Magnolia Falls, Woods Boys Falls and Stahl Falls -- Upper Buffalo Wilderness Area

Last month, the water was running really well and we took the opportunity to make another trip to the Upper Buffalo Wilderness Area to revisit a couple of waterfalls we've previously been to: Magnolia Falls, Woods Boys Falls and Stahl Falls.

You can get directions to the trail head at this post from 2013.

I'll note that while there isn't an official trail to this area, the path to get there is in extremely good shape and a lot of work has been done removing downed trees from the area. 

This area remains one of our favorite places -- and the more I get out, the more I've come to appreciate winter hiking. While the days are short, which requires slightly better planning, the sun angles are less severe, the lack of undergrowth makes for easier bushwhacking, no ticks and a surprising amount of color is provided by mossy rocks and beach trees.

We continued down the old jeep road and then doubled back to the bottom of Woods Boys Falls (you can get directions to it here). 

One of the primary reasons we made the trip was to go check out Stahl Falls. In Tim Ernst's Arkansas Waterfalls book he recommends following the ridge above Magnolia Falls to get to the top of Stahl Falls. However, we wanted to see Stahl Falls from the bottom. 

To get to the base of Stahl Falls, from Woods Boys Falls, cross the creek and follow along the base of the bluffline on the opposite side of the creek as how you arrived. The bluff will curve back around to your left and after about .25 miles you'll get to Stahl Falls. 

Stahl Falls is a 63 foot tall waterfall that begins as a cascade down the bluff and then pours off into a small pool below. There are some beautiful mossy rocks down below the falls and this area falls off sharply to the main creek drainage. 

I will warn that the entire area from Woods Boys Falls to Stahl Falls is steep and rocky so be VERY careful.  I also recommend staying up close to the bluff where it can be a little more flat (and further from the steep drop by the main creek area). 

This is a beautiful area and remains one of our favorites in the area with still much to be seen and explored.

Trail Notes

Distance: Roughly 2.5 miles round trip

Difficulty: Easy-moderate to Magnolia Falls, Moderate to Difficult to Woods Boys and Stahl Falls

Trail Guide: Tim Ernst's Arkansas Waterfalls

Footwear: Sturdy hiking boots recommended

 Star Rating: 5 out of 5

 Other places to visit nearby: The Glory Hole, QuiVaLa Elise Falls, the Boxley Valley. 

Comments

[Tom Hearty]

I've hiked and camped there plenty times but have mostly used it as a campsite while we hiked Terripan Branch or Dismal Holler. We're going back in a few weeks and maybe try to reach the River, not sure how yet, maybe the logging road.

[Hannah]

I took my four kids here yesterday. We wanted to find the base of woods boys falls. We tried hiking along the bluff line but wit my youngest being 7, as we ventured further from the falls, I worried there would be no access down. So abandoned that idea and went back to where the trial forks and down into the ‘gulch’ as I have read. It was about 7pm at that time and my eldest at 14 and I were full of enthusiasm to hike up that creek and possibly find the base to woods boys but my three youngest were getting more and more impatient and angry by the second and it was 7pm. So we hiked back up to the car and left. I’m so sad today because I wasn’t able to find the base of the woods boys waterfall and I don’t know if I could get there from the bottom of the gulch. Can you help me?

[Brent]

I'm glad you found Magnolia -- which is my favorite of this group.

To get to the bottom of Woods Boys:

You took the main trail in and then turned left at the small drainage that led to Magnolia and the top of Woods Boys. Go back to the main trail and then turn left as if you were just continuing on that road/main trail. You'll follow it about 1/4 of a mile (it's a very clear path) as it leads down the hill and then you get to a place were you can very obviously turn left to get around the bluff line. You can then follow the bottom of the bluff line back to the bottom of Woods Boys. The portion below the bluff can be tricky in places so be careful with the little one. But the key is to go back to the main trail and continue on it to get around the bluffline. I hope that helps.