I first hiked Alum Cove several years ago - -and it wasn't the best experience in the world. We hiked this on a hot day in August, which was probably a mistake, and the trail had only recently been reopened after a huge ice storm had caused severe storm damage the winter before.
But I kew this area deserved a second chance -- and our return visit highlighted why this a very popular hiking and picnic area. It's a relatively short hike that provides a LOT of great features including a couple of waterfalls, a cave, a small stream and the highlight, the Alum Cove Natural Bridge. This is a very family-friendly destination and a lot of bang for your buck while hiking.
Getting There
Take Highway 7 South out of Jasper for 15 miles and then turn RIGHT (west) onto Hwy 16 toward Deer (There is a faded sign at the interestcion). After roughly 1 mile on Hwy 16, turn RIGHT onto CR 28 (there is a sign here also) and travel three miles until you see a large sign for the Alum Cove Natural Bridge Area. Turn RIGHT at this sign, and it will dead end at a large parking area that includes several picnic spots, a large picnic shelter, and a pit toilet.
The Hike
As noted before, this is a relatively short loop hike (only 1.1 miles) but has a LOT to see, hikers should plan to spend a little time enjoying the area.
The trail starts off behind the lower picnic area and heads down the hill. It has a couple of switchbacks until it reaches the bottom of the hill and ends up directly at the Natural Bridge.
The Bridge is huge - -and one of the larger natural bridges in the area measuring in at 130 feet long and 25 feet wide.
While the Natural Bridge is the highlight of the trail, there is still a lot of other great things to see in the area
From the Natural Bridge, the trail heads out on either side of the bridge and makes a loop. We decided to go left before the start of the bridge and follow the trail clockwise.
The trail immediately drops down to the bottom of the hill and then splits -- to the right goes to the bottom of the Natural Bridge and to the left continues on the loop trail. I'll note here, that my favorite views of the Natural Bridge are from the bottom.
We continued down the trail to the left and soon came upon a crossing over a small stream. With the recent rains, there was a fair amount of water flowing in this little stream.
The trail then goes back up the hill toward the bluff line at the back of the trail. Once the trail hits the bluff line, there is a large opening in the rock that forms a nice cave. The cave is tall (about 16 feet or so) and there is a separate, smaller opening that you can exit from and it's worth a bit of time to explore (kids will love it!).
From the cave, the trail turns right and follows along the bottom of the bluff. This is a really beautiful area.
After a few hundred yards, during wet weather season, there is a nice little waterfall that tumbles over the edge of the bluff.
The trail continues to a crack in the bluff line that creates several cave-like areas where hikers can go in and out of the different bluff lines making for a really cool section of the trail.
From here, the trail turns away from the bluff and heads back toward the Natural Bridge. It goes down the hill and crosses the small stream via a small bridge, and then heads back up the hill toward the Natural Bridge.
Then, the trail goes back up to the top of the bridge and heads back to the parking area. The hike back up the hill to the picnic area is the toughest elevation change in the trail but is not too bad and has a couple of benches where hikers can stop and rest and enjoy the serenity of the area.
The Alum Cove Trail is a relatively popular trail -- but even over a holiday weekend we only came across a few people on the trail, so it makes for a nice area that offers a feel of seclusion without being truly in a remote area. We really liked the trail and will be back.
Trail Notes
Distance: 1.1 mile round trip (does not count additional exploring).
Difficulty: Easy
Kid-Friendly: YES! The creek, and caves will be great for kids. Just keep a close eye on them at the top of the Natural Bridge. While there is a fence there, it would be easy for a kid to climb through so do keep an eye on them.
Footwear: Trail Shoes will be fine
Trail Guide: Tim Ernst's Buffalo River Hiking Trails, Arkansas Nature Lovers Guide, Arkansas Hiking Trails
Star Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Also Nearby: Lonesome Hollow Falls, Fern Falls, Round Top Mountain, Big Creek Cave Falls
Date Hiked: May 29, 2016
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