Exploring Northwest Arkansas

Smith Creek Preserve Hiking Trails - Lower Trail Loop

Smith Creek Nature Preserve is a beautiful hiking area managed by the Nature Conservancy. The preserve sits atop Sherfield Cave -- which houses the largest colony of endangered Indiana Bats in the state. But above ground, there is beautiful scenery.

Smith Creek

This is an area that we've hiked many times and just keep coming back to due to the peaceful charm and beauty. I've previously covered the Main Trail through the preserve (that post also includes a longer overview of the area) and the hike to Elise Falls, but today I want to talk about a loop hike that has become my preferred route exploring the area. 

Getting there

The parking area for the Smith Creek Nature Preserve is on Highway 21 south of the community of Boxley -- it's 3 miles south of the Boxley Baptist Church and 1.2 miles south of the Boxley Trailhead to the Buffalo River Trail. Parking is on the east side of the road and there is a large sign indicating the spot. The trail starts off beyond the gate at the back of the parking area. There is trail signage here with a map of the area and usually paper maps as well. 

The Hike

Start off by hiking the main trail beyond the gate. The trail follows an old road and heads somewhat steeply down the hill. 

At .2, the trail splits. The Main Trail curves off to the right, but for this loop hike, we will take the trail that breaks off to the LEFT toward Elise Falls (there is a sign here noting the direction). 

Elise Falls Trail - March, 2019

The trail to Elise Falls continues steeply down a different old road. This is a nicely wooded area and it's a steep but nice stroll. The trail then turns to the left (there are a few places where the trail has washed out pretty badly) and remain heading down the hill. 

Eventually, at .8, the trail reaches Smith Creek. The creek is almost always dry here as it runs underground in this spot. There are nice little bluff areas both up and down stream at this crossing.

Bluff along Smith Creek, March 2019

From here, we'll take a short detour to Elise Falls. 

To get to Elise Falls, head downstream (to your left) and follow the creek bed a couple of hundred yards past a bluff and there will be a small creek on the left that flows into Smith Creek from the left. Follow this creek upstream another 100 yards or so and you'll reach Elise Falls (sometimes calls QueVaLa Elise Falls). This is a nice, 21 foot tall waterfall in a slot canyon and worth the visit during the wet season).

Elise Falls - March, 2019

When done here, return to when the trail first crossed Smith Creek.  From here, cross Smith Creek and continue on downstream a bit.

Shale Flat

At 1.1, the trail then turns right and proceeds STEEPLY up the hillside. It's a bit of a climb but doesn't last too long. Eventually the trail passes through a shale flat and at 1.5 miles the there is a fork in the trail that is very well marked. To the left is the upper trail, and to the right is the lower trail. I usually take the Lower Trail here and turn RIGHT (although both eventually end up in the same place). 

Fork in the trail, March, 2019

The Lower Trail stays out on level for awhile and then starts dropping down the hill at 1.75 in and area called "BAD" on the map. This area was hit pretty badly by an ice storm several years ago so there are a lot of downed trees in the area. The trail workers have done a nice job of reworking the trail to make it passable.

At 2.1 the trail turns right into a valley and then at 2.2 turns left and crosses a small creek. Smith Creek is now visible down on your right. 

Smith Creek, December 2020

The trail then goes through a ravine and then up the hill. At 2.4 there are a couple of large boulders on the right. Just down the hill from this spot is a canyon area that is incredibly scenic. I definitely recommend going down and checking this area out. It will be dry during dry season, but will have water during the wetter months.

Canyon area along Smith Creek, December 2020

Back on the lower trail, at 2.5 there is a trail intersection -- this is the upper trail connecting back with the lower trail. Stay right. 

Canyon area along Smith Creek, December 2020

The trail crosses a small creek bed (during wet season there is a small waterfall just upstream here) and then at 2.7 the trail reaches Smith Creek. It is beautiful both up and down stream from this spot. 

Smith Creek, December 2020

You'll have to find a way across Smith Creek here. During wet season, this will be a wet crossing but will be dry during dry months. 

On the other side of the creek, you will hit the Main Trail -- essentially at the picnic area and small footbridge. From here, you can either turn right -- and go one mile up the hill back to your car. Or, I highly recommend turning left and exploring Smith Creek along the main trail and the wonderful emerald pools, rock jumbles and cascades it has to offer. You can find more details on the Main Trail here.

A rocky Smith Creek, December, 2020

This is about a 4 mile loop - counting going to Elise Falls but not including exploring further up the Main Trail. If you explore all the way up the Main Trail, you can add about 2.5 miles to the total distance.

Trail Details

Distance - 4 - 6.5 miles in mostly a loop

Footwear - hiking boots recommended

Difficulty - Moderate+. There are a couple of climbs of 250 feet or more and potentially a wet water crossing. 

Kid Friendly - Yes, as long as they can handle the distance and the climbing

Trail Guide - Tim Ernst's Buffalo River Hiking Trails Volume 5 (not in early volumes)

Rating - 4 stars out of 5

Most of the pictures on this post are from hikes in March, 2019 or December 2020.

Other Trails Nearby:

Buffalo River Trail - Boxley to Ponca

Hedges Historical Hike

Paradise Falls

The Glory Hole

 

Smith Creek Preserve Hiking Trails - Main Trail

The Smith Creek Nature Preserve is an amazing little spot I keep coming back to again and again. It is a beautiful little area, with several good trails that can be looped together. However, it often seems to get overlooked a bit as it's adjacent to the Buffalo National River and Upper Buffalo Wilderness Areas. And even when people visit, it is often to visit Elise Falls and then they leave, missing the amazing areas in the rest of the preserve. 

Boulder jumbles and emerald pools are a hallmark of the Main Trail in Smith Creek

The Smith Creek Preserve is an area managed by the Nature Conservancy and its volunteers. The Nature Conservancy is a great organization that is dedicated to protecting important habitats that feed important water sources and threatened species. The Smith Creek Preserves is an example of that purpose. The Preserve covers 1,316 acres - -with Smith Creek essentially running down the center. While what you and I see is above ground, below ground is Sherfield Cave -- which houses the largest colony of the endangered Indiana Bat in Arkansas. While the cave is below ground and not accessible by the public, the above ground is accessible for day use hiking/picnics. 

Earlier this spring, Michelle and I were hiking in an area nearby and got the pleasure of seeing one of the bats who had recently woken up from hibernation out feeding along the Buffalo River and it was an incredible experience.

The signboard at the trail head has a map of the area

Getting There

The Smith Creek Preserve parking are sits right off Highway 21 south of Boxley (which is about 5 miles west of Ponca). The parking area is 3 miles south on Highway 21 from the Boxley Baptist Church, or 1.2 miles up the hill from the Boxley Trailhead to the Buffalo River Trail. The parking area in on the east side of the road and is well marked. 

All of the trails are accessible beyond the gate at the back end of the parking area. There is a sign here that contains a map of the trail (I always take a picture of it) and often paper trail maps as well.  Today we're going to talk about the Main Trail through the area, and later I'll talk about my favorite way to loop the hikes in the Preserve.

The Main Trail

The Main Trail is really an old road that runs through the middle of the preserve. It is closed off to cars now but makes for a very nice, wide trail for hiking. The trail starts off steeply downhill. Then. at about .2, there is a trail that splits off to the left. That is the trail to Elise Falls (or sometimes called QuiVaLa Elise Falls) -- and is well marked. Stay straight as the main trail veers a bit to the right.  The trail levels out a bit, then goes down more, and does this a few times until at 1 mile (and about 250 feet of decline) you reach a small footbridge over a small drainage that comes in from the right. Just past the bridge is a seldom use picnic table.

The Main Trail at Smith Creek is well maintained and easy to follow

Smith Creek is the creek on your left -- will have water here during most of the wet season. This is when the trail starts getting really good. 

The trail stays on the level and follows along Smith Creek. It passes a couple of larger sinkholes. During the wet season, the creek is really beautiful and peaceful here and there are amazing wildflowers here in Spring.

Smith Creek

The trail crosses over another small stream coming in from the right. There is no bridge here but generally you can cross without getting your feet wet (although the rocks are SLICK here, so be careful). 

Past the crossing the trail starts going up the hill a bit and this is where things will get a bit weird (and REALLY beautiful). 

Small bluff along Smith Creek

The Main Trail continues on the old road bed and gradually makes its way up the hill to a large spring at 2.5 -- where you can turn around and head back. However, there are many marked off-shoot trails that make for easy passage down to to Smith Creek and the wonders down there. 

Smith Creek itself is a little paradise: small waterfalls, cascades, huge rock jumbles with emerald pools, just new beauty with every step.

Twin Falls along Smith Creek

My best advice here is to take one of the marked trails down to the creek. Follow the trails along the creek until huge boulders/rock jumbles block your path. Then, make your way back to the Main Trail (it never gets more than a 100 yards or so away) until you have a clear path down to the creek and then repeat this process as you make your way back up the hill. 

Beautiful emerald pools and huge boulder jumbles are a hallmark of the trail

Take your time. Explore. Enjoy the beautiful emerald pools. Take a nap on a large boulder in a boulder jumble. I've visited this place probably half dozen times over the past 2 years and always see something new or differently depending on the seasons and where the exploring takes us. 

Large boulders and small cascades everywhere

When you get to the big spring (or really, whenever you feel like stopping), you can turn around and head back the way you came. 

Note, the spring and the gate sit at approximately the same elevation -- with the footbridge below being about 250 feet below them. So there will be a bit of climbing on the way back to your car -- especially that last .2 miles from the intersection to Elise Falls. 

One of many emerald pools

This is an amazing area with a ton of natural beauty -- that not only preserves the area above the ground for you and I to explore, but also serves an important purpose of protecting the native bat species. Please enjoy and protect it.

Smith Creek in November, 2021. It's beautiful in every season

Trail Notes

Distance: Approximately 4.5 miles round trip (depends on the amount of exploring you do)

Footwear: Trail shoes or hiking boots - you'll want sturdy footwear with good traction on the rocks by the creek.

Difficulty: Moderate - mostly due to the climb out

Kid Friendly: Yes

Trail Guide: Tim Ernst's Buffalo River Hiking Trails Volume 5 (it's not in earlier versions)

Rating: 4.5 of 5

Most of the pictures from this hike were taken in April of 2021 unless otherwise noted.

Waterfall between two huge boulders

Steel Creek Multi-Vista Hike

The Old River Trail along the Buffalo River is essentially an historic pioneer road that used to connect little towns and homesteads of settlers that settled along the Buffalo River. It runs 13.2 miles along the river and is sometimes used by hikers, but more often by horseback riders in the area. 

I've spent a fair amount of time on the Old River Trail -- but have mostly viewed as a functional trail to get you from one place to another or to connect various trails. It has only been recently that I've found the joy of actually hiking the trail for the sake of hiking the trail. And wow have I been missing out.

Bee Fluff along the Old River Trail

While the Buffalo River Trail generally takes the high road -- in the woods, with sweeping views of the valley below, the Old River Trail runs along the river. There is little elevation change, and it has frequent looks at the river at river level and at the bluffs from below. 

However, hiking the Old River Trail comes with a few challenges. First, it crosses the river regularly -- 20x in total. So when the river is high, it isn't safe to cross (and thus, not safe to hike the trail). The river will generally be too high to cross through much of the late winter and springtime. Secondly, in the summer, the trail can become very overgrown - making it a little less fun to hike and making bug spray a must. And even when you catch it in relatively good trail conditions, it still makes for wet water crossings which will typically mean hiking with wet feet (and it can be very cold in winter). But when you hike it, it really is a great trail with a lot of amazing scenery.

For this hike, I decided to take the best of both by hiking the Buffalo River Trail from Steel Creek and returning via the Old River Trail in a big, 10.3 mile loop hike. Along the way we visit three of the best birds-eye views of the Buffalo River, have 6 river crossings, and a lot of spectacular scenery along the way. I highly recommend this as a pretty epic day hike, or even a nice overnight hike. 

Getting There

 The trail starts from the Steel Creek canoe access point along the Buffalo River. Take Highway 74 south from Ponca. At the top of the winding hill (about 1.5 from Ponca), turn left onto the Steel Creek access road (very well marked), and then wind down the hill to the Steel Creek area. At the fork in the road, turn right and park drive to the end of the road. There is a parking area here, as well as some nice bathrooms. The Buffalo River trail starts right at the bottom of the hill just above the fork in the road you came down. Turn LEFT onto the trail to start the hike.

The Hike - Buffalo River Trail Portion

The first four miles of the hike follow the Buffalo River Trail from Steel Creek to Kyles Landing. The trail follows behind the Steel Creek Horse Camp for awhile - gradually climbing.

Buffalo River Trail

It then eventually turns away from the camp and heads up in the Steel Creek drainage. It dips back down the hill and crosses Steel Creek at .6 miles. There is almost always water here, but if the river is low enough that you plan to hike the Old River Trail back, you should be able to cross without getting your feet wet. There are some great views of the creek both up and down stream here. 

Steel Creek Crossing

The trail crosses the creek and continues upstream and up hill for a bit before turning back to the left and continuing up the hill. It's about a 400 foot climb from here to the overlook but the view is worth the climb!  The trail passes by a couple of drainages and just keeps climbing but is a nice hike throughout.

Pancake Rocks

The Trail passes through some interesting pancake rocks and at 1.4 you've reached the Steel Creek Overlook. This is the first of three great vistas you'll see on this hike and if you're into a short day hike, I recommend this section as a stand-alone. 

View Downstream from the Steel Creek Overlook

From here, you can see Roark Bluff, the Steel Creek area, and some wonderful views both up and down stream. Enjoy the view before continuing on.

Looking down on the Steel Creek area.

Beyond the overlook, the trail continues up the hill for a bit with a few nice looks back at the  Steel Creek area. The trail eventually levels out and then starts heading downhill. The trail curves into a couple of drainages and just keeps descending downhill at a gentle clip. If you hiking during leaf-off, you will start seeing Big Bluff come into view in the distance on your left. There are a couple of nice views of it from the trail. If you have a pair of binoculars (or really good eyesight!) you can sometimes see people on the trail of Big Bluff about 2/3 of the way up the bluff. You'll be joining them soon!  

Big Bluff from the Buffalo River Trail

The trail continues down the hill and starts moving away from the river. To your left is the Beech Creek drainage. The trail keeps heading mostly down the hill toward the creek although with a few minor ups and downs within a couple of small drainages. At 4.0, just before getting to Beech Creek, the trail crosses a another trail. It is marked with a small sign that says "primitive trail". If you take the trail to the right, it follows Beech Creek upstream and then eventually to the Low Gap area. We're going to turn left onto the primitive trail and head downstream toward the river.

Primitive Trail and Getting to Big Bluff

The primitive trail drops down the hill and toward Beech Creek. At about 4.2, the trail crosses over Beech Creek. There will be water here, but again, if you're planning on crossing the Buffalo River later, it will probably be crossable without getting wet feet. This crossing has a really nice spring area, and a nice rock bluff. There is a campsite here too that would be a really nice place to spend the night.  

Beech Creek

In the Buffalo River area, a lot of the "primitive trails" are old horse trails that can be quite rough for hiking. But this is a really nice route all the way to the river. 

At 4.8, the trail meets the Buffalo River. This is the first of 6 crossings of the Buffalo River and all of them will be wet crossings. You can pack water shoes and change shoes back and forth after the crossings and keep dry feet. We decided that was going to be a pain and just hiked the remainder with wet feet. As always, if the river level is high and you cannot see the bottom, it is best to not cross the Buffalo River and live to hike another day. But if the river is low and clear, it is often about knee or calf deep to cross. 

Crossing the Buffalo River during low water. Note: Never cross during high water or when you cannot see the bottom

After crossing the river, the trail goes up the river bank and into the woods a bit before hitting the Old River Trail. The trail to the right goes to Jim Bluff (and onto Kyles Landing), turn LEFT here. After a few hundred hards, there is a volunteer trail that comes in at your right. There is usually some type of cairn or rock marker here to point the way. Turn RIGHT and take this volunteer trail. This is the way up to Big Bluff. You'll be coming back this way. 

The rock formation highlighting the volunteer trail up to Big Bluff

The trail takes you up about 350 feet to Big Bluff. You'll pass through a nice little pine forest, and some rocky climbs, but it's generally easy to follow. At about 6.3, there is a nice overlook over the Buffalo River area, and then after a rock climb, another view at 6.5.

One of a couple of vistas on the way to Big Bluff

The trail then turns left and runs along a ledge -- on the right is a sheer bluff and to the left is an increasingly steep drop to the river. This part of the trail also runs beside some ancient mountain junipers. These old trees are rugged and have been here for centuries. They're incredibly beautiful and please respect & protect them. 

Ancient Junipers align the bluff. Always be respectful of these historic trees

At 6.8 you are out onto Big Bluff with incredible views both up and down stream of the Buffalo River. The hike to Big Bluff is a very popular hike from the Centerpoint trailhead and this can be a pretty popular spot on busy weekends. But it's popular for good reason!  The views here are just incredible. This is your second major vista on this hike (and it's a good one!). 

View of the Buffalo River from Big Bluff

Sit and enjoy for as long as you want. (Note: like all bluff areas in Arkansas, be VERY CAREFUL along the bluff. It is a 350 foot drop down and fall here would mean almost certain death. There are not hand rails, no chains, just you and nature. So be respectful and safe and know your limits). 

There are few better views of the Buffalo River area than from the Goat Trail on Big Bluff

When you are done here, you will take the trail back down the hill the way you came to the Old River Trail. You will rejoin the Old River Trail at about 7.6. 

Old River Trail Back to Steel Creek

Turn RIGHT onto the Old River Trail and head back to Steel Creek. There are 5 river crossings in the next 3.3 miles. At each of these crossings are amazing views of the river both up and down stream and past some of the nicest bluffs along the Buffalo.

Fall Color Reflections along the Buffalo

At 7.9, is the first of the river crossings. To the right is Big Bluff -- you can see the ledge that you were just standing on awhile ago. It's an incredible look at this amazing bluff. 

Big Bluff from below at the 2nd of the six river crossings

At 8.4, there is another river crossing -- if you look downstream this time, it has another great view of Big Bluff from the opposite direction. In between these two crossings we noticed some substantial activity from the wild boars that are living in this area. So be aware and on the look-out for them. In my previous hike here I came across a couple of boars in this area so be aware.

Big Bluff at Crossing #3

 

At 8.8, there is another crossing ---- and again, amazing views both up and down stream. 

At about 9.2, there is an old house site up to your left. There isn't a lot standing still, but there is an old cellar there where settlers would have kept food cool during the summers and an old shed. There is also an old homestead up this way if you look around to find it.

And another crossing at 9.5. I encourage you to take a lot of time and explore and enjoy the river. The Buffalo River is the first national river for good reason -- it contains amazing scenery and is just beautiful. 

Fall Reflections

At 10.2, there is another side spur trail that comes in from the right. This is the volunteer trail up to the Roark Bluff Overlook. This is the third vista view along this epic journey. We didn't hike up there on this day as we were tired and chasing daylight a bit, but you can follow these directions to that overlook. If you go up there, at about 2 miles to your mileage for this hike. 

At 10.25 is the final river crossing. Upstream from here is Roark Bluff, one of the more popularly photographed places in Arkansas. If you made the hike up to that overlook, you can see what was below you from that ledge. If you look downstream, this is the bluff of the first vista that you encountered from below.

Roark Bluff from the final River Crossing

From there you'll climb up the river bank to the Steel Creek area and back to your car.

We hiked this trail on a warm day in early November -- and there was a lot of great fall color and the water was pretty low. 

Trail Details

Distance: 10.3 miles roundtrip -- included some exploring. Add 2 miles if you visit the Roark Bluff Overlook.

Difficulty: Very Difficult - it's a long hike with two big climbs and 6 wet water crossings. Be sure you are physically fit, prepared, and have good navigation skills. 

Footwear: Sturdy hiking boots. And bring along water shoes is you want to change out during crossings (we didn't).

Kid Friendly: Not young children. 

Trail Guide: The best guide here is the National Geographic Trails Illustrated map -- but directions of the Buffalo River Trail and Old River Trail (and the climb to Roark Bluff) can now be found in Tim Ernst's Buffalo River Hiking Trails book.

Star Rating: A solid 5 out of 5

Other hikes nearby:

Roark Bluff Overlook

Steel Creek Overlook

Buffalo River Trail - Ponca to Steel Creek 

 

Paradise Falls - Redux

Arkansas has a lot of amazing places. But even better, one of the things that makes it special is that all of the spots feel very different depending on the time of year. Leaf color (or whether they're on the trees at all), water levels, sun angle all makes for a different experience. 

Anyway, a couple of years ago(I'm WAY behind on posting stuff here) we went back to Paradise Falls. We made our first trip there back in 2016 and it was pretty magnificent, but I've been working on my photo skills and I thought some better pics were in order. It's fun looking back to see just how much my photo skills have improved over time. 

Paradise Falls

This is great area. While Paradise Falls (rightfully) is the highlight, there are a lot of secondary waterfalls and water features in the area that would be well worth the visit on their own. But combined, it makes for a wonderful day of hiking. Some of those secondary waterfalls have also gotten names (or, I've at least become aware of the names), so I'll try to mention those in the redux as well. 

Unnamed Waterfall

One other thing I've grown to love about hiking some place multiple times is that I can spend a little less time worrying about way-finding and a bit more time just soaking in the magic of a place. This is probably particularly the case for Paradise Falls -- which, to date, is the only falls we've been unable to locate on our first attempt. My goal for the year is to become a little more familiar with GPS so getting lost is less of an issue. While I love many of the things I find when I'm not where I'm supposed to be, it may be better for my marriage if we got lost a little less often.

Cascades

This time we definitely caught a lot higher water levels than in our first trip. 

Cascades

The area is spending a few resources trying to make some of the key attractions more accessible. There is still no trail here mind you, but they have dramatically upgraded the parking area for Paradise Falls. I'm not including a picture of that, because it's still just a gravel lot, but it does make parking much easier. 

More Cascades. It's really hard to overstate how beautiful the area is.

So, I guess the moral of the story here (if there is one), is don't hesitate to revisit places you've already been to. 

Chumfarger Falls

As mentioned before, a few of the secondary waterfalls have gotten names. I'm not sure who named them, but they have become fairly widely known by these names. Chumfarger is a really nice cascade-type falls -- which are my favorite ones. Hargfarger is similar and just a bit downstream and somehow I didn't get a decent picture of it. 

Cascade

If your curious what Chumfarger and Hargfarger mean or refer to I am not the guy to help you. I've looked it up, and Google was of no help either. 

Up one of the side drainages is a nice little waterfall that has been given the name "Twisted Knee Falls". I have no questions about how this one got its name. The area from this drainage on down to Paradise is slick and rocky and is rough on the ankles and knees for sure. 

Twisted Knee Falls

 

Overall it was a pretty amazing day.

Unnamed Waterfall above Paradise Falls

But as beautiful as the area is, Paradise Falls is still definitely the highlight. 

Paradise Falls

If you want hiking directions, you can see them on my post from 2016. The location hasn't changed. 

Also in the area is The Historic Hedges Hike, Smith Creek Nature Preserve (and Elise Falls), The Glory Hole Falls and the Boen Gulf/Magnolia Falls area. 

Liles Falls - Return Trip

We made our first trip to Liles Falls back in 2011. It's a great area that easily accessible from the Erbie Campground Road -- or along the Buffalo River Trail between Erbie and Ozark.

This falls is in a small drainage -- so it takes quite a bit of rain to get if flowing well. And even then, for only a short amount of time. 

Upper Liles Falls

We've been back a few different times only to be somewhat disappointed by the flow. But for several days around New Years Day we had several days of hard, steady rain and we thought we'd go check it out. And this time we weren't disappointed. 

In addition to some nice flow in the falls, just as we got to the falls it started snowing. The snow created an amazing snow globe effect that just enhanced the feeling of being at this wonderful area.

Looking over the top of Lower Liles Falls

 

We spent a fair amount of time at both the Upper and Lower Falls -- even while it was snowing and cold soaking this beautiful area. We were probably a day late to catch the really good water but overall it was an amazing day. 

Lower Liles Falls

You can find trail directions on the original post. 

There are a lot of other neat things in this area worth checking out - -including the Koen Interpretive Trail, Cherry Grove Cemetery Loop, the Ponds Loop and the Buffalo River Trail from Erbie to Ozark. 

Upper Liles Falls

 

 

Fern Falls - Photos

We made our first trip to Fern Falls back in 2014. You can read more about the trail description here. 

We made a return visit earlier this year and wanted to share some better photos of this remarkable place. 

Fern Falls

Fern Falls

Hudson Shelter/Hudson Shelter Falls

Hudson Shelter & Hudson Shelter Falls is an area you don't hear a lot of folks in hiking/waterfall-hunting circles. It's is many of the major guide books, but I just don't hear of a lot of folks going there very often.

Lower Hudson Shelter Falls

So back in May, we decided to check it out. It turns out that the area is pretty well traveled -but is apparently much more popular among the rock climbing circuit than the waterfall folks. This is primarily because the waterfall is served by a pretty small drainage so it takes a recent rain to get it flowing. That said, even if the water is minimal, there is a lot to see here as it is also home to many great bluffs (the rock-climbers know!) and one of the largest natural shelters in the state - Hudson Shelter. I'm looking forward to coming back here again when the leaves are off for better views of the bluffs and valley below.

Getting there

Hudson Shelter is not far off of Highway 7 south of Jasper. Head south of Jasper about 14 miles (2.9 from the junction of Highway 16) to the community of Cowell. Turn LEFT (EAST) on FR 1204. This is a gravel road just across from the Northern turnoff toward Cowell Cemetery. There are two roads here, neither is well marked, be sure to take the one to the north. Travel on FR 1204 for 4.2 miles and turn RIGHT onto FR 1204-B. Go 100 yards or so and there is a parking area on the right -- and an old logging road that is your trail. 

Old logging road that serves as the trail has several downed pined trees

The Trail

Start hiking along the old logging road. It's a nice trail but becomes a mess pretty quickly as many tall pines have fallen blocking the road. But never fear, because of the popularity of this area among climbers, there is a nicely-worn, and easy-to-follow trail just to the right of the main road. 

After a bit, the trails turns to the left and weaves its way down hill (again, the trail is pretty easy to follow) and eventually finds its way to small creek. This is the creek that feeds Hudson Shelter Falls. The trail then turns RIGHT and follows the creek down toward the falls. After about .5 miles, you'll reach the top of Hudson Shelter Falls. There is a small cascade here as well.

Small Cascade above Hudson Shelter Falls

To get to the bottom of the Upper Hudson Shelter Falls, go to the left (looking downstream) and trail finds its way to the bottom of the waterfall. There wasn't a lot of water on the day I was here (even after a pretty good rain the night before). 

Upper Hudson Shelter Falls

The trail crosses in front of the upper falls (note, it gets somewhat close to the edge here, and can be a little slick, so watch you step!). On the opposite side (right side when looking downstream), there is a rock jumble of sorts that you can work your way down to the base of the lower falls and Hudson Shelter. Be careful on this as well as the rocks are often slick. 

Lower Hudson Shelter Falls (from inside Hudson Shelter). The rock jumble to get to the bottom can be seen behind the falls.

Hudson Shelter is about 75 feet deep and an impressive rock shelter and worth some time to explore.

Inside Hudson Shelter

Beyond the lower falls -- to the right (again looking downstream) are some really nice rock bluffs that are popular with climbers. I highly recommend exploring along the base of these bluffs a bit.

One of the many bluffs beyond Hudson Shelter

Overall, this is a really nice area and definitely one I look forward to checking out more in future visits.

Trail Details

Distance: 1 mile round trip (plus more for exploring the bluffs)

Difficulty: Easy hike to the falls, but probably easy-to-moderate in total because it takes some scrambling to get to the base of the lower falls and Hudson Shelter.

Kid Friendly: Due to the slick and high bluffs, leave the littles at home

Footwear: Trail shoes 

Trail Guide: Tim Ernst's Arkansas Waterfalls

Trail Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Other trails nearby: Fern Falls, Lonesome Hollow Falls, Round Top Mountain Trail

Shooting Stars along the trail. Shooting Stars are among my favorite Arkansas wildflowers

Leaning Log Falls & Adkins Canyon Falls Hike/Bushwhack

The Upper Buffalo Wilderness is one of the most remote areas of Arkansas -- but there is incredible beauty to be found for folks that are willing to explore this natural region. 

Middle & Upper Adkins Canyon Falls

One of the many great areas in the Upper Buffalo Wilderness area is the around Adkins Creek -- and a couple of area waterfalls. This hike isn't for beginners, but if you are comfortable exploring and bushwhacking, there is a lot to see and explore. While most of this can be seen in a single-day hike, we explored the area over back-to-back weekends in April 2020.

This hike is best done in winter or early spring when the water is high (for the waterfalls) but before the bushwhack part becomes so overgrown it's tough to explore. There is no trail in the area, and really not even much of a trace of one for most of the hike.

Getting there

The trail begins at the Dahl Memorial Trailhead in the Upper Buffalo Wilderness. To get there, take Highway 16/21 East from Fallsville and turn LEFT onto Newton County 9100. Travel 2 miles on this gravel road (with one possible exception - depending on weather conditions, this is passable by most 2 WD vehicles) and turn right onto a small road. There is a sign that points toward the Dahl Memorial Trailhead. Travel a very short distance down this road and there is a large campsite here that circles around a huge tree. Park here.

The Dahl Trailhead is named after Jerry Dahl -- the Ozark-St Francis National Forest Supervisor from 1956-1962. Thank you Jerry for your service.

The Hike

The trail leaves the campsite/parking are to the east (right) side of the open area. It starts off down an old jeep road and is a really pleasant hike. 

Upland Swamp

It dips down a bit -- and passes an upland swamp. There aren't many upland swamps in Northwest Arkansas, but this is one of them, and a fine one at that. There is an intersection of sorts right before the swamp -- stay STRAIGHT here so that you pass the swamp with the swamp on your left. 

The jeep road makes for a nice hiking trail. Just don't get too used to it.

The road goes back up the hill and at .8 hits a "T" intersection. Turn LEFT. The trail heads down the hill a bit into a nice little pine forest. This is as pleasant as hiking gets, but don't get too used to it. At 1.1, the trail ends up at a small open field that was probably formerly a food plot. The road continues into the woods on the far end of the small field. There are several really nice red bud trees in this area during spring.

One of many cascades along the first creek

From here, there are a couple of options. For navigational purposes, I find the easiest (and most scenic) route is to head down the road another 100 yards or so and then turn RIGHT off into the woods. At this point, head straight down the hill a few hundred yards until you reach a small creek. This is the start of what becomes some pretty serious bushwhacking and the forest is pretty thick with under-growth. It's steep and tough going from here on out.

More cascades

Once you reach the creek, turn LEFT, and follow the creek downstream to the first waterfall. It is probably faster to hike along the top of the ridge and just make your way down stream going downhill at an angle, but the creek has some nice little cascades and I think following near the creek makes this safer to navigate (no getting lost!) and more scenic and enjoyable. 

Cascade just upstream from Falling Log Falls

Follow the creek and its many cascades downstream -- staying on the left side most of the way down. As you get near the waterfall, there is a place where you're generally forced to hike up the hillside on the left and there is a large rock cairn here. Drop steeply back down the hill and there is a small trail of sorts here that crosses the creek across the top of Leaning Log Falls and in front of a beautiful cascade. If you followed the creek down, this is approximately 2 miles from your starting point (it's closer to 1.7 if you go the most direct, but less scenic route). 

There is a safe way to get to the bottom of the falls on the right (facing downstream) side of the falls. 

Leaning Log Falls

This is called Leaning Log Falls, even though the log has long-since washed away. 

Adkins Creek

From Leaning Log Falls, to get down to Adkins Creek, and Adkins Canyon Falls, find your way down to Adkins Creek. This is the large creek (almost looks like a small river) that is visible downstream from Leaning Log Falls. There is a safe-ish place to climb down near the spot that you used to get to the bottom of Leaning Log Falls. As with all situations in the wilderness, be careful. 

Grotto

One you get to Adkins Creek, be sure to check out the grotto below Leaning Log Falls. It's a beautiful spot. 

Small waterfall along Adkins Creek

Once on Adkins Creek, you'll need to cross to the other side. This will likely be a WET water crossing. Be careful, and with all water crossings in the Ozarks, if you can't see the bottom it is not safe to cross. But both days we went the water was only about mid-calf deep. Deep enough to get your feet wet, but not deep enough to be unsafe. 

Cascade along Adkins Creek

Once you cross Adkins Creek, you'll follow the creek downstream for about .3 miles. There are several amazing cascades and smaller waterfalls along this creek. Enjoy. There isn't a particular route I can recommend other than to stay near creek level, pick your way the best you can, and you might end up getting your feet wet. Getting high up on the hill to the right will keep your feet dry but is steep and slick, and not all that much fun in my opinion.

Neat waterfall area - I want to call this falls 12-Finger Falls...

There is a really neat waterfall through this area that has 12 different small pour-offs and deeply carved water paths that is worthy of checking out. 

My hiking companion along the waterfall area

At .3 (past Leaning Log Falls) the creek passes a really nice waterfall and then there is a creek that comes into Adkins Creek from the Right. There is a small waterfall right here that is also very scenic. And a quick look at this falls and you can see all the way up the canyon and see Upper and Lower Adkins Canyon Falls from here! Definite a scenic spot with waterfalls everywhere! 

Waterfall along Adkins Creek

The main creek also makes for some really nice scenery down stream from this spot as well that worth a look. 

Adkins Canyon Falls

Lower Adkins Canyon Falls

Once you get to the small creek and waterfall on the right, follow this creek upstream for a couple of hundred yards. There is another smaller waterfall about 100 yards upstream in a really nice, deep canyon. This is lower Adkins Canyon Falls. You can see the larger falls behind it. This canyon is beautiful in its own right and not to be overlooked. This small waterfall pours into a deep blue pool. 

Middle Adkins Canyon Falls (upper Falls in the background)

Once you have explored here, make your way up the hill around to the right to get to Upper Adkins Canyon Falls. This is a 42 foot tall water fall where the water falls and then hits the ground and cascades the rest of the way down into a nice pool. There is also a huge rock overhang here. 

Upper Adkins Canyon Falls

This is a really nice area to sit and joy nature at its finest. 

Once done exploring, retrace your steps back to your car. This is nearly a 1,000 foot climb back out from Adkins Creek, with dense underbrush and no sign of a trail, so you will feel it getting out. Just remember all of the amazing scenery you've seen that made it all worth it.

A small spring pours into the creek

Trail Details

Distance: 5 miles round trip. It's about 2 miles to Leaning Log Falls, and an extra .5 to Adkins Canyon. Tim Ernst lists this a 1.7 and .3 respectively, but with some additional exploring this came in at a solid 5 miles round trip for us. 

Difficulty: Very difficult. The first 1.1 miles is a very nice hike, but the remainder is steep and rugged. 

Kid Friendly: No

Footwear: Sturdy, waterproof hiking boots

Trail Guide: Tim Ernst's Arkansas Waterfalls

Star Rating: 5 of 5

Other trails nearby: Glory Hole, Magnolia Falls, Dixons Ford

 

Sneeds Creek Hike

The Sneeds Creek Trail is a trail that a lot of folks know about, but it seems few actually hike. I seldom see photos of the area on social media or online elsewhere. Sneeds Creek is a beautiful hike that includes a lot of natural beauty and old Ozarks history. I suspect the length of the hike (we netted 11.5 miles on our hike) along with the fact that there are 6 wet water crossings keep a lot of folks away. This is also a horse trail, so it can be a little bit rough hiking in places but not too bad. But the trail is worth it, wet feet and all. 

Sneeds Creek

The best way to hike the trail is to hike it in conjunction with the Hemmed in Hollow Trail and create a loop. It could certainly be done as an out-and-back, or in a loop with the Centerpoint Trail if you have a shuttle to get back to your car. But in looping it with the Hemmed In Hollow Trail you get two great trails, and end up right back where you started.

Getting There

The hike starts at the Compton Trail head near the community of Compton. To get there, go to the community of Compton (8.3 miles north of Ponca on Highway 43) and turn EAST on the gravel road immediately across from the JB Trading Post. After .1 miles, turn RIGHT onto the gravel road. Take that .8 miles and turn RIGHT on another gravel road and the parking area and trail head are just at the top of the hill. There is a sign pointing to the Compton Trailhead off Highway 43 and at the 2nd turn on the gravel road. 

The Hemmed-in-Hollow trail starts here. If you look just to the right of the Hemmed in Hollow Trail head there is another trail -- the Sneeds Creek Trail. This is the path that you'll return on.

The Hike

Start hiking down the Hemmed-in Hollow Trail. I won't go into a lot of detail for a bit because it's the same route you take to get to Hemmed in Hollow Waterfall.  

Hemmed In Hollow Falls

At 1.8 miles, you hit an intersection. The trail to the left takes you to Hemmed in Hollow waterfall. The trail to the right takes you toward Sneeds Creek. If you've come this far, you should absolutely check out the waterfall and return back to this spot. If you go see the waterfall, add 1.5 miles onto all of the mileage markers that follow. For the sake of his post, we're going to turn RIGHT here and head toward Sneeds Creek. And excluding the hike to the falls, this intersection is at 1.8 miles. 

Glade area

From here, the trail follows along the top of a small bluff for awhile and then at 2.3, the trail turns sharply left and goes to the bottom of the bluff. There isn't a sign here, and it's fairly easy to miss, but there is a rock slab with steps notched out of it that help you get to the bottom. At the bottom, the trail turns to the left again and down the hill. It then veers right and crosses over a really nice glade area. I always love these little glade areas because the colors are always so vibrant. 

Sneeds Creek

The trail then goes down some more and turns to the left and heads down to Sneeds Creek. The trail runs along Sneeds Creek for a bit until it turns right and crosses the creek. This is the first of 6 crossing of Sneeds Creek -- expect that during wet season that all of these will be wet crossings. Most seemed to be about a foot to 18 inches deep on the day we visited. As with any water crossings, be smart, and know your limits. And if you can't see the bottom, don't cross!  

Sneeds Creek

Once you've navigate the creek, the trail turns to the left a bit (there are a few other volunteer trails on the opposite side of the creek that lead to different camp sites, so stay left). The trail then leads down to the Buffalo River. This is the best place to get a good view of the river on the entire trail.

The Buffalo River

The trail follows an old road bed along the river for a couple of hundred yards and then turns right and starts heading steeply back up the hill again. At 3.0, the trail hits another intersection. To the LEFT is the Centerpoint trail that leads up to Big Bluff and the Centerpoint Trail Head.  Big Bluff is about 1 mile up the hill from this spot. For our purposes, stay to the right. And about 100 yards, you'll arrive at Granny Henderson's Cabin.

Granny Henderson's Cabin

Granny Henderson's cabin is a beautiful old cabin and was home to one of the last people to live in the wilderness area. You can read more about the triumph and tragedy of Granny Henderson here. Remember, this is a national historic site, so please respect this amazing spot. 

Sneeds Creek

The trail heads past the cabin and then back down the hill again and crosses Sneeds Creek again at 3.3. 

Rocky Bottom

Once you cross the creek, the trail turns left and heads upstream a bit and at 3.4 you hit one of the most amazing features in all of the Ozarks. At 3.4, the wilderness opens up to a HUGE rock slab that is larger than a football field. It's a bit hard to describe, but the openness of the area is a stark contrast to the dense wilderness that surrounds it. Sneeds Creek runs across this huge rock slab forming a variety of amazing cascades and waterfalls. There is also a smaller waterfall that comes in from the right. This entire areas is called "Rocky Bottom".

Cascades along Rocky Bottom

Take some time to enjoy the area.  

The trail then enters the woods again near the top of the rock slab on the right side of the creek (when facing upstream). 

Sneeds Creek

The trail goes back into the woods. It runs pretty close to the creek here with a lot of nice views. There are also a few old fields here. There are a few times that the wear of the trail (from people, water and horses) has cause the trail to erode to a couple of feet below ground level. 

Cascade along Sneeds Creek

At 4.0, the trail turns sharply left and crosses Sneeds Creek again. This is the 3rd wet crossing of the hike. This turn is pretty easy to miss, but essentially the trail dips sharpley down and to the left to the creek. You can just see the trail continue on the other side. If you don't cross here, there are remnants of a trail on the side you were on that continues for a bit but then sort of peters out as it hits a bluff area. Turn LEFT and cross the creek. 

Creek Crossing #3

The trail runs along the left side of the creek now for a bit and then goes back down the hill and crosses the creek for a fourth time. Every time the creek is in view it's another amazing, peaceful view. 

Creek Crossing #4 (Note the trail on the right on the other side of the creek)

The trail continues on the right side of the creek for a bit, and then crosses over for a 5th time at 4.4. 

After the creek crossing the trail heads up the hill a bit and for the first time in awhile there is a sign of civilization -- in the form a couple of old car bodies that have been laid to rest in the area. 

Just past the car bodies, as if the beauty and cascades that you've already seen aren't enough, at 4.7 the trail reaches a place often referred to as the "Place of Quiet Cascades". It does not disappoint. 

The Place of Quiet Cascades - Sneeds Creek

In this area there are multiple shorter waterfalls that expand the width of the entire creek -- each is definitely photo-worthy, and so peaceful. It's a great place to stop and have a sandwich. 

The Place of Quiet Cascades = Sneeds Creek

On upstream, are even more cascades and waterfalls. 

Quiet Cascades = Sneeds Creek

And it just keeps going. It's such an amazing stretch of trail along this beautiful Creek. 

Waterfall along Sneeds Creek

This place is simply amazing. 

At around 4.9 the trail crosses the creek for the 6th and final time. The trail then, sadly turns to the right and away from the creek and you see the creek for the last time. 

The trail follows an old road and switchbacks UP the hill. And I do mean up folks. The rest of the hike is about a 1,000 foot climb out of this beautiful canyon. The road is rocky and rough hiking, but easy enough to follow. The trail turns right and straightens out a bit, and then turns back left and on up the hill. 

Trail passing through an open field

As you make your way toward the top of the hill, the trail levels out a bit and passes through a couple of open fields that are now overgrown with cedars and past the remnants of an old rock quarry. 

After 1.4 miles of climbing at 6.4, the trail passes and intersection. To the right is the bench trail that would head back down the hill and connect with the Hemmed In Hollow trail and on over to Wild Vic's Cabin. Stay straight on the main road and up and continue on up the hill. 

At 6.5, the trail leaves the road and heads on a flatter and softer trail in the woods. The trail runs along the base of a steep ridge and stays mostly flat for awhile, then gradually climbs. At 7.2, the trail comes out at the parking lot, just a bit east of where you started, completing the 7.2 mile loop.  

Note, I am using the mileages from Tim Ernst's Buffalo River Hiking Trails book. But while his book says this is a 7.2 mile loop (8.7 if you take the side trip to Hemmed In Hollow), my fitbit said we'd gone 11.5 miles on this hike. Admittedly we do a bit of exploring that adds mileage (and we took a wrong turn when we missed the 3rd creek crossing the first time), even so this doesn't make up for the nearly 3 mile difference in mileage. I guess what I'm saying is that while this is at 7.2 mile loop, be prepared for something a bit longer. If nothing else, with the steep climb out, and the wet shoes, it will feel like more than 7.2! 

Trail Details:

Mileage: 7.2 mile loop, 8.7 if we include the side trip to Hemmed in Hollow

Difficulty: Difficult -- the length, elevation change and wet water crossings make this a pretty challenging trail.

Footwear: Sturdy Hiking boots are required, and bring an extra pair of socks to change into after the final water crossing

Kid Friendly: No

Trail Guide: Tim Ernst's Buffalo River Hiking Trails

Star Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Other trails nearby: Big Bluff, Hemmed in Hollow, Hideout Hollow, McFerrin Point

Photos from our hike October 28th, 2019

Hedges Historical Hike

For years now, I've been wanting to hike an area in the upper area of the Buffalo National River that was rich in history and scenery. Oddly, however, not a lot of "hiking" guides mention the trail, which is mostly used by horseback riders. 

The hike takes visitors back to several historic areas, including an old cemetery, an old school site, an old homestead and some amazing views of the upper part of the Buffalo River, with some amazing scenery in between.

Hedges Hole

The old homestead was the former home of Margaret and Harold Hedges (Hedges Pouroff also bears their name). The Hedges lived in the area for many years and were key players in helping the Buffalo National River gain "National River" protections in 1972. Unfortunately their home was destroyed in a fire (believed to be arson) in 1991. They left their beautiful home site in the Buffalo River and gave the land to the parks service and moved to Harrison.

This hike takes you to their homestead and past many features along the way.

Getting there

The trail head starts at the Boxley Trail head of the Buffalo River Trail. The trail head is just off of Highway 21 1.1 miles south of where the highway crosses the Buffalo River (by Cave Mountain Road) in Boxley. Park at the Buffalo River Trail parking. While the Buffalo River Trail (to Ponca) starts on the opposite side of the highway from the parking area, the Hedges Hike stays on this side of the highway.

Root Cellar at the trail head

At the trail head is an old root cellar and the remains of the old Whiteley Church.

The foundation remains of the old Whiteley Church

The Trail

The trail starts off from the parking area down the gravel road moving away from Highway 21 toward an old barn and scale house. You'll be at the barn after .1 miles. The barn and scale house are key as there are a couple of other old roads in the area.

Scale House

 

Barn along the trail

From the barn and scale house, the trail turns LEFT and heads up the old road. You'll pass a gait that blocks the road and go up the hill then turn a hard right on the road and continue up the hill. This old road will be the type of trail you'll be on for the entire hike and is pretty easy to follow. 

The Old Road that serves as the trail

On up the hill, at .2, you'll pass a small cemetery. This is the old Whiteley Cemetery. There aren't a lot of grave stones there, and only two are faintly legible, but those two definitely tell a story. Both legible grave stones are of children that died at child birth around the turn of the past century -- a reminder of the harsh conditions early settlers lived in.

Born & Died, March 14, 1888

 

Isaac

This old grave marker is being overtaken by a tree

The trail continues up the old road. At .4 it passes a small pond and at .6 a very long stone wall comes into view on the left. The wall runs about .1 miles and is an impressive bit of craftmanship. The early settlers spent a lot of time moving big rocks to build these walls without any type of mortar.

Stone wall

The trail continues climbing up at a gradual pace. At .8, the trail reaches an intersection. At the intersection (just up and to the left) are the remains of the old Whiteley School House. This school house served the youth of the early settlers of the area and it's easy to imagine kids walking these old roads to school each day. Unfortunately, the school house itself burned down in 1999. Only the foundation remains.

Foundation of the old Whiteley School House

At the intersection at the old School House, turn RIGHT onto the road. This is a similar road to the one you've been hiking on and for now, the climbing has stopped. The intersection is about 500 feet of elevation higher than where you started, so you've earned the downhill stretch. 

The road continues gradually downhill. At 1.0 miles it passes a wilderness boundary gate. Continue on the old road.

The Trail

The road passes another old home site that is mostly just a foundation and and the foundation of the old cellar. It also passes a couple of small creeks.

At 1.1, the trail crosses another small creek that has huge boulders. This is a BEAUTIFUL area and definitely worth taking the time to explore. 

Creek and boulder area

Beautiful creek area

Once crossing the creek, the trail bends to the right. It goes up hill a bit, and then back downhill. At 2.1 miles the road finally reaches the old Hedges house.

The Hedges sure had a nice place to live. And there is plenty to explore. There is an old pond off to the left and an amazing stone driveway entryway. Their old mailbox remains near their old workshop area. All that remains of the home are two amazing stone chimneys and some miscellaneous fixtures within the foundation. 

Entry way and chimney at Hedges Homes

 

Hedges

 

Stone driveway entryway

 

Pond by the Hedges Home

 

Old workshop

It's really sad to think that arson forced the Hedges to leave this beautiful place. Once you've explored the home, continue back down on the old road and head down the hill. After a few hundred yards heading downhill the road leads to the Hedges barn.

Hedges Barn

From the barn, there is a semi-marked trail that heads down into the woods at the back and to the right. The trail leads down to the Buffalo River and a beautiful swimming hole that goes by a couple of different names: Hedges Hole (named obviously after the Hedges) and Pickle Hole (named after WP "Pickle" Edgemon who also once lived in the area). Hedges Hole is a beautiful little area and also a landmark or kayakers who are running the Hailstone (the common name for the upper part of the Buffalo River during high water) that they are nearly to Boxley.

Hedges Hole

 

The river serves as a great watering hole for all types of creatures

 

Hedges Hole

 

Hedges Hole

During time of low water, hikers can follow the river back downstream. Eventually a small field will appear on the right and hikers can cut across the field back to the trail head. During times of higher water, this will likely be a WET way to get back, and on this cold winter day we wanted no part of that. So we hiked back the way we came. 

I'm really happy we were able to do this hike. It's a nice hike in its own right, and allowed us to really get a feel for the lives of the early settlers to the area. 

Hike Details

Total Distance: 4.8 miles round trip (plus some for exploring)

Difficulty: Moderate -- it's pretty easy hiking but the trail has an elevation gain of about 500 feet each direction

Footwear: Sturdy Hiking boots are probably preferred

Kid-Friendly: Yes!

Hiking guide: Takahik Hiking the Ozarks Guide (by Danny Hale)

Other sites nearby: The Boxley Valley, The BRT Boxley to Ponca, The Lost Valley Trail, Smith Creek Nature Preserve Trails (Forthcoming), Upper Buffalo Wilderness Boen Gulf Access.