Long Pool Waterfalls 4/16/18

Lower Long Pool Falls

I was really lucky this weekend-- I not only snuck in a little solo trip to Sausmann Falls on Saturday, but I got my boyfriend Tyler out on Sunday for another trek around Long Pool Rec Area! I was just here last weekend, but I only got the chance to see Lower Long Pool Falls. This time I came prepared to see a few more of the falls in this area! Rick Henry, per usual, has some great directions with photos and GPS coordinates for the upper falls and lower falls on his blog, so I won't reiterate all of that here.

For such a gorgeous spring Sunday, there didn't seem to be hardly anyone camping at Long Pool when Tyler and I arrived! It was pretty chilly, but that never stops me! We paid the $3 day use fee and parked at one of the campsites on Loop B. Tyler and I initially started down the well-traveled trail to the lower falls, but a group of ten or so folks had gone down right before us, hooping and hollering. We backtracked a ways and headed up to the upper section instead, hoping we could then catch the lower falls in some peace and quiet later on! Turns out this was a good decision, as the upper falls are much harder to get to.

There are a lot of intersecting trails and ATV tracks around the Long Pool campground, and it can get a little confusing. From campsite 16 on Loop B, we followed an ATV track up a slight hill to an intersection. Turning left would take you along a ridge above the Big Piney and down to the lower falls. We continued straight, huffing and puffing up a steep hill away from the river. At the top of the hill, we came to a level spot where there's a new water tank and a big clearing where a power line cuts through. This is the only place we had any difficulty finding our way; the power line access area is fairly thick with brambles and underbrush, and you have to go farther uphill than you'd think. About a hundred yards up from the water tank, another ATV track crosses the power line access-- we followed this to the left, back towards the creek. From here it was fairly easy hiking along the road trace, and we were treated to some lovely views of Big Piney Creek and the lush green hills below.

View of Big Piney Creek from the ATV trail to the upper falls.

 After hiking along the ridge a ways, the ATV track starts heading steeply down the hill, eventually coming to the creek that feeds the waterfalls. Cross here and head upstream to access the upper falls. Also near this stream crossing is an interesting landmark-- the "Bigfoot Campsite," as Rick Henry calls it. Whoever put this campsite together had a lot of time on their hands! There are several armchairs, a couch, a footstool and a fire ring, all made from big ol' slabs of rock. It proved to be a nice spot to rest for moment, because it's all bushwhack upstream from here.

Me lounging at the Bigfoot Campsite

The bushwhack up the creek from the Bigfoot Campsite is pretty easy at first, though we did have to cross the creek a couple of times, which proved a task as the water was up and some rocks were very slick. Soon we came to Unnamed Falls #1 (Rick Henry's title) or Six Tier Falls (Takahik name), a cool little tiered waterfall with plenty of flow. It was obvious a lot had changed since those blog posts were written-- there were lots of trees down on this section of creek, including one right over the top of Six Tier Falls. Still, it looked pretty neat.

Close up of Six Tier Falls, mostly obscured by a fallen tree

The bushwhack got much rougher upstream from Six Tier, and unfortunately we couldn't make it all the way to Twister Falls like I had hoped. Every corner we turned there seemed to be a huge tree down, making it difficult to pass through. We made it a little further up the creek and were probably not far from Twister Falls, but seeing that many obstacles ahead, we decided it wasn't worth it. I did get a few nice pictures of Tyler hanging out in the creek here, though.

Tyler in the creek

Soon we decided to head back down to the Bigfoot Campsite and make our way back out of the drainage on the ATV track. After retracing all of our steps, we headed down the lower trail towards the falls at the bottom of the creek. We had successfully avoided the loud family, so I counted that as a win!

Lower Long Pool Falls

Lower Long Pool falls is just magnificent. It's very easy to get to and always seems to have some flow. All the mossy boulders and ferns around make it feel very lush, and the spring greens of everything were popping today. I could sit at the base of these falls for a long time and just enjoy. Tyler was fairly spent from the bushwhack around the upper creek, so he chilled out while I decided to navigate my way upstream to Long Pool Falls. It does require a little scrambling, but in places there is a well-worn footpath along the boulders up the left side of the creek. Less than 100 yards from the lower falls, 44-foot tall Long Pool Falls comes into view just around a corner.

Long Pool Falls

This waterfall was going strong today. I love waterfalls in box canyons like these-- they feel so secluded, so magical. Getting around the base of Long Pool Falls is a little tricky because the creek bed is full of car-sized boulders and the sides are steep and covered in scree, or loose shale. That made getting in front of my camera in time for the ten-second timer a challenge, but I managed!

Me at the base of Long Pool Falls

By this time, we were about ready to pack up and grab a greasy burger at Whattaburger, my favorite place to eat lunch in Russellville. (I'm talking about the original, local Feltner's Whattaburger, y'all!) A pretty successful day of waterfall chasing, all in all. I'll definitely be back to the lower section of this creek, but I don't know about the upper section. The Bigfoot Campsite is neat, but the waterfalls upstream from there just don't seem worth the bushwhack, especially with all the trees down now. Give it another year or two and maybe it will become more accessible. The lower falls are plenty beautiful and require only a mile round trip hike, so I highly recommend visiting these if you're at the rec area.

Lower Long Pool Falls 4/7/18

If we get any rain during the week, I start planning my weekend waterfall excursion. Last week we had indeed gotten several days of rain, so I had a plan to head up highway 7 and check out some of the hollows I'd seen maps for on the TAKAHIK website. My mood was not dampened by unseasonably cold weather on Saturday morning, nor the dusting of snow falling as I drove up the highway. I was certainly glad I'd brought some extra layers.

As with a lot of my solo hiking trips, things didn't work out as planned. Mose Freeman Hollow and Winter Hollow are both areas right off highway 7 near Moccasin Gap, that looked to be hiding beautiful waterfalls with minimal bushwhacks. First I tried Mose Freeman, parking and walking half a mile down an ATV track in the snow to the top of a creek, at which point it became clear there was no intuitive way to follow the creek down to the waterfalls. The banks were too steep, and many areas were covered in fallen limbs. I turned back.

My next attempt was the lower prong of Winter Hollow, which was only marginally more successful. A faint trail was actually visible along the creek here, which I gleefully followed, until it ended at the top of Cabin Falls, a beautiful waterfall pouring over a sheer bluff. There was no obvious way to get to the base of the falls and continue on. When I hike alone, I try to be especially cautious and not take any undue risks. I could have probably negotiated the steep hillside down to the base of Cabin Falls, but how would I get back up without a boost? Nah, too risky. Disappointed, I trekked back up to my car. (It was only while writing this post did I find that Rick Henry visited this hollow and wrote about it in 2014 here... oh well, now I know!)

Determined not to head home until I got in some real waterfall action, I headed down to Long Pool Recreation Area, which is just north of Dover off highway 7. I've been to Long Pool several times, but had never explored the waterfalls reported to be hidden just behind the campground. When I pulled up to the campground, it was empty-- no surprise, as it was no longer snowing, but still bitterly cold outside. I bundled back up and set off from Loop B of the campground towards the waterfall area. For a detailed map of the area and waterfall locations, visit the TAKAHIK webpage here.

View of the Big Piney from the trail.

It's a pretty short and easy little hike up along a ridge over the Big Piney and then down to a creek. Turning right at the creek, Lower Long Pool Falls is immediately visible.

Lower Long Pool Falls

There wasn't as much flow as I had expected, especially at the bottom of the creek where it runs into the Big Piney, but it was still fantastic. The moss and all the striated rock make this waterfall feel really special. It's a wonderful little area with lots to see.

Lower Long Pool Falls

The trail continued on up the left side of the creek, ascending a super-steep hill covered in scree. It looked hard to get up and even harder to get down. (Later on I realized I probably could have boulder-scrambled up the creek instead, but oh well.) I'd already lost so much time driving around and visiting dead-end hollows that it was already afternoon and I needed to be back home by early evening, so I decided to call it quits there. Now that I know how spectacular this area is, I want to come back soon and camp at Long Pool, so I have plenty of time to explore.

Flowering dogwood along the trail

Indian Creek, Hawksbill Crag + Glory Hole with Haleigh 3/17/18

This year St. Patrick's Day was extra lucky for me-- it fell on a weekend and I got to spend it with my friend Haleigh on the Buffalo River! (Was that too much?)

Haleigh divides her time between her family's big cat refuge in Eureka Springs, Turpentine Creek, and the fabulous Circle Yoga Shala in Jasper, a self-described "school for yoga, creative movement, and self-inquiry" that hosts yoga retreats and teacher training. Haleigh teaches yoga and manages the Shala's organic farm, and I jumped at the chance to stay with her for a night and also be within a short drive from some of Arkansas' most magnificent hikes.

I was able to take off work on Friday, and hit the road as early as possible to make the three hour drive to the Shala, outside Jasper. Haleigh and I quickly had lunch (a foraged salad!) and set off for our first destination: Indian Creek.

Neither of us had ever been before-- I had attempted once before but had to turn back, as the Buffalo River was at flood stage. But today, it was gorgeous and sunny out, with just a little chill in the air. We reached Kyle's Landing campground in Haleigh's Subaru by 1 p.m. and set off up the trail.

I wrote a little about Indian Creek in one of my past posts-- it's iconic, not only for its scenic quality, but also for how dangerous it is. Supposedly the National Parks Service records more injuries here than on any other trail in the Buffalo River area. Plus, it's not really a trail-- called a "primitive trail," it's more like a scramble up the creek bed. Not to discourage anyone, though-- if you're in shape and up for a little adventure, go for it!

Haleigh cooling off

We worked up a sweat quickly, and Haleigh jumped in the first deep pool we encountered on the creek. I wasn't quite that brave, and mostly just waded around. Around here we saw a couple of hikers heading out, but other than that we managed to have the place to ourselves for the day. What a treat. There was just enough water flowing to make the waterfalls pretty, but not so much that the creek wasn't navigable-- perfect conditions.

Copperhead Falls

Indian Creek Falls

After a couple of hours hiking up the creek, we reached the point where most folks turn around (including us today)-- the canyon walls seemingly close up, resulting in a spectacular waterfall I think is just referred to as Indian Creek Falls. Arkansas Cave/Tunnel Cave is here as well, and on really wet days it forms a waterfall too, though it was only a drip when we were here. It was pretty obvious how the cave got its name: it looks exactly like the shape of a backwards Arkansas. (From inside the cave it's the regular shape of Arkansas, but entrance to the cave is strictly forbidden now due to the white-nose syndrome affecting bat populations.)

Haleigh with Arkansas/Tunnel Cave in the background

From here, a steep climb involving ropes is required, as well as crawling through a hole in a bluff wall, to reach the famed Eye of the Needle. I didn't get a picture, but from down at the creek level you could just glimpse the Eye through the trees many, many feet above us. We decided to save the Eye for another day, and just enjoy the amazing features already surrounding us. Plus, due to the steep canyon walls, it was starting to grow dim in the creek, and we decided we better make our way back. We had dinner that night at the Low Gap Cafe-- HIGHLY recommended!

Obligatory photo of me in front of Indian Creek Falls. I never know what to do with my hands!

We thought we were being extremely clever by planning to hike out to Hawksbill Crag the next morning for sunrise, thinking we'd have the place to ourselves for once. Hawksbill Crag (or Whitaker Point, as it was originally called) is extremely popular and known as "the most photographed place in Arkansas." It's a must-see, and as a native I've been countless times, but its popularity has notably increased over the years. A few years ago a friend and I drove over from Fayetteville to hike Hawksbill on a gorgeous, sunny autumn day... the road was choked with cars parked on both sides of the road over a mile back from the trailhead. We turned the car around.

Anyway, that's the exact thing Haleigh and I hoped to avoid this morning as we sleepily prepared mochas in thermoses to go and made the trek up Cave Mountain Road in the dark. We were both stunned to see 3 or 4 cars had beaten us to it! At least it wasn't more. We went ahead and started down the trail, hurrying to get to the crag before sunrise.

I didn't realize it was the first weekend of the U of A's spring break-- several college kids had camped out on the trail and were just waking up as we passed by. We got to a nice little spot to watch the sunrise over the crag, just in time. I gotta say, pretty magical.

Sunrise at Hawksbill Crag

More and more people were heading down the trail though, and as it got lighter we decided to go ahead and move on. The Hawksbill Crag trail is only about 2 and a quarter miles roundtrip, and not very strenuous, so we decided what the heck, why not Glory Hole, too?

By this time it was probably 8:30 a.m. or so, and there were a good amount of folks at the Glory Hole too. But when you're like me and live three hours+ away from these beautiful places, sometimes you just gotta deal with the crowds. There wasn't much water at the Glory Hole today, but it was fantastic in its own way, as always.

At the top of the Glory Hole

The Glory Hole from below

A trail leads away from the waterfall along this bluff a ways.

By the time it was all said and done, and we were getting back to the Shala, Haleigh and I had hiked more than eight miles by noon! Possibly one of my favorite ways to spend a day. In fact, with the delicious food, beautiful scenery, and great lady friend companionship-- possibly my favorite way to spend a weekend! Thanks Haleigh!

Falling Water + Tea Table Rocks 1/13/18

Tea Table Rocks had been on my Arkansas hiking bucket list for years, but I wasn't sure how I was going to find it. I had stumbled across several fabulous photos of the table-shaped geologic feature, which is situated on a bluff overlooking a sweeping Ozark vista. It used to be included in one of Tim Ernst's hiking books, but was removed from later editions of the book when some of the surrounding land, including part of the trail, was purchased and became private property. However, I was tantalized by the photos I'd seen, and I knew I had to find it! I started to do some good old-fashioned snooping to see what I could find out.

There was surprisingly little online about Tea Table Rocks. Lots of beautiful photos, and a few old blog entries written by hikers who had either visited as part of a guided hike or with a local in the know. I finally found a five-year-old post on a forum for rock climbers about the area, and someone had mentioned the name of the property owner. This gentleman was a real estate agent in Jasper, and owned cabins for rent near the Buffalo River, so I was able to find his contact information and shot him an email. Within a few days, he sent me his phone number and I gave him a call.

Turns out this gentleman had sold the property in question, but he detailed an alternate route that would enable me to bypass any private property. I thanked him profusely, and had to give myself a pat on the back too... I felt like Harriet the Spy or something.

So, on a particularly bitter January day, I set out on my mission to find Tea Table Rocks. I decided to stop by Falling Water Creek as well, since it was kinda on my way.

Falling Water Creek and the surrounding area is a treasure trove of waterfalls-- there are probably a dozen along the creek from Ben Hur to Richland Creek Campground. I've been many times, and sometime I'll have to do a full blog post about the entire area. (Rick Henry has an exhaustive blog post about the entire area here, complete with GPS and maps.) Because I knew I was in for a bushwhack of indeterminate difficulty later on, I kept it brief here and just visited Falling Water Falls and Keefe Falls.

Falling Water Falls

To get to Falling Water Falls, drive to Sand Gap at the junction of highways 16 and 7, and take highway 16 east to the tiny community of Ben Hur. Once through Ben Hur, you'll see a left turn with signs for Falling Water horse camp-- turn here and follow this road about 2 miles. Falling Water Falls will be on your right, with a pull-off big enough for several cars. This is a popular spot for hikers, and for locals to bring picnics after church on Sundays. There was nobody there when I arrived, and you can tell from the icicles in the pictures how cold it was! I think it stayed below freezing all day.

Falling Water Falls with icicles

A few more miles down Falling Water road, pass over a low water bridge and go about another mile. Here, the road crosses some metal culverts and there's an obvious pull-off to the left of the road near the creek, big enough for only one car. From the parking area, cross the road and head back into the woods. When I was here, I want to say there was some spray paint on a tree near the road marking the trail back towards Keefe Falls. The trail goes up the left side of the creek bed, and in only about a half mile you have arrived at the falls.

Top of Keefe Falls: icicles and a drip of water

The base of Keefe Falls. Told you it was cold!

Keefe Falls wasn't really running, but what water there was was completely frozen! It looked pretty neat, and at 78 feet high, this is supposedly the tallest waterfall in the Richland Wilderness. I took some photos and ate a snack-- it was pretty hard to peel a cutie with my frozen fingers! After that, I hopped back in the warm car and headed towards Tea Table Rocks.

I won't detail the Tea Table Rocks location, since it is mostly bordered by private property, and the gentleman who was kind enough to give me directions probably doesn't want the whole world to also have them. I will say that the Ozark Society has led guided hikes to Tea Table Rocks in the past, so follow their page for updates if you'd like to go.

When I arrived at the parking location, I bundled back up and set out along an ATV road through the forest that followed a level bench out to a ridge with a wide view of the valley beyond. It looked like a popular weekend spot for locals, as there was a fire ring and lots of ATV tracks. The valley view from here was spectacular!

View from the bluffline at the end of the ATV trail.

From here, all I'd been told was to bushwhack along the bluffline for about a mile to reach our destination. This turned out to be no easy feat. After the ATV trail ends at the bluffline, I was hoping there might be some continuance in the way of a footpath or something, but no luck. So I blindly set off through the forest, fighting through thick underbrush at times, trying to stay as close to the bluff as possible. I don't think I've ever been slapped in the face by so many twigs, and I can't even imagine trying to make this hike in the summer. That mile of bushwhack, even though it was mostly level, felt more like 3 or 4, and I was concentrating so hard on not taking a branch to the eye that I almost plunged past Tea Table Rocks.

It was worth it-- Tea Table Rocks has to be one of the most picturesque spots in Arkansas. Just as pretty and unique as Hawksbill Crag, with none of the crowds. And what a view!

Tea Table Rocks

Tea Table Rocks

Me at Tea Table Rocks! Photo taken by @tylerjups

I took a ton of pictures and hung out a while, not looking forward to the difficult bushwhack back to the car. But then again, the car meant warmth and more snacks! The sun was setting by the time I got back to the parking area, and I began the long drive back to Little Rock.

What a cool place! I can't deny I was proud of my efforts and how well they'd paid off. This is definitely a cool-weather hike, and I might bring my shears next time. :)

Rough Hollow 2/25/18

Towards the end of February this year we had a good bit of rain and fairly mild weather, so I knew I should get out to some hollows while the gettin' was good. I had read about Rough Hollow on Rick Henry's blog, and it looked like a great place to explore that wasn't too far from my home base of Little Rock. Sometimes I want to get up at 5 a.m. and drive three hours to go hiking, but other times I just want to jump in my car and get to the hike already. This was one of those times!

There are several access points into Rough Hollow, and both Rick Henry and the folks at TAKAHIK have some fabulous resources for exploring the area, including maps, GPS coordinates, and photos. You can find their posts on Rough Hollow here and here. I used a combination of their maps and GPS tracks to plan my own exploration of the area, and chose only a small section of the hollow I thought I could cover solo on a Sunday afternoon.

My Google Map markers labeling highlights of lower Rough Hollow.

I parked my car alongside the road to Long Pool Rec Area/Forest Road 1804 (parking area "C" on the TAKAHIK map) and headed up the hill after trying to get my bearings. I was able to follow an ATV track up the ridge, then a deer path down into the creek bed towards Ten Tier Falls. At this point, high in the drainage, it was very easy going and felt more like a stroll than a bushwhack.

Ten Tier Falls is absolutely lovely, and had a good amount of flow. I was actually surprised at how much water there was this high in the hollow, and had some difficulty getting back and forth across the creek while taking photos.

Ten Tier Falls

From Ten Tier Falls, I headed straight down the creek, picking my way along the eastern side as Rick Henry advises. This path eventually leads to a break in the bluff line and access to the next waterfall, Rough Hollow Falls. From Rick's post, I had imagined this to be a fairly straightforward maneuver, but in reality it took some searching and backtracking to locate a way down. Once I finally did get down, I wasn't really looking forward to having to get back out of this grotto, so I stayed a while, had a snack and took some photos. Rough Hollow Falls is the one of the tallest in the drainage, and was flowing fast.

Rough Hollow Falls

Getting out of the drainage of Rough Hollow Falls and back on the bluff line proved to be a task. It was much harder to detect the bluff access from below, so I scrambled up a steep slope of mossy boulders and climbed through some fallen limbs, which was tough with a backpack and tripod strapped to me. It was around this point I started to wish I'd brought a buddy!

Still, I felt pretty exhilarated, and continued on along the bluff towards the side drainage containing Rat Snake and Trigg Falls. There is a trace road or old ATV track that follows this ridge, so I walked along that until it came to a creek crossing. This is directly over Rat Snake Falls, so I figured I might head upstream to Trigg Falls first, and then hit Rat Snake on my way down. However, looking up the creek towards where Trigg Falls should have been visible, I only saw an enormous, tangled mass of fallen trees. It looked completely impenetrable. Rick Henry's post about the area had been published in May of 2015-- a lot had obviously happened in the woods since then. I decided I was definitely not equipped to deal with that kind of obstacle, especially alone, and headed down the hill to the base of Rat Snake Falls.

Rat Snake Falls

Rat Snake Falls are a pretty pour-off with a very unappealing name. Don't ask me what the story is there.

At this point, I thought about continuing upwards along the main creek, towards Big Rock Falls, but by now I was a few miles from my car and the sun was already dipping below the high canyon walls. I figured I should probably play it safe and start making my way back towards the parking area. However, that was high up on the ridge I'd been descending and was now at the very bottom of. Remembering how tough it was getting out of the Rough Hollow Falls drainage, I didn't relish the idea of trying to retrace my steps back towards the car. Instead, I figured I'd just head down the creek towards Long Pool Road, and walk the road back to the parking area. Easy-peasy, right?

I hiked down the creek, towards the slot canyon area Rick Henry details in his post from 2015. It was gorgeous, but I soon found myself in at an impasse: the water was higher here towards the bottom of the drainage and rushing by swiftly, eliminating any walkable creekside and leaving only steep slopes to maneuver. I followed a narrow deer track out onto the steep bank, and from there had to drop to my butt and scoot along the edge til it became more level. After I stood up and looked back along my route, I kinda couldn't believe I'd made it. Maybe Rick Henry was right to just backtrack!

This only left a sock-soaking creek crossing and one last push through some fallen trees before I broke out onto the paved road leading to Long Pool. By this time I was exhausted, but still had half a mile of uphill walking to go to reach my car. I was so pleased when I finally collapsed in the car!

Rough Hollow certainly lives up to its name. There are a lot more waterfalls in the area, but the high water made maneuvering the creekbed difficult, and I just didn't have it in me that day. Knowing how close this area is to Long Pool, I imagine I'll be back with a friend when I'm in the mood for a challenge.

It's Waterfall Season in Arkansas

All right, y'all. My first blog post! I'm very excited to share some Arkansas gems with you, and what better way to kick off the blog than with waterfalls?

It's April, and that means rain for Arkansas. We had actually been in the middle of a drought until about mid-March, but now things are flowing nicely again, and hopefully we've got at least a few more weeks to enjoy the woods and water before the bugs are out in full force.

With almost 90,000 miles of streams and rivers that flow in and around Arkansas, there is no shortage of waterfalls to explore, from secret tiny grottos to box canyons to the mighty Hemmed in Hollow Falls, reportedly the tallest waterfall between the Rockies and the Appalachians.

I live in central Arkansas, and I didn't realize until I moved here that the Ouachitas aren't really the treasure trove of waterfalls that the Ozarks are. They're plenty beautiful, and that's not to say there aren't any down here-- just fewer and farther in between. Folks living in my hometown of Fayetteville or in Russellville, however, are no more than an hour's drive from a variety of breathtaking and unique waterfalls.

So, without further ado, here are a few of the falls I've been to lately, with a brief description of each and links for more information, where available.

Fiddlehead Falls - northwest of Hector, AR (35.536530N, -92.861130W)
This fantastic little grotto is located off the Lindsey Mountain Motorway northwest of Hector, AR, nearby Bayou Bluff Rec Area on highway 27. Lindsey Mountain Motorway sounds like a paved highway, doesn't it? Ha ha. One of my favorite Arkansas hiking bloggers, Rick Henry, has detailed directions to the area at his website here. (There are a ton of other waterfalls in the vicinity!)

The parking location is a little pull-off marked with a rock cairn. From the cairn, a small footpath leads steeply down the hill to a creek, which feeds Fiddlehead Falls just around the corner. Cross the creek and follow the footpath around a small ridge and steeply down to the base of the falls. This one is a steep, but short hike with quite the payoff! This isn't a well-known waterfall, I think mostly visited by locals who like to ride ATVs along the many intersecting dirt roads in the area.

TAKAHIK Map and Pictures

High Bank Twins - Cass, AR (35.680767N, -93.686933W)
One of many "twin" waterfalls in the Ozarks, High Bank Twins is probably the easiest to get to for casual hikers. This little trail starts right across from the High Bank canoe launch on the Mulberry River, on highway 215 outside of Cass. Park at the canoe launch, walk back out to the road and cross it, and walk eastwards across a small creek. Here a well-worn footpath leads away from the road and up the right side of the creek, ending quickly in the sheer bluff creating the High Bank Twins.

This is an easy jaunt and a suitable hike for kids and dogs. As with most Arkansas waterfalls, this one is most spectacular after a few days of heavy rain. If you're passing through on the Pig Trail (Highway 23 between Ozark and Huntsville, an Arkansas Scenic Byway), High Bank Twins is an excellent pit stop not too far out of the way.

Explore the Ozarks Online link

Indian Creek Falls - Buffalo National River (36.029480N, -93.287570W)
Indian Creek is one of the most scenic hikes on the Buffalo River, but also the most dangerous! According to the National Parks Service, this area sees the most injuries and deaths than any other in the Buffalo River trail system. There is no marked trail at all, in fact, and the hike is a mix of boulder-scrambling in the creek bed and edging along muddy, narrow ridges high above the creek. This is not a place for children, dogs (they aren't allowed anyway), the faint of heart or out of shape. But if you have a little moxie and you don't mind getting dirty in the pursuit of seeing one of the most scenic creeks in the state, check it out!

You'll need 4WD or at least a high-clearance vehicle to make it to Kyle's Landing, the campground on the Buffalo River where Indian Creek trailhead is located. Bring plenty of water and snacks, and allow at least 4 hours to tackle this hike. The falls pictured above are at the back of the canyon, and in order to reach the famed Eye of the Needle further up, you must use ropes to climb a steep bluff area and crawl through a hole in the rock. Use EXTREME CAUTION and respect this special place by packing out what you bring in and by not entering any of the caves in the area.

Backpacker article and waypoints
NPS Buffalo River

Glory Hole - Ozone, AR (35.822976N, -93.393257W)
The Glory Hole is a well-known waterfall off highway 16, not far from Boxley and the upper Buffalo River. Parking is a big gravel pull-off right off the highway, and an old ATV track serves as the trail that leads you right down to the top of the waterfall and the 'glory hole.' I've seen this one absolutely raging before, but these pictures are from March of this year before we had gotten much rain. Still pretty neat!

Try to visit this one on a weekday or in the early morning, to beat the rush. And be careful around the top of the falls-- it's slick!

Explore the Ozarks Online link

The Grotto on Seven Hollows Trail - Petit Jean State Park, Morrilton, AR (No GPS for this one, but it's in a state park and easy to find)
One of the few waterfalls within an hour's drive of Little Rock! The Grotto isn't quite as spectacular as Cedar Falls, the other waterfall at Petit Jean State Park, but what it lacks in height and flow it makes up for in solitude! Everyone and their dog goes to Cedar Falls, making the short but steep trail there often packed with folks. This little waterfall is set back off the Seven Hollows Trail by a quarter-mile, nestled in a dark and sheltered rock grotto, and about two miles from the trailhead either way (Seven Hollows is a 4.5 mile loop in total). It's a wonderful spot to stop and rest on your hike. The Grotto never has a ton of flow (at least any of the times I've been there), but the area is definitely special and worth the hike.

Petit Jean State Park website

Indian Falls Trail - Fairfield Bay, AR (35.590417N, -92.290733W)
This is a little-known trail within the city limits of Fairfield Bay, on the shores of Greers Ferry Lake. The trailhead is on W Cliff Spur Road, which looks like a driveway, but you'll see a small painted sign that says "Trailhead." Follow the footpath along a ridge with views down into the creek bed, and eventually you'll come to a confluence of two creeks, forming a large and beautiful waterfall area. There's a wooden bench and many places to sit a spell. Come after a big rain!

We've got more rain in the forecast this week, so I'm already making more waterfall plans for this weekend! Happy hiking, everyone.