022.
(Special to the Democrat-Gazette/Bob Robinson)

Arkansas wilderness photographer Tim Ernst
to retire his artful presentations


by Jerry Butler - November 21, 2022
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette article   and in   PDF format

(photo caption)
Highbush huckleberry (aka farkleberry) in the Ozark National Forest, from Tim Ernst's "Arkansas Greatest Hits." (Special to the Democrat-Gazette/Tim Ernst)



 
Gregory Blacksmith Shop, Arkansas
Photo courtesy of Tim Ernst
Tim Ernst Photography of Arkansas and other wild places
Facebook post - Monday - November 13, 2023

Here's a little switch away from brilliant fall color - a photo I took a couple of weeks ago at the historic Gregory Blacksmith Shop that's seen better times. I believe it still has a great deal of character and charm. It's located in Johnson County, Arkansas at the edge of the Ozark National Forest (though the buildings there are all private property so no trespassing off the road).

My first visit to this spot was back in 1980 with a group of hikers that were backpacking across the United States (HikaNation - started at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, ended at Cape Henlopen State Park in Delaware 13 months later). The Ozark Highlands Trail had not been built yet through this area and so I led the group along this old forest road from our overnight camp at Highway 23 at Cherry Bend on over and down to Wolf Pen Campground where we sent the night. It was a bit of genuine Arkansas they all got to experience along the way, and I'm glad to see the old place remains standing.


William Ewart commented:
Thanks for the flashback memory Tim!!!
Arkansas was a great place to hike during
HikaNation -- http://hikanation.com/arkansas/index.html

12/01/80 -- Monday
14 miles hiked on Day 9 in Arkansas
to Old Cherry Bend Recreational Area - Hwy 23
(Monday night campsite)

12/02/80 -- Tuesday
14 miles hiked on Day 10 in Arkansas
to Kilgore Gap
(Tuesday night campsite)

12/03/80 -- Wednesday
10 miles hiked on Day 11 in Arkansas
to Wolf Pen Campground, near Oark
(Wednesday night campsite)

12/04/80 -- Thursday
0 miles hiked on Day 12 in Arkansas
REST DAY at Wolf Pen Campground, near Oark

12/05/80 -- Friday
Hiking by the Oark General Store
on Day 13 in Arkansas
December 5, 1980


Tim Ernst Photography of Arkansas and other wild places responded:
Hey William, I had forgot about the Kilgore Gap camp - makes more sense than to have done all of that in one day - THANKS for the history!


Paula Klice commented:
My introduction to HikaNation was in Arkansas. Such a great time in the Ozark Mountains and Tim was an excellent ambassador for the state. He gave each woman a rose as he welcomed them on the red carpet into the state. I will always remember Billy Joe Tatum's Wild Food fest welcoming us for Christmas season. The stars at night were spectacularly vibrant.
Monday - November 13, 2023 - This brand new photo has been added as our PRINT OF THE DAY special - it's available as an 11x14 print ($44.95), or as an 11x14 print with a 16x20 black mat ($69.95), both at these SPECIAL PRICES that are available for the next several days. See our web page for info and to order here - http://timernst.com/printoftheweek.html (or itŐs cheaper to purchase and pickup at our gallery this Saturday).

*You can also order larger prints of this scene at the link above. AND there may be a larger canvas print of this (40Óx30") in stock at our Canvas Gallery if I get it done in time. I just LOVE the sepia tone and feel of this photograph.

Looking for my picture books or guidebooks? SHOP LOCAL FIRST. But if you need to order online please do so direct from our distribution partner - the University of Arkansas Press here - https://www.uapress.com/product-category/ernst/

Find our books in Newton County at Bubba's Buffalo River Store and the Christian Bookstore - both on the Jasper square, Cliff House Restaurant south of Jasper on Hwy. 7, and the Ponca Elk Education Center in Ponca, and other locations in the greater Newton/Searcy/Boone county metroplex.

***Our canvas gallery will be OPEN for walk-ins this coming SATURDAY - 11/18/23, 9-3 -
and is open at other times by appointment. Check our gallery page for more info and directions - http://timernst.com/canvasgallery.html

You can also find a selection of my popular Black Mat Prints at the Buffalo River Art Gallery in GILBERT on the Buffalo National River (open 10-3 Thursday-Sunday) - https://www.facebook.com/buffaloriverartgallery/ (including a bunch of brand new photos we just delivered to them a few days ago)

THANK YOU for respecting ALL private property around our national forests and parks...