Tuesday, April 17, 2018

David's Trail: Robinson Point Toward Panther Bay -- mid-April

Getting to David's Trail at Robinson Point

From downtown Mountain Home take US-62/US-412 east for 10 miles. Turn right on Robinson Point Cutoff and then turn left onto Robinson Point Road. Follow the road for about 2 miles until you see the trailhead on your right.

From the East follow US-62/US-412 until you cross the bridge over Norfork Lake. Continue 1 mile and then turn left onto Robinson Point Cutoff and then turn left onto Robinson Point Road. Follow the road for about 2 miles until you see the trailhead on your right.
Note: Clicking on any of the icons in the embedded map below will also open an information window. Within the red bar in that window, you can click on the ↱ to get Google driving directions from your current location.

The Trail


David's Trail will eventually extend from Robinson Point to the Missouri border. The section to Panther Bay is 4.3 miles one-way. It closely follows the lake shore, providing lovely lake views throughout the winter months. The trail is wide and well-maintained but there are multiple steep hills that make it a moderately challenging hike. Total climbing is approximately 800 feet.

By mid-April wildflowers are becoming abundant along the trail. We saw lots of Rue Anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides), scatterings of various species violets (Viola pedata and Viola sororia), some Orange Puccoon (Lithospermum canescens), and some Rose Vervain (Glandularia canadensis). The real show should begin in another week or so when the vast areas of Mayapple (Podophyllum potatum) and Wild Comfrey (Cynoglossum virginianum) begin to bloom.


Click on this link to see an interactive map of the trail showing the elevation changes.

The Map

Clicking on this link will open the embedded map below in a separate window and allow you to use Google's My Maps app on your phone. 

Clicking on the various icons in the embedded map below (or in My Maps) will show you photographs of a few things you can expect to see. 

I've finally finished mapping the entire Norfork Lake Trail and thought that deserved a post all to itself. The Norfork Lake Trail ...