Exploring Northwest Arkansas

Hammerschmidt Falls - Buffalo National River area

It was a particularly rainy weekend throughout most of Arkansas, and on Saturday I was getting a little bit of cabin fever and decided to try to get out for a bit. My typical hiking partner decided to sit this one out (something about cold and rainy), so I decided to go check out Hammerschmidt Falls. Hammerschmidt Falls is only a short distance from our cabin -- but we have never hiked to it. It sits at a pretty high elevation, so I've always assumed it would take a lot of water to get going; but after 2 days of steady rain I thought the timing would be perfect.

I was right. 

Getting There

The parking area for Hammerschmidt Falls is along Highway 74 between Jasper and Low Gap. From Low Gap, go 2.4 miles toward Jasper and pull off on the road that goes to Horseshoe Canyon Ranch. Horseshoe Canyon is a very popular rock climbing destination and also boasts a 1/2 mile long zip line. There is a big sign at the road so it's tough to miss. There is a small parking area right there as you turn onto the road that goes to Horseshoe Canyon. Park here.

The trail follows a small, old road on the opposite side of the highway from the parking area.

The Hike

The hike starts off on the old road heading North. The road follows alongside a privately owned pond for a bit and then veers right and slightly down the hill. After about 1/4 of a mile the road will be chained off with a "Wilderness Boundary" sign -- the creek will cross the road here.

This is the creek that forms Hammerschmidt Falls.  At the creek, turn LEFT and head down the creek about 200 yards and you will get to the top of the falls.  The trail here isn't an official trail, but it is fairly well worn. 

Hammerschmidt Falls is a 43 foot tall waterfall that pours into a very nice hollow.  

There is a super nice cascade area above the falls that is worth taking the time to check out.

To get to the lower part of the falls, follow the "trail" about another 80 yards or so along the top of the ridge and there will be a steep but accessible way to get to the bottom of the falls. 

Hammerschmidt Falls is on the upper-most section of the Indian Creek Drainage. While there will be a lot of temptation to follow the creek downstream (the "trail" continues well past the falls), going down the entire drainage is NOT recommended unless you are an experience canyoneer and have good equipment with you.  For the vast majority of people, I recommend seeing Hammerschmidt Falls, and then checking out the rest of the Indian Creek area coming in from the bottom near Kyle's Landing. 

Hammerschmidt Falls is named after John Paul Hammerschmidt -- a long-time Arkansas Congressman who helped get the legislation through that made the Buffalo River the nation's first national river.

When you are done exploring, you can head back the way you came.

Hike Details

Distance:  Roughly 1 mile round trip from the parking area at the top of Horseshoe Canyon

Difficulty: Easy-Moderate 

Children: Older kids should be fine

Footwear: Hiking boots

Trail Book: Tim Ernst's Arkansas Waterfalls

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Cave Creek Bluffs - Ozark National Forest

Last month, we were out and about looking at the spectacular fall color in the Ozarks. We stopped by Sam's Throne -- which is one of our favorite spots for viewing fall color.

However, we had a little extra time and we decided to check out another bluff area nearby -- Cave Creek Bluffs. I've never really seen many pictures of the area, but if Tim Ernst felt the need to include it in his Arkansas Nature Lover's Guide I thought it'd be worth checking out. 

Getting There

To get to the Cave Creek Bluffs area, start at the entrance to Sam's Throne and head SOUTH on Highway 123 toward Lurton. At 3.2 miles, turn LEFT onto a small dirt road. There is a "C" painted on one of the trees there. You can pull down the road a little bit and there is a place where it widens where you can park. If you have a high clearance 4wd vehicle, you can drive down the road another .25 miles to a larger parking area -- but the road itself is pretty washed out in spots so you'll need the clearance. 

The Hike

We weren't in the jeep this trip -- so we parked at the first parking area and started our hike down the road. It's a nice little hike and for .25 miles, it's a nice add-on for the trip.

When we arrived at the second parking area, we took a right and headed into the woods and down the hill until we got to the bluff line.  I'm not convinced this was the "best" way to go -- but we really didn't see any trails around so it was kind of hard to determine. But the trek down to the bluff line here was pretty simple and short. 

As expected, the views from the bluff line were pretty amazing as you look down into the Cave Creek Valley and across a lot of open country. 

At the bluff line, we turned LEFT and followed the bluff line to the main vista -- I'm guess this was about .25 miles from initial bluff - so not far. And the view here was fantastic as well with a much cleaner view of the expansive valley below.

If we had gone to the right, there is apparently a walk-down area that will get you to the bottom of the bluff line and into the area where Cave Creek flows. As you can tell from the photos, we had a big storm that came up while we were there so we'll save that for a return trip -- which we'll definitely make soon. 

As noted, there are no maintained trails here and only once did we really even catch a trace of an unmaintained trail -- but it does look like a very fun area to explore. I would recommend saving the exploring time for the fall/winter when the undergrowth is less. The undergrowth didn't seem severe, but it will make exploring more difficult. 

Trail Notes

Distance: I'm estimating that from the first parking area to the vista is about 1 mile round trip.

Difficulty - Moderate -- not a lot of elevation change, but the lack of clear trails make it a bit more challenging.

Kid-Friendly - Older kids will be fine, large drop-offs at the bluffs may make having littles a challenge

Footwear -- Hiking boots are recommended

Map and Guide Book -- Tim Ernst's Arkansas Nature Lover's Guide

Stars: Giving 4 of 5 for now, but can't wait to explore more.

Other destinations nearby: Sam's Throne

 

McFerrin Point

Michelle and I made our first hike out to McFerrin Point several years ago but it had been awhile since we'd been there so we decided it was time to make a return trip.  It was nearing the end of October and we thought it'd be a great spot to see the spectacular fall colors -- and we were correct.  

Not only is McFerrin Point a great place with a great view -- but because there isn't a maintained trail here, and it's not a particularly popular trail, it is likely that you can have the views all to yourself -- which definitely ads to the enjoyment.

The trail head for McFerrin Point is near the trail head to Hideout Hollow -- and if you want to extend your day, you can easily do both of these trails on the same trip.

The "trail" heads off to the left across the road from the parking area. There is no official trail here, but the route is traveled enough to generally maintain a trail trace most of the way. The trail follows a narrow bench, so as long as you don't climb too high or too low to get off the bench you'll find your way.

The trail heads off into the woods -- there is a small rocky bluff to your left and some intermittent views to your right as you hike down the trail. There are a few places where some downed trees make the trail a bit tough to follow -- but again, as long as you stay on the bench it will lead you to the destination. 

The trail passes below another power line and then back into the woods again. You'll eventually find a couple of very large boulders -- this means you are getting close.

Finally, you'll reach an opening with a spectacular view of the Cecil Creek drainage area, and with views of some of the bluffs along the Buffalo River. Across the way, you can also see the gravel road that heads down to Kyle's Landing and Camp Orr.

Once you get to this opening you're not done. You can dip down a bit to your left and walk across a fairly narrow rock ledge that reaches the final point a little further out. From here you have a 260 degree view of the valley all around you. And in the fall, the colors here are fantastic.

This is definitely a place to spend some time enjoying the view and the surroundings.  

The point is named after Joe McFerrin -- whose family owned a lot of land in this area including McFerrin Point and Hideout Hollow. 

When you are done, you can head back the way you came.

Getting there

To get to the trail head, go to the community of Compton (8 miles North of Ponca on Highway 43) and turn onto the dirt road at the sign directing you to the Compton Trail Head. Follow this road for about 1 mile and then there is a sign that points to the Compton Trail head to the right. STAY STRAIGHT.  3.5 miles from the highway is the Hide Out Hollow Trail head. Continue for another .5 miles, and there is a place where the road bends to the right and begins going steeply down -- and there is a pull-off on the right directly under where the power lines cross the road. Park here. You can also just park at the Hide Out Hollow trail head and hike down the road to this point. Unless you have a high clearance 4WD vehicle, I would NOT recommend driving further than this parking area.

Trail Overview 

Distance: Approximately 1 mile round trip

Difficulty: Moderate -- the hike itself is flat and pretty easy, but because it isn't a maintained trail I'm upping the challenge level on it. The trail could be really tough to follow in the summer.

Trail Guide: Tim Ernst's Buffalo River Hiking Trails

Kid-Friendly - Yes, but keep an eye on them near some of the bluff lines. May not be ideal for really young kids due to trail conditions.

Footwear: Hiking boots or trail shoes

Other trails in the area: Hideout Hollow and Hemmed In Hollow from the Compton Trail head. The short hike to Paige Falls and Broadwater Hollow Falls is also nearby.