Boswell White River Access
Point 13 Details
Pine Forests, Birding, Nature Walks,
Horse Trail, Trout Fishing
2.7 mi. between 12 & 13
Turn onto Optimus Road here. It's just past the fire station.
Directions - To find the turn look for the Allison,
Sylamore, Optimus Firehouse, the left turn is just past the firehouse.
Road Names - Optimus River Road, Stone CR 72, and FSR 91089C.
New To Driving Back Roads? -
Read Our Back
Roading Tips
Where Does It Go? - It's about 3.5 miles down to the White River where
the road dead ends. The road is paved for the first 2.4 miles, then turns to dirt where
private property ends and Federal property begins. The last mile of dirt section is well
maintained, 4-wheel drive is not necessary. Part of Horse Trail C is down here.
What Is It Like? - The first
section of the road, the paved section, runs past private homes and farms. The second
section, the dirt road part on Forest Service Land, runs through large tracts of
pine trees. At the end of the road there are about two miles of riverfront fields. You can
bank fish, walk quiet roads, hunt, or ride horses.
Scenic Forest -The Boswell
area is a mixture of large tracts of pine, river bottom meadows, and Ozark hardwood
forests.There are no picnic tables or bathrooms. At the 2.4 mile mark you come to a field
surrounded by pine forest. This is all public land so if you want to go birding, hike or
drive the roads you can. The side roads here are mostly sand so we don't recommend them
for anything other than 4-wheel drive, especially if they are muddy. As you enter the
river bottom you'll be headed downhill. The road forks:
Staying Right: In about a
half-mile you'll come to the river. You can camp, bank fish, or launch a boat here. Just
before you get to the river the road makes a 90 degree turn. On the outside of this
curve (right side) you'll see a field. In this turn, on the outside, look for a brown pipe
gate. It may be open, it may be closed. If closed you can't drive down it, but you can
walk it. The sign will say "Road Closed" to motor vehicle traffic. This road,
which is also part of the horse trail, goes along the river bottom fields for about 2.5
miles. This old road is a wonderful place to go for a nature walk. It is flat, there are
no hills. On one side are the fields, on the other side is hardwood forest. Great for
photography, birding, and just going for a walk. Few people come here so it is very quiet.
There are no houses for miles around on this side of the river. On the other side of the
river, hidden in the trees, are about ten houses a half mile away.
Staying Left: Follow the
sharp hairpin turn to the left and you'll be on another excellent old road for walking.
You'll find spots along this road to park. You'll walk along under the forest canopy. The
road is flat and easy to walk. Great for photography, birding, nature watching. The road
comes out at a large field.
Horse Trail - Just past
where the road turns to dirt you'll see a road off to the right leading to a field with an
old home site and a large pond. Drive down to the pond and close by you'll find the White
River Loop horse trail, aka Horse Trail C. For horse trail details visit our Sylamore Horse
Trails.
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