Kings River Falls Hiking Trail

One of the great things about hiking and playing in the wilderness in Arkansas is that each time you visit an area, it takes on a bit of a different feel depending on the time of year you go. Different weather and water levels make a big impact, as do leaf color, what flowers are in bloom and who you are sharing the trail with.

Maybe no area represents this more than the Kings River Falls area.

The Kings River Falls Trail is a great hiking trail -- only about 1.2 miles round trip, and filled with beautiful scenery. It's a relatively flat, easy hike, so it's good for kids too. 

At the end of the trail is a 10 foot high waterfall -- and during warm weather, the area can become a (justifiably) popular swimming hole.  It's definitely worth the time to check out.

Getting There

To get there, go to the community of Boston (just a few homes there now) -- which is on Highway 16 between Pettigrew and Red Star -- and about 19 miles west of Fallsville. 

From Boston, turn North onto CR #3175 (gravel, but a good road) for 2 miles and then turn RIGHT onto CR #3415. Stay on this for 2.3 miles and the road stops at a "T" intersection. 

Turn LEFT at the T, and afer a few hundred yards you'll cross a small stream and there is a decent-sized parking area on your right. The sign will mark the spot.

The Trail

The trail takes off just to the left of the sign, and runs along a fence and an open field (to your left) and a creek (to your right). 

After a bit, the trail reaches the Kings River and turns to the left and then runs downstream along the river. After a bit, the trail crosses over a nice footbridge.

The trail continues and is level the entire time so it makes for great hiking.  It's a wide trail that is really easy to navigate.

There are a lot of great little areas to check out along the river so plan to go slow and enjoy the trail and the river a bit.

We hiked this trail on Memorial Day weekend and the trail had an extra special surprise for us. The Azaleas were in full bloom and the bright pink flowers were a wonderful sight along the river.

 

The pop of pink color was magnificent along much of the trail.

 

After about a mile, you eventually get to main event -- Kings River Falls. This is a great, 10 foot high waterfall that is set in just an amazing area. Plan to spend a little bit of time enjoying this fantastic waterfall. 

During warm weather, the swimming hole below the falls becomes a VERY popular swimming hole....so if you are planning to come to this area and want some peace and quiet, then early mornings or during the week are probably best. If hanging out with people who are all having a great time is more your game, a weekend afternoon will work.

Getting to the Overlook

While the hike to Kings River Falls is great, and most people are perfectly fine enjoying the falls itself, there is a bit more to see here.  Just upstream from the falls there is a creek that comes in from the trail-side of the river.  If you follow this little creek upstream a bit there are also a series of waterfalls that come down off the top of the hill.

There is a volunteer trail that heads up along these falls that is pretty easy to follow and when the water is high, they're definitely worth checking out.

Then, to your right, there is another trail that leads back toward the river. 

From this trail, you can get an amazing view of Kings River Falls from high above the Falls on the Bluff and well worth checking out.

Overview

Distance: 1.2 miles round trip

Difficulty: Easy

Kid Friendly: Yes

Footwear: Trail shoes or Keen water shoes

Guide Book: Covered in a lot of places: Tim Ernst's Waterfall Book or Arkansas Hiking Trails.

 

Comments

[Patrick]

Good to see you guys get out as much as I do....good stuf....can't remember if I have commented about this here before. Anyway....i like it.

[Piggyback Rider]

Wow, love the photos. Thanks for sharing, hiking with kids is a great idea too. For toddlers 2.5 y/o + up to 60lbs, try Piggyback Rider - a standing child carrier and you'll surely enjoy outside with them. :)

[Madison Woods]

We went in late January on an unusually warm day for winter. Everyone else in the area had the same idea! Here's some pics for your readers who might like to see how it looks this time of year: https://www.wildozark.com/kings-river-falls/

[San Antonio Injury Attorney]

The hike is versatile- a meadow, big smooth rocks, views of the river, caves/bluffs... Definitely wear sandals! The rocks in the river are not comfortable to walk on at all. And definitely jump in over the waterfall! This is a fabulous spot.

[Laura]

Is camping allowed at kings river falls??

[Brent]

Yes. Remember, out of respect to other visitors you should camp a reasonable distance from the falls. But there is a very good campsites high on the bluff to your left just below the falls if you are facing downstream...