Exploring Northwest Arkansas

Tyler Bend Trails - River View Trail/Rockwall Trail Loop

It's sometimes easy for me to forget that the Buffalo National River is a part of our national parks system (not really a national park, but as a National River, managed by the national park service).  We spend most of our time in the upper Buffalo area  that is very remote, and outside of a few of the trails and campsites, there aren't a lot of signs of the National Park Service.

Tyler Bend is a bit different though. At Tyler Bend there is a really nice visitors center that has displays, sells merchandise such as books about area wildlife & plant life, trail maps, and National Park merchandise as well as a ranger on hand who can answer a lot of questions you may have about the area. The Tyler Bend area also has a lot of great campsites and a beautiful pavilion.

If you're heading to the Buffalo River area, this is probably one of the most developed and accessible points along the river. With that comes several really nice hiking trails that  range from .8 miles long to 1.5 miles long that can be combined together for really solid day of hiking (or more -- as the Buffalo River Trail heads out in two directions from Tyler Bend as well). Most of the trails head out in generally a southern direction and then can be connected by the Buffalo River Trail to make loops of various lengths to fit your desired hiking length/time (See map)

For our day, we decided to take the Riverview Trail and loop it with the Rockwall Trail -- which made for a very nice 4 mile loop. It includes some fantastic views of the Buffalo River, a lot of peaceful wooded sections of trail, and some nice historical features as well. 

Getting there

The Tyler Bend area is just off of Highway 65 -- about 8 miles south of St. Joe and 12 miles north of Marshall. It is on the south side of the river and very well-signed.

To start the trail loop, we parked at the visitors center - -and the Riverview trail starts on the west side of the visitors center.

The Trail 

The River View trail heads down the hill into the woods and then follows along a large open field. The trail hits a small overlook over the Buffalo River and then turns a bit left into the woods. 

The trail then turns further left and at .3 crosses a small wooden bridge and then turns back right and follows a drainage back toward the river. Then, at .7 the trail turns hard left and heads UP a steep hill. 

The next about .2 miles is a steep climb with an elevation gain of about 300 feet-- but there are several pretty nice overlooks over the river where you can stop and take a look over the vast Buffalo River Valley while you catch your breath. (Note: Be VERY careful along some of the bluff lines as there are several areas with very steep drops).

At .9, the trail hits a wooden observation deck that has a great view of Calf Creek coming in from the left and upstream on the Buffalo River. At this point, there is a side trail that comes in from the left -- this is a return trail if hikers want to do the River View Trail as an out-and-back semi-loop hike. We did not take that trail.

From the overlook, we remained on the main trail as it heads out on the level away from the river. 

At 1.4, the trail reached the Collier Homestead. The Collier Homestead was the home of Sod and Ida Mae Collier for more than 30 years. The Colliers settled the area in 1937 as a part of the Homestead Act of 1862 and lived in this rustic cabin without electricity or running water until the early 1960s. The cabin had come into much disrepair by the time the National Parks Service bought the land in 1987, but today, both out-buildings and the home have been returned to a refurbished condition so that visitors can get a feel for what life along the Buffalo River would have been like in the early part of the 20th Century.

After spending a little time checking out the homestead and the surrounding grounds, continue straight ahead on the trail. Shortly, the trail hits a couple of intersections. The trail to the right is the Buffalo River Trail heading upstream 13.1 miles toward Woolum. The trail to the left is the Return Trail and connects back with the River View trail near the overlook and goes back toward the visitors center. Stay STRAIGHT -- and this trail is the Buffalo River Trail (BRT) and heads toward Grinders Ferry/HWY 65. 

At .1 on the BRT, the trail quickly passes a parking lot (the trail from the parking lot to the Collier Homestead is handicap accessible) and then crosses over the main road and then back into the woods. The BRT  follows along a bench on mostly on the level through a really nice wooded area.

At .4 miles on the BRT (1.9 miles from the start) the trail intersects with the Spring Hollow Trail on the left and after 1 mile (2.5 miles total) the trail passes the Buck Ridge Trail. Both of these trails head down the hill to the left and come out at a parking area near the amphitheater which is a short walk from the visitors center.

We stayed straight and followed the BRT through the wooded area. The trail joins a large/deep ravine for a stretch which creates beautiful views down into the valley below. At 1.7 miles (3.2 total) the BRT reaches the intersection of the Rock Wall Trail. We turned LEFT here. The Rock Wall Trail heads over a ridge and then descends fairly steeply into a ravine. After crossing a small creek, the trail turns sharply right and follows the creek to the bottom of the hill. 

At the bottom of the hill, the trail turns LEFT and is level and follows an historic Rock Wall (the trail's namesake) back to the campground. The wall itself is short and crumbling as the moss, moisture and mother nature have taken quite a toll on its stability and height. But it's really pretty neat, and the entire area through here is very pretty.

The trail follows the rock wall for nearly .5 miles before the wall sort of ends and the trail head out toward the campground. From the BRT to the campground is .9 miles on the Rock Wall Trail.  At the campground, there is a nice bathroom with running water and from there, it's a short .2 mile walk up the hill toward the visitors center where the loop was complete.

Overall there is a LOT to see and explore in this area and this four mile loop was a really nice afternoon hike that offered a lot of great views, some great hiking, and a little bit of history along the way.

Trail Details 

Total Distance: 4 mile loop

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Kid-Friendly: Older kids capable of doing the 4 mile hike with the 300 foot elevation climb will be fine....and again, be sure everyone is safe near any bluffs at overlook areas.

Footwear: Trail Shoes or hiking boots

Trail Guide: Tim Ernst's Buffalo River Hiking Trails or the National Parks Service has maps of the area at the Visitor's Center

Star Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Trail photos from hike on November 16, 2016.

 

 

Morning Light

Sun rays reflect poke through the fog near along the Buffalo River near Steel Creek. Nature has an amazing way of speaking to us.

Fall morning at Roark Bluff

Roark Bluff is a popular spot for photographers. It's easily accessible, beautiful, and tends to have a variety of different lighting in the early mornings as the sun rises and reflects off the rocky bluff. Many an outstanding photo has been shot here.

Last fall, my wife bought me a spot in a Tim Ernst Photo Workshop (thank you Michelle!). I was super excited to take the course. I've enjoyed Tim's photography for years, and his hiking guides have been an invaluable resource as we've hiked the trails and waterfalls in Northwest Arkansas. So I was eager to learn some photography skills -- and in addition, enjoyed hearing some great stories and getting to meet someone who's words have inspired many a person to hike the Ozarks (including me).

And, I decided that as much as I love hiking the area, learning a few skills and tricks that would increase my odds of getting a good photo or three to share was well worth the investment for the course.

This picture was one of the early ones I took as the sun was barely rising and is one of my favorites that I took from the morning shoot. I love the stillness of the water, the reflections, and the hint of the beautiful day that is coming.

The Nars/Skull Bluff

The Nars is one of those places that people photography a lot, but finding directions on how to get to the area are a bit more challenging. And because the "easy" way to get there requires crossing the Buffalo River it can be a bit intimidating. 

However, on a really nice fall day this past October, we decided to go check it out. These two places are really unique places along the Buffalo River and truly worth checking out. 

The Nars is essentially an area of bluff that over the years was eroded away by the Buffalo River on the West and Richland Creek on the East. While Richland Creek has moved a bit away from the bluff over the years, the bluff remains, leaving a super-interesting narrow area of bluff that can be crossed on foot and offers pretty amazing 360 degree views of the middle part of the Buffalo River valley.

While in the area, you'll definitely want to also check out Skull Bluff -- an interesting area of bluff along the river that appears as if the eyes of a skull are looking out from the water.  Both use the same trail for a bit so we'll start at the same trail head and then take both trails.

Getting there

The trail begins in Woolum along the Buffalo River. To get to Woolum, take Highway 65 to the Community of St. Joe (24 miles South of Harrison). In St. Joe, turn WEST onto State Highway 374 (There is a sign to Woolum pointing the way). After 1 mile the road turns slightly to the right and becomes gravel -- this is Searcy Highway 14. Follow this 5.6 miles to Woolum. There is a large parking area, a sign, and a pit toilet on your right - park here.

The Trail

From the parking area, continue straight down the road toward the river on foot. At .2, the road reaches the river. As you look at the river, upstream is to your right, downstream to your left, and then there is another large creek that connects on the other side of the river: That is Richland Creek. 

The best place to cross is about 100 yards upstream from where Richland Creek connects with the Buffalo River. Be sure not to cross downstream from where Richland Creek enters the Buffalo - otherwise you'll have to cross it too!  The river levels were pretty low the day we went so crossing was relatively easy. 

Note: If the water level is high and you cannot see the bottom DO NOT attempt to cross. This is a wild river and could be very dangerous at high river levels.

Once you cross the Buffalo River, the trail follows the river upstream for a few hundred yards and then curves to the left higher up on the river bank and then curves to the right. This is easy to follow and is actually a jeep road. If you have a 4WD and conditions are right you can drive right up to the base of the Nars. But it's a scenic and easy hike so I recommend just hiking it. 

The trail follows this road the rest of the way and this is actually miles 164-165 on the Ozark Highlands Trail. You can actually drive in on this road from the south and the Richland Wilderness area also.

After crossing the river, the trail goes another .4 before hitting a wilderness sign. 

At the sign, the main trail continues straight and follows along a bluff line. There is also a spur trail to the right that heads out across a pasture. That spur trail goes to Skull Bluff. We'll come back to it later.

To get to The Nars, remain on the main trail for another .8 miles. At this point, look to your right for a dip in the bluff height. At its lowest point, there is a "trail" that leads up to the ridge. You'll have to scramble up to The Nars here. 

From the Nars, you'll get a beautiful view of both the Buffalo River and Richland Creek valleys. It's a great spot to sit for a snack, relax, and enjoy this vast world we live in. 

As with all bluffs in Arkansas, be very careful as it is a very narrow bluff and it can be a long, steep fall in many places, so exercise caution.

When you are finished, hike back the way you came. Along the way back, you may see a couple of other trails that lead up to the bluffs -- feel free to explore -- there are many great views to be had from atop the bluffs.

Skull Bluff

The trail head and initial trail for Skull Bluff are the same as for the Nars. However, once you get to the wilderness sign, take a RIGHT along a spur trail that heads out across the pasture. 

This trail follows through this pasture most of the way. At one point you'll pass the Hamilton Cemetery - -which is small, old, and not maintained.

 The trail continues through the pasture with river bluffs off in the distance. Unlike the trail to the Nars, this is not a maintained trail so it is really rough in places and at times will have a lot of thorny vines. I'd highly recommend not doing this in the middle of the summer or without long pants on. 

After approximately 1 mile from the sign, the trail heads down the hill into some trees and comes out at the Buffalo River. Skull Bluff is just upstream from here (to your left).

The best way to see Skull Bluff is to cross the river here (again, be VERY careful at river crossings and do not cross during high water) and turn left along the shore until you come to Skull Bluff.

Very impressive indeed! 

When you've enjoyed the bluff, you can head back across the river and back the way you came.

Trail Notes

The Nars:

Distance: 2.8 miles round trip

Difficulty: Moderate-Difficult. The trail is flat and mostly easy. However, the combination of the need to wade across the Buffalo River and the scramble up to the Nars make this a bit challenging.

Kid-Friendly: No

Footwear: Trail shoes or hiking boots are great. Bring some water shoes for the river crossing if you don't want to hike with wet feet.

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

Star Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Skull Bluff

Distance: 3 miles round trip. Or, add 2 miles to above to hike to both places

Difficulty: Moderate-Difficult. There isn't much elevation change here either, but there are two water crossings to get there which ups the difficulty significantly.

Kid-Friendly: No

Footwear: Trail shoes or hiking boots, and again, water shoes for the water crossings

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

Star Rating 4 out of 5

 Other trails in the area: Buffalo River Trail; Woolum to Highway 14, Ozark Highlands Trail toward Richland Creek Campground, and Tyler Bend Trails and Gilbert Area Trails are also nearby

Red Bluff overlook - Buffalo National River

I've seen pictures of the Red Bluff Overlook for many years but few people attempt to provide directions to this unique spot. Red Bluff (which isn't really all that red) is an interesting spot along the Buffalo National River where the river makes a dramatic horseshoe curve that allows you to look both up stream and downstream at the same time. It's a dramatic view that is pretty easy to get to but I think I see why people don't promote it a lot -- because it has the potential to be a pretty dangerous.

Getting There

To get there, go to the small community of Gilbert along the Buffalo National River. Gilbert is a bustling little river stop during the height of floating season and is just downstream from Tyler Bend.  Most of the buildings here date back tot he early 1900s - -and it's just 3 miles off of Highway 65. 

When you get to Gilbert, there is a "T" intersection at the General Store. Turn LEFT at the General Store onto Osborne Road (the road to the right leads down to the River). Drive up the hill for a couple of miles (road turns to gravel just as you leave town), turn RIGHT onto Tomahawk Slab Road and follow it for a little more than a mile and then turn RIGHT onto Mercy Road. There is no sign for Mercy Road, but it's a pretty large triangle intersection so easy to spot. Go for about 3/4 of a mile down Mercy Road (stay left at the V) and there is a spot where the road dips down and then there is a fairly large pull-off parking area on the right. Park here. This is a pretty good road for a gravel road and we made it easily in our 2WD vehicle.

From the parking area, there is a little trail that leads a bit down the hill to a couple of different overlook areas -- both only a few yards from the parking area.

WORD OF WARNING. There is a lot of loose gravel at the overlook area and the only thing between you and a 200 foot fall is an old Cedar Tree. If you choose to go here; like many of the bluffs along the Buffalo River, be VERY careful. 

This is an exceptional little spot and one we plan to get back to during the spring and fall color seasons.

"Trail" Details

Distance: A few feet 

Difficulty: Moderate

Footwear: Shoes with a good grip

Kid-friendly: No