Ouachita National Forest — Brushy Creek Road Dispersed Camp

The Brushy Creek corridor near the eastern terminus of Lonesome Pine Road (around the Athens, OK approach) offers some of the most accessible dispersed camping in this stretch of Ouachita National Forest. Sites sit in the creek bottom among big-canopy hardwoods — oak, hickory, and shortleaf pine — with the creek audible most of the year. There are no facilities, no trash service, and no marked sites. What you get is solitude, shade, and a legit basecamp for running the Lonesome Pine ridgeline. Creek water is present seasonally but treat everything before drinking.

Road surfaces here are raw red dirt and low-water creek crossings — passable for most 4WD rigs and high-clearance trucks in dry conditions, but Brushy Creek itself can blow out after heavy rain and make the crossings impassable. Scout before committing. Spring wildflowers are outstanding. Hunting season brings pressure from October through January; spring and early summer are your best bet for solitude.

Creek-side hardwood camp at trail's east end.