Winter Hiking in Northwest Arkansas

Use these rungs from our Temperature Ladder as a starting point. Each one assumes you’re moving at a steady hiking pace, and each colder rung adds to the one above it.

Dress for 15 minutes in—not the parking lot. You should feel a little chilly when you start. If you’re toasty at the trailhead, you’ll be sweating before the first mile is done.

Leave cotton at home in winter. Cotton soaks up sweat and holds it, and wet cotton pulls heat from your body fast. That can leave you dangerously cold as soon as you stop moving. Wear wool or synthetic layers from your socks up. Our guide to what to wear hiking has the full ladder and the basics on fabric.

A few small, light pieces make a big difference on a cold day. Most of them fit in a pocket or a small pack.

Ear Warmers or a Beanie

Covering your ears and head keeps you much more comfortable, and ear warmers are easy to push down around your neck when you warm up.

Neck Gaiter

This fabric tube keeps wind off your neck, and you can pull it up over your face when the air bites.

Packable Puffer Vest or Jacket

An insulated layer that squashes down small is perfect to wear at the start and at rest stops.

Arm Sleeves

Sleeves let you add or remove warmth on your arms by sliding them up or down, without stopping to change shirts.

Gloves, Plus a Second Pair

Wear two pairs together on the coldest days, or swap to a dry pair when the first gets damp.

Hand Warmers

Disposable packets or a rechargeable warmer can rescue cold fingers on a frosty morning.

Traction Devices

Traction devices, also called ice cleats, are worth having for snow and ice. They’re rubber harnesses with metal coils or small spikes that stretch over the shoes you already own. Packed snow and ice on a trail can be far slicker than it looks, and cleats give you grip where tread alone won’t.

Waterproof shoes also help on snowy or slushy days, and our shoes and socks guide covers the tradeoffs.

Almost everyone starts a winter hike bundled up and is peeling off layers within the first mile. That’s normal and exactly how it should go. Plan for it before you leave home.

• Have somewhere to put your gear. A small backpack, a waist pack, or roomy zippered pockets give you a place to stash a vest, gloves, and ear warmers as you take them off.
• Shed layers before you sweat. Sweat soaks your base layer, and a damp base layer makes you cold the moment you slow down.

Winter days are short, and it gets dark in the woods sooner than it does in an open parking lot. Give yourself plenty of time to finish.

• Start earlier. Check the sunset time before you go and plan to be back at your car well before it.
• Carry a headlamp. Even on a short hike, a small headlamp in your pack means a slow pace or a wrong turn doesn’t leave you in the dark.
• Keep your phone warm. Cold drains phone batteries faster. Carry it in an inside pocket close to your body.

As always, tell someone your plan before you head out. Our hiking safety guide has a full checklist.

It’s easy to skip water on a cold day because you don’t feel thirsty. You still sweat under your layers, and you lose water with every breath of cold, dry air. Drink on a schedule rather than waiting until you want it.

On very cold days, the tube of a hydration bladder can freeze. Blowing the water back into the bladder after each sip helps, and so does carrying an insulated bottle.

Winter brings a trail problem most newcomers have never heard of. Frozen ground thaws from the top down. On a sunny winter afternoon, the top layer of soil turns soft and wet while the ground underneath stays frozen solid. The water has nowhere to drain, so the surface turns to mush. Walking on the trail in that state causes deep ruts and long-term erosion that every hiker after you has to walk on.

• Hike early, while it’s still frozen. A frozen trail is firm and holds up well to foot traffic.
• Or wait until it’s thawed and dry. Once the ground is fully thawed and dry all the way through, it’s firm again and ready for hikers.
• Use the shoeprint test. If you leave shoeprints, avoid the trail. Pick a paved trail for the day, or come back another time.

Our guide to caring for our trails has photos of what freeze-thaw damage looks like and more ways to protect the trails in every season.

This guide is general information from a volunteer trail organization, not medical advice. In an emergency, call 911. See our Terms of Use and Trail Safety Disclaimer.