Exploring Northwest Arkansas

Petit Jean State Park - Bear Cave Trail

This is a short trail – that is really less of a trail at this point than a spectacular place to walk around and explore.  But I’ll give you what I think is the best way to explore the area, but really, just looking around and exploring is about is good as anything. The “trail” here is only about ¼ mile – but there is a LOT to see in such a small area.

The trail head to Bear Cave Trail is on Highway 154, one mile west of Mather Lodge.

To begin the trail, leave at the trailhead marker at the back of the parking area.

You’ll start off down the trail and immediately come across several huge stones with pathways cut through them. There are several small walkways here through the large rocks. A couple lead to dead ends, and a couple find their way through to the other side.  The main pathway through will be the “Eye of the Needle” – a very narrow passageway through the stones that is just amazing to hike through. Remember, you should not have to climb up any rock ledges here, so if the road ahead looks challenging at all, you’re not in the Eye of the Needle.

Once you get to the other side of the passageway through the rocks, there will be three options. One goes to the right, which is a short climb to the top of the large boulders you just walked through. This is definitely worth checking out and this trail eventually curls back around to the parking lot.

The pathway to the left curls down to the Bear Cave – which is really more of a small indentation into the stone. This area has a series of wood ties that at one point would have made for a stairway down, but erosion has taken its toll, so the trail is well worn but more of a mess than a trail. This little spur loops around the cave and back up to the parking lot as well.

At the turn, there is also a trail that goes straight - you’ll notice two large boulders to the left as you start out on this trail. At that point, the trail blazes also turn from Pink (which mark the Bear Cave trail) to white – which is where the 12 mile long Boy Scout Trail that goes through the entire park takes off from the area. If you see the white blazes, and only want to do the Bear Cave area, then turn around and head back the way you came.

This is a really fun area and we enjoyed exploring just about every nook in the area. Plan to spend some time here, as it’s a natural playground that is well worth the time to explore. Just be safe if you climb atop any of the boulders.

Distance: .25 miles

Difficulty: Easy

Children: Yes!

Footwear: At least a sturdy pair of tennis shoes

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Petit Jean State Park - Cedar Falls Overlook

Petit Jean State Park is the oldest and maybe most spectacular of the Arkansas State Parks – and is quite large, covering more than 2500 acres.

The showpiece of Petit Jean State Park (and likely the entire state park system), is Cedar Falls. Cedar Falls is the tallest continuously flowing waterfall in the state at 95 feet – and in the spring, has a massive and powerful water-flow that is a sight to behold.

We were there on July 1, so water was slower and less powerful, so instead of taking the very popular Cedar Falls Trail hike to the bottom of the falls, we simply viewed the falls from the scenic overlook.

The overlook is just off of Highway 154 within Petit Jean State Park (see “Getting There” in this post). There is a large parking area. At the base of the parking area, there is a wooden ramp with metal railings that leads you down to the overlook area. 

The ramp is handicapped accessible, and only a couple of hundred yards to get to. The view is a beautiful scenic view of Cedar Creek Canyon and Cedar Creek Falls that sit roughly 800 feet below (note, I’m guessing at the distance down). Enjoy the view of the scenic spot.

There is a hiking trail that leads to the bottom of the falls that starts out behind Mather Lodge. I can’t wait to hike that one on our next visit.

Distance: about 500 yards, round trip

Difficulty: Easy

Footwear:  Whatever you’re wearing will work

Children: Absolutely!

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Petit Jean State Park - Mather Lodge

Petit Jean was the first of, and the inspiration for, the entire Arkansas State Park System. At more than 2500 acres, it has a variety of beautiful terrain, hiking trails, and many structures dating back to 1933 – built by Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Civilian Conservation Corp as part of the New Deal in 1933.

Mather Lodge is one of the historical structures built by the CCC.

With 24 guest rooms, a restaurant, a meeting room, and a swimming pool, the historic lodge (which was remodeled and restored in 2011) offers all of the amenities of a modern hotel, but in the beautiful scenery of Petit Jean and overlooking Cedar Creek Canyon.

Getting there:

To get to Petit Jean, take Highway 154 East from Centerville 13 miles. Centerville is 15 miles South of Dardenelle (which is just South of the Arkansas River from the community of Russellville off of Highway 40). Mather Lodge is just North of Highway 154, turn left at the sign that points you that direction.

Pedestal Rocks Loop

The Pedastal Rocks area is a spectacular recreation area. The area includes two loop hikes. The Kings Bluff Loop is about a 1.9 mile hike. Pedestal Rocks Loop is about 2.6 miles, or, the two can be combined for a 4.3 mile hike. So you can make the area a couple hour stay, or a full day's worth of hiking.

Both hikes go out to large bluff areas with spectacular overlooks that are uniquely different. Meanwhile, both also opportunities off trail for more exploring below the bluff line.

To get to the area, take Highway 7 to the community of Pelsor (which is 28 miles North of Dover, and 28 miles South of Jasper). Turn EAST onto Highway 16. Travel 6 miles on Hwy 16, and look for the signs to Pedestal Rocks on your right. It's well marked. The parking area is right off the highway and includes a pit toilet.

Today we're going to do the Pedestal Rocks Loop. The King's Bluff Loop I cover here.

Pedestal Rocks

The trail starts off behind the pit toilet and across a small bridge. You'll immediately come to  fork in the road. To the right is the King's Bluff Loop. To the left is the Pedestal Rocks Loop. Today, we're taking the left.

The trail will head down a bit and go down nine stone stairs. At .1, the trail will fork again. To the right is the return of the King's Bluff loop. To the left is the return of the Pedestal Rocks loop. Stay straight to take the Pedestal Rocks Loop.

The trail will head out on the level and go through a nice little forest of pines. After a bit, the trail will begin to descend, and then turn right, and then sharply back left again (there is a wooden post at this sharp left). From here, the trail is level for awhile. To your right is a big view and the spectacular bluff line you're here to see -- and it's just going to keep getting better.

Shortly after the trail levels out, there is a small volunteer trail that heads to the bluff. Take it. This view includes one of the "pedestal rocks" that the trail is named for. You'll follow along the bluff for a bit, with great rock formations and views all around. 

At 1.1, there is a road trace that comes down and joins the trail from the left. At the point where the road meets, just to the right is one of he easiest places to go down below the rock bluff and see some of the cool stuff that is below. If you're up for some exploring, go down below and look around a bit.

Below the bluffs

There are no real trails below the bluff, but it's easy to follow and explore. To the right is a walk-through cave that is regularly used for camping, and another smaller cave. There are two "needle eyes" that you can also scramble through, and eventually you'll get back to the bottom of the first "Pedestal" we saw.

As you can see, we had an awful lot of fun climbing and exploring.

To the left, are more caves and rock formations.

One especially large cave has several spectacular views from it.

If you keep going in this direction you get to yet another "pedestal". 

This is a really fun area to explore. Just be careful. While the falls are not as severe here as they would be from above the bluff, you may be inclined to do some scrambling. Just be smart and know your limits.

Once you are done exploring below the bluffs, you can climb back up the way you came down and continue on the trail.

Back on the trail

The trail continues out along the bluffs for awhile -- with more great rock formations, and more great views.

The trail begins to turn to the left as you follow the bluffline back toward the parking area. If you have young ones with you, please hold onto them near any of the blufflines. While the trail is very safe, it is tempting to get too close to the edge of the bluffs and it is certainly a long way down in places.

After following the bluffs for a bit, the bluffs begin to disappear and you're back in the woods. 

After a bit, you'll see a large natural bridge on your right that is big enough to drive a car through. Worth checking out.

Finally, you're back on the trail and heading back UP the hill. A 2.2 the trail finally intersects with the trail you started on -- to the left you get to do the trail again, straight ahead you can do the Kings Bluff Loop and to the right, it's .1 miles back to the trailhead.

Pedestal Rocks Trail Details

Distance: 2.3 miles

Difficulty: Moderate

Trail Guide: None necessary, but covered in Tim Ernst's Arkansas Hiking Trails

Kids: Yes, but please hold onto them near the bluff lines

Footwear: Trail shoes or hiking boots.

 

Kings Bluff Loop -- Pedestal Rocks Area

The Pedastal Rocks area is a spectacular recreation area. The area includes two loop hikes. The Kings Bluff Loop is about a 1.9 mile hike. Pedestal Rocks Loop is about 2.6 miles, or, the two can be combined for a 4.3 mile hike. So you can make the area a couple hour stay, or a full day's worth of hiking.

Both hikes go out to large bluff areas with spectacular overlooks that are uniquely different. Meanwhile, both also opportunities off trail for more exploring below the bluff line.

To get to the area, take Highway 7 to the community of Pelsor (which is 28 miles North of Dover, and 28 miles South of Jasper). Turn EAST onto Highway 16. Travel 6 miles on Hwy 16, and look for the signs to Pedestal Rocks on your right. It's well marked. The parking area is right off the highway and includes a pit toilet.

We're going to do the King's Bluff Loop First.

The Kings Bluff Loop

The trail heads out just behind the pit toilet and crosses a small bridge. Very quickly the trail splits. To the Right is the Kings Bluff Loop, to the Left is the return of the Kings Bluff Loop or the start of the Pedestal Rocks Loop. We'll start off to the right and do King's Bluff.

The trail starts off on into the wooded area and is on the level for a bit. Then, eventually starts to descend. You'll wind through several switchbacks until eventually, at about .8 miles, you'll come out onto a large (and I do mean large) rock bluff. This is King's Bluff. 

There's definitely more to see here than just the bluff, but be sure to check out the bluff for awhile. To the right is a creek that when the water is flowing well forms a spectacular waterfall off the bluff. Further around to the right (off the trail) is another small waterfall area. 

There is a small fence here -- but I think it acts more as a visual barrier than something that will actually save you from falling -- and it's a long way down, so hold onto any youngsters. The view from here is pretty amazing -- particularly during October when the leaves are turning.

 From here, the trail takes off to the left. It curls around the edge of the bluff and then turns to the right. As you make the turn, there is a route down to the bottom of the bluff that you can follow if the water is really flowing and you want to see the waterfalls from below. (We didn't do this this trip because there was very little water). 

Eventually the trail splits. One trails goes into the woods a bit the other basically follows the bluffline. If you are without kids and are sure-footed, I recommend staying along the bluffline -- Just be careful!  

Along this route you'll eventually be following the bluffline -- which will be on your right, with woods on your left. Along this stretch there are a lot of cool rock formations, and more great views. 

Enjoy. Soak it in. 

After about .3 of following the bluff, the trail will start to curl back into the woods and start to gradually head back up the hill. After another .8 from the bluff, you'll cross paths with another trail.  To the right, or straight, begins the Pedestal Rocks Trail (depending on which direction you want to travel the loop).  To the left is .1 miles back to the parking area.

If you're just doing the King's Bluff Loop, turn left and head back up the hill, up 9 rock steps and you'll get back to the parking area. 

If you want to continue onto the Pedestal Rock's Loop, continue reading here.

Kings Bluff Loop:

Distance: 1.9 miles

Difficulty: Moderate

Guide Book: None necessary, but Tim Ernst's Arkansas Hiking Trails covers the area

Footwear: Trail shoes or hiking boots

Kids: Yes. But be VERY careful around bluff lines

 

Buzzard Roost Scenic Area

I don't really know how to describe Buzzard Bluff -- other than, it's just a cool place to explore. We hadn't heard a lot about this place, but had seen mention of it, so we decided to head out and take a look for ourselves. The trail is unmaked, but with some good directions, you should have no problem finding it.

Getting there

To get to the trailhead, take highway 7 to the small community of Pelsor (about 1/2 way between Jasper and Dover) and turn WEST onto highway 123. Take highway 123 4.7 miles and turn LEFT onto FR1802/1805, CR 14/61, Treat Road. (Yes, this road has 5 different road names depending on what map you're using -- it's a prominent gravel road on your left and had a white sign noting it as Treat Road). 

Once on Treat Road, go 6.5 miles down the dirt road (set your odometer, it will seem like forever) and you will come across a white house on your right, and a barn on your left. Find a place to park along the road here. The road is fairly well maintained at this point and can be handled by any type of vehicle. The trail takes off right next to the barn. Try to not block any of the driveways. 

The Trail

The trail takes off just North of the old barn and heads into the woods away from Treat Road. It's not marked, but it's pretty obvious. The trail follows a 4-wheeler road the entire way -- so it is relatively wide and easy to follow (although big mud holes on the trail are a bit troublesome).

The path is pretty flat for awhile, and then turns left and runs along a ridge. There are great views of the valley below on your right when the leaves are off the trees. The trail then turns back righ, and starts to decend a little. And passes a small pond on your left. Keep going. Past the pond, the trail gets steeper down.

At 1.8 miles, there is another four-wheeler road that joins from the left. Ignore it. Shortly after, is another four wheeler road on the left. Make note of this one, because we'll come back to it later. For now, stay on the main trail (which is to the right).

After about another .2 miles, you'll get to a big, roundabout that seems to be a popular camping site and turnaround for four-wheelers. From here, you'll go down the hill on a small trail that is marked with orange paint on the trees. After a hundred yards or so, you'll get to Buzzard's Bluff.

The area is pretty cool -- with a lot of round-topped rocks that look out over a huge valley. We didn't see any actual buzzards, but it sure seems like it would be a fitting place for them.

You'll probably spend a fair amount of time jumping from rock to rock getting some different views and exploring. Just BE CAREFUL. Some of the drops between the rocks are a LONG way down. Explore for awhile.

Once done exploring the rounded rocks, there are other cool things to see here. To your left (as you look out at the bluff) is a small natural bridge that you can scurry down to check out.

To the right of the bluff is a little trail down to the area below Buzzard Roost. Below the Roost is a maze of caves, tunnels and narrow passageways to explore. It appears to be a popular area for camping as well.

There are a lot of neat routes to explore.

Just take your time and explore.

Here, a huge chunk of rock has fallen off the side.

 And some of the openings are quite narrow.

The Large Natural Bridge

After you're done exploring Buzzard Roose, there is one more place in the area to visit. Head back up to the top of the Roost, and start to head back to the trail head. After about .2, you'll note the ATV trail that comes in from the right. Turn right here at the first ATV trail.

After another about .2, the trail will split. Take the trail to the RIGHT. When the trail starts to turn back left (to join the other trail), there will be a small spur of a walking trail to the right that goes straight down the hill. Take it. After about a hundred yards, you'll come to the larger of two natural bridges in the area.

This apparently one of the larger natural bridges in the area. It's a great spot, with a great view of the valley below.

When you are finished here, it's time to head back to the trailhead.

Trail Notes:

Distance: 4 miles (round trip) + some mileage for exploring

Difficulty: Moderate

Children: Yes, but keep a close hand on them when on the bluff areas

Trail Guide: Tim Ernst's Arkansas Nature Lover's Guide

Footwear: Rocky conditions make hiking boots preferrable

Rating: 4 stars out of 5.