Wolf Pen Gap Trail Complex
Wolf Pen Gap ATV Trail was the first designated ATV trail system built in the Ouachita National Forest, opened in the 1980s and managed by the Mena-Oden Ranger District in Polk County, Arkansas, approximately 5 miles north of Mena near the Arkansas-Oklahoma state line. The system offers 41 miles of looping routes through quintessential Ouachita Mountain terrain: sandstone ridges, hardwood-pine forest, and creek drainages that have shaped the character of this range since the Arkansas River carved its valley to the south. Trails are designed to accommodate a wide range of age and ability levels, with connector loops allowing riders to customize trip length from short family outings to full-day explorations. Surfaces alternate between hard-pack dirt and gravel forest road with seasonal mud sections in low-lying areas. ATVs, UTVs, and motorcycles are all permitted; width restrictions apply on some narrower loops. Trails close temporarily after heavy rain to prevent erosion on the sensitive Ouachita sandstone soils, trail closure notices are posted at trailheads. A National Forest OHV permit is required. Primitive camping is available at the trailhead and at dispersed sites in the surrounding national forest. The Mena-Oden Ranger District office in Mena (479-394-2382) handles current conditions.