Exploring Northwest Arkansas

Old Boxley Grist Mill

The Old Boxley Mill is someplace I’ve heard about for years, but I’d never been, so this past weekend we took the opportunity to go explore the old mill.

The Mill itself is just off Highway 43, just a few miles east of the junction to Highway 21 and is generally NOT open to the public, but the National Parks Service does open it up every October on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays for a few hours each day (10a-1p) for public viewing.

The three-story mill was built in 1869 by Robert Villines.

While up until this point, most grist mills were built on rivers, and reliant on seasonal water supplies, the mill in Boxley used a mill pond that was created by impounding a nearby spring so water was available year around.

The mill was used for 80 years, under three different generations of Villines. At its peak the milling capacity was about 200 pounds of meal per hour.

By the late 1950s, demand for meal began to decrease as store-bought bread became more popular and after a flood damaged the mill, Clyde Villines (the 3^rd generation owner) shut down the mill.

After years of falling in disrepair, the mill eventually was turned over to the National Parks Service and was entered into the National Historic Register of Historic Places in 1975.

In 1984, the National Parks service began restoring the old mill – but money is always tight and restoration was not complete. However, the Gorgas Science Foundation saw the innovation in the mill and also helped to renovate the old mill.

Today, the first floor renovation is complete and you can see an old pulley system, the old turbine, a couple of flour bins, the hopper where mill was poured in before it was ground and many bins that carried ingredients between floors. 

If you get a chance to check out the mill, it’s worth the trip to check out a little piece of rural American History. And if you go, and the mill is open, remember to bring a flashlight. There is no electricity in the mill so it can get pretty dark at times.

Distance:  It’s a short walk from the parking area that is just off the highway.

Difficulty: Easy

Footwear: Whatever you have on

Stars: 3.5, out of a possible 5.

Kids: Definitely

Old Boxley Church, Walnut Grove Cemetary

The Buffalo River Valley is full of history -- of early settlers that settled in the area for its lush natural resources and fresh water supply.

And many of the best historical sites are easily accessible in the Boxley Valley. 

One of these is the old Boxley Church. 

The church building was built around 1877 and served as both a church and a school. The school later consolidated with the Jasper School District, but the church remained. While a new church was built right next door, the old church remains in use as a community center.

Last summer, the community worked really hard to raise money to remodel the old church building -- spending about $75,0000 on the renovations. While the first floor remains with a lot of the historic charm -- with the old original hardwood floor and chalkboards still in place. The upstairs has been remodeled. The building still has no indoor plumming -- just as it was when it was constructed.

The building is a really cool look at a history that has long since past --but the history remains to remind us of where we've come from and a look at how we've gotten here.

Next door to the church is the old Walnut Grove Cemetary -- and both sit in just a fantastically beautiful location in the river valley with high bluffs surrounding the area. Both are well worth a quick stop off of the highway in Boxley to take a look around.

Rush - Morningstar Loop and Old Mine Trail

These two trails combine for a nice little family-friendly hike and educational tour through the Historic Ghost Town of Rush. 

The oldest structure in Rush.

To get to the community of Rush, follow the instructions here, then park at the first parking area you come to on your left (just past the row of old buildings that are on your right). 

The Morningstar Loop has a lot of signs to tell the story of Rush.

We're going to start on the Morningstar Loop Trail, which is a short .1 mile loop that starts off to your left.  The trail starts off and passes and old smelter – the oldest structure in Rush dating back to 1886, then continues up, passed the remains of an old Livery Barn that was built in the 1890s, a great view through the trees at the old homes and general store you passed on the way in, passed an old Blacksmith shop (that is still standing and pictured here) and then the remains of the Morning Star Processing Mill, and several other old ruins.

A view of the old general store below.

This little loop (which is about .2 miles long) has a lot of history and reading --- and worth taking the time to spend reading the plaques to learn about the history of the area.

The old livery barn is in great condition.

Midway through the Morningstar Loop is a route that heads to the left and UP the hill. At this point, if you're just doing the short Morningstar Loop, you can continue off to your right past some more old ruins and back down to the main parking area.  If you are doing the Old Mine Trail, then you'll turn left and head up the hill.  This is a pretty steep climb but the trail is really good so it shouldn’t be too bad.

Once at the top (.2 miles) the trail levels out.  There is a small, unmarked path to the left here that is the start of the Monte Cristo Loop Hike from this direction.   For our purposes, stay on the main trail (it’s easy to tell which is the main trail). 

As you follow along this main trail you’ll pass at least 7 different mine sites. The trail is pretty level with a few ups and downs – but is all very easy to follow.  The mines are pretty interesting by themselves, and the remnants of the old Zinc Ore mining that was the whole reason for this former community’s existence. Zinc was mined here from about 1880 until after World War I.  Things stopped for awhile and the mines were re-opened in the 1960s – but only for a brief amount of time.

All of the mines here are fenced off, with additional grates that prevent you from entering the mines if you go around the fencing. Please obey the fencing – these old mines are unstable and not safe to enter.

As you pass the last of the mines on this trail, the road will head back down hill. At one point, the main trail heads LEFT off the old road.  Take this to the left, and it will head off into the woods (straight will take you to the main road). 

Eventually the trail hits an intersection.  The path to the right takes you to the second parking area, the toilet and the River access. The left takes you up the Monte Cristo Trail (which can loop you back to the starting point but please read my overview of that trail before doing so).

If you are just hiking the Morning Star Trail and the Old Mine Trail, you can either head back to your car via the main road or back the way you came for a round trip hike of about 3 miles.

Length: 3 miles (out and back)

Rating:  3 stars (out of 5)

Difficulty:  Easy

Kids: Definitely

Footwear: Tennis Shoes or trail runners are fine

Trail Book:  None Required, but covered in Buffalo River Hiking Trails

Rush -- The Monte Cristo Trail

The Monte Cristo Trail is one of three short hiking trails in the Rush area.  It is a short little trail, but probably my favorite of the trails.  There is an extended part of this trail at the end that can connect to the other trails in the area to create a loop hike that I'll talk about at the end.

The trail is scenic and easy to follow.

To take this trail, start off at the second trailhead in the Rush area (near the shelter with the picnic tables and toilet and near the River).  The trail starts off into the woods back behind the parking area. There is a small ruin here at the start – it is the remnants White Eagle Mine.

Head off into the woods, and after a short stretch you’ll hit an intersection.  To the left is the Old Mine Trail, to the right is the Monte Cristo Trail. Stay right.

This part of the trail is on an old road -- and is a great part of the trail.

The trail runs off into the woods and eventually swings off to the left. Down below you have some great views of the Buffalo River and Clabber Creek.  At about .4, the trail intersects with an old road, turn left on this road.

The view of Clabber Creek below.

This old road serves as a beautiful little hiking trail. It heads up the hill at a somewhat gentle grade, to your left are some bluff lines along Rush Mountain, and to the right is a steep drop-off to Clabber Creek with more mountains in the distance.  I really do love this little stretch of trail.

Old mining equipment from the '60s.

At .5 miles you get to the Monte Cristo mine – you’ll know it when you see it!  It’s the largest of the mine openings in the area.  There is also some old mining equipment that sits outside – leftover from the somewhat brief mine reopening in the 1960s. You can follow the road another .2 miles until the end of the maintained trail. At this point, you can turn around and head back – for a round-trip route of 1.4 miles.  I recommend this route (and all of “conclusion” data below reflects this option). 

However, if you want to make this a loop hike, there is an option to do so.  It’s not a maintained trail, it’s hard to follow, and a bit dangerous, but if you’re into bushwacking and finding your own way, there are some great views from the top of this trail.

So, if you decide to go on the loop hike, go to the sign where it says “end of maintained trail” and instead of turning around, head off onto the tracked route to the left. This is pretty easy to spot because everyone enters at the same place.

Now, the trail is sort of marked – there are blue trail markers around if you’re looking out for them. There are a lot of downed trees along the ‘trail”, so it is easy to lose. The trail goes up, then to the right, and then up again. At  1 mile from the trailhead, the trail goes straight up to the left through a little break in the bluff line (there is a tree in the middle of this break with a blue tag on it).  It is the only real break in the bluff line, so it’s important that you keep an eye out for it.

Once through this break in the Bluff, we never really found a trail again. The best advice I can give you is to find the easiest way to the top and then follow the trail ridge across the top of the Mountain. There really are some great views from up here when the leaves are off the trees.

If you decide to go over the mountain ridge, be cautious and enjoy the views.

Follow the mountain ridge for quite awhile here (it has a slight uphill grade).  At some point the trail heads back down the mountain. I confess, we never found the trail down – but it’s hard to get lost here, because you’re at the top of the mountain, and you know you have to go down on your left. However, my hint here is to stay on the ridge much longer than you think you need to. Just like the side of the mountain you just came up, there is a steep bluff line on this side as well, so there aren’t many options to get down. And, that side of the ridge is a series of mines (the ones you’ll pass by on the Mine Trail) – so there is a lot of fencing, deep drop offs and likely some unstable ground.  But assuming you find your way down, you’ll hit a the mine trail – to the right takes you to the Morningstar Parking area, to the left, down the old Mine Trail. If you make this entire loop, it’s about 3.6 total miles (depending on how close to the original trail you stay.

If you take the loop route, be careful, take a good topographical map, and do your best to stay on the trail.  I hope someday they can complete this trail, because right now, it’s really rough bushwacking.

Monte Cristo Trail:

Distance: 1.4 (roundtrip on the actual trail – 3.6 miles if you try the loop)

Difficulty: Easy for the hiking portion, Difficult for the “loop” hike version over the mountain.

Rating: 4 stars

Footwear: Trail Runners – although Hiking Boots are advised for the Loop hike

Kids: Yes (for the out and back route, definitely not for the loop).

Guidebook:  none required if you stay on the trail, but if you plan to attempt the Loop Hike take the Buffalo River Hiking Trails Book for guidance.

Rush -- Historic District

Rush is a really interesting little area right along the Buffalo River.  The community dates back to the 1880s when mines opened as prospectors mined for Zinc Ore that was discovered in the mountains here. The mines were eventually shut down, and then reopened in the 1960s, only to eventually close down again.  Rush was once a booming community with an estimated 11,000 residents, but the entire place is now abandoned, with little left other than a few abandoned buildings, the remains of a few others, and a few hiking trails that connect them all.  No one has lived in this area for 4 decades, so it is a unique little ghost town right along the Buffalo River.

The Buffalo River in Rush

To get to Rush, simply take Highway 14 South from Yellville. About 10 miles south of Yellville, there will be a sign that clearly marks the left hand turn to Rush. Turn here and follow the paved road all the down the hill to the River area. 

One of several old houses along the stretch of road entering Rush.

There will be two parking spots here.  The first will be right after you pass a row of abandoned old buildings.  Several of them are houses, and one, is what remains of the town General  Store. This store used to be the town center and all of these old buildings date back to around 1899 when the community was at its peak.  Across the road is a series of old stone fences, stair steps, and old foundations that are also fun to explore.

The old General Store -- once the center of town.

Just after this row of abandoned houses (which makes up the majority of the Rush “Ghost town” area, there is a parking spot to the left).  This is the trailhead to the Morning Star Loop (a short and historic loop trail). If you follow down the road further you’ll get to a split in the road – to the right is the campground, to the left is another parking area with a small shelter house.  This spot is closer to the river and I prefer to park here because the river makes a nice little place to cool off after your hikes are completed. 

Michelle explores an old staircase.

There are 3 different hiking trails here. The very short Morning Star Loop Hike which hits a lot of the historic highlights of the community. The Mine Trail, which is a mostly level trail that runs past many of the historic mine entrances (all of which are fenced off – so obey the fences and signs and stay out – they are unstable).  I will cover these two trails together in a separate blog entry.

The final trail is the Monte Cristo Trail – a short uphill hike that I think is the most interesting of the trails.  There is also a primitive trail that can connect all three of these routes together into a 3.6 mile loop hike – I discuss this option with the Monte Cristo trail breakdown.

Rush is one of those unique little areas along the Buffalo that is totally different from the other  areas  along the river. There is a lot to explore here, so give yourself plenty of time to explore.

There is a lot of history here and is clearly defined. Obey their warnings though.

Old Villines Homestead

Over the past couple of years, the Buffalo River National River folks have been spending a lot of time and money fixing up many of the old homesteads along the river.

The Villines  Homestead is one that has been getting a lot of attention.

The Homestead was build between 1880 and 1940 and belonged to Jim Villines.  “Beaver Jim” as he was known built the cabin when he got married to his wife Rachael.  His boyhood home is across the river at the interchange from Highway 43 to the Ponca River Access and is driven by tens of thousands of tourists a year.

Beaver Jim’s adult homestead is easily accessible from the Ponca Buffalo River access. Just head down to the Ponca river access and park on the side of the river you came in on. Cross the old Ponca low-water bridge and then head out on the old road to the left. This is a part of the Buffalo River trail to Steel Creek.

Quickly, the trail will split – the Buffalo River Trail will head off to the left and the road trace to the right --- up the hill. Head up the road trace and within a few hundred yards you’ll see the old Barn. Go check that area out.

On the back side of the barn is a short trail that heads up the hill to the home site. While the barn area is not structurally sound enough to enter, the home site appears to be. Up here there is an outhouse, a root cellar, another old building and the home itself.  The home was once an small cabin, but appears to have been added onto several times and is a good size now. 

Stroll around the homestead for awhile and you can head back on the old road – down the hill this time to your car by the river. Round trip this is only about a ¼ mile stroll.

Mileage: .25 roundtrip

Difficulty Level:  Very Easy

Trailbook:  None

Kids: Definitely

Star Rating: 3 out of 5

Erbie Church

The Old Erbie Church is the undisputed center point of the historic center of Erbie. There is a parking lot near the church that serves as the trail head for the Cecil Cove Loop, the Old Erbie Loop, and a variety of other trail possibilities in Erbie.

According to the national parks service, the locals have said the church was built in 1896 and stands in great shape today, and is still frequently used for various services.

The church is definitely worth checking out if you're in the area.  It's a bit of a challenge to get to (recommended driving routes can be found here), but it is easily seen off the nearby gravel road with no hiking required.  The church is a great look into historic communities that developed along the Buffalo River. There used to be a school and a general store in the area too...but the church and a couple of old Homesteads (including the Parker-Hickman Homestead across the river) are all that remain of this historic community.

Old Erbie Area Loop Trail



Erbie is one of those areas with a lot of great hiking trails and several roads that can double as hiking trails that can be looped together to form a wonderful hike of almost any length.  The problem with Erbie is getting there.

The simplest way to get to Erbie is to come in off of Highway 7 on the road just South of Pruitt.  This road takes you by the Koen Experimental Forest, the Erbie Campground and the Parker-Hickman Homestead  and is clearly marked at the highway.  However, this route requires you to have to ford over two water crossings to get to the trailhead (which are actually North of the river.  These crossings are usually fine to cross for even a 2-wheel drive vehicle,  however, when the water is high, particularly in late Spring, you may want to use another route, or, plan to park on the south side of the river and wade across. 

There is also a route coming in off HWY 43 in Compton (this is the same road that takes you to the trail head of Hemmed in Hollow, Hideout Hollow and McFerrin Point).  This road is VERY steep and rocky – so I don’t advise this unless you have a 4 wheel drive – and even then, I wouldn’t plan on heading back out that direction. The most consistent route to get there is to take the small gravel road near Marble Falls on Highway 7 (just North of the old Dogpatch area) and bring that road in.  It’s long, almost entirely gravel, and pretty bumpy, and VERY scenic – and we’ve never had any problems getting by – which can’t be said for the other routes in.

Once in Erbie, park at the trailhead at the 3-way intersection (just uphill from the Erbie Church).  You’ll start this simple loop hike from here.

This is a pretty easy loop hike (only about 1.8 miles) – with much of it following gravel roads and old settler roads.  You’ll start off this hike by heading down the gravel road past the Erbie Church (if you came across the river ford, this is the road you came in on. You’ll follow this road about .6 miles until you get to an old Homestead – the Buchannan-Clagett Farmstead.  Buchannan’s gravestone is in the Cherry Grove Cemetery across the river.

At this Homestead, you’ll turn right on the small road and pass by the cable gate and past the large barn.  Just past the barn, the path splits.  The larger gravel road that heads up the hill goes to a horse camp.  Stay on the lower path – which is also an old road but much more overgrown. This road is part of the Old River Trail.   This part of the trail follows along an open field and a large mountain in the background and makes for some great photos. 

Once you get past the pasture, the trail splits. The Old River Trail heads off to the left and quickly crosses the river, you’ll want to stay relatively straight to stay on the hiking trail – this is at about .9 miles.

This next short section is a bit overgrown but short and you quickly hit a set of rocky stairs that climb up the bluff. This is pretty short, but it’s a steep (and very scenic) climb up these stairs to the top of Goat Bluff. Once to the top, you’ll be following along the top of Goat Bluff for about .3 miles and there are spectacular views of the river and the countryside from the top. Take a few minutes to enjoy the views, eat a sandwhich, whatever, but take the time to enjoy the views.  Oh, and be VERY careful – one slip could be horrible as it’s a long way down.

Once you get to the end of Goat Bluff, you’ll hit another gravel road. This also goes back to the Horse Camp. Stay straight for about 15 yards and you’ll hit another intersection.  At this intersection, to stay on this loop, you’ll head right.  (Straight will take you down a beautiful rocky trail that in .4 miles leads to the JW Farmer’s Homestead. If you fancy a longer hike you can head down to this old Homestead (which is on, and a part of the Farmer’s Trail) and then either head back to the road from there or double back to the intersection at the top of Goat Bluff).

Assuming you’ve turned right on the trail (not the road) at the top of Goat Bluff.  You can follow this trail another .5 miles.  At the road, turn right, and it’s a short stroll back to the parking area where you left your car.  We didn’t actually do this part of the trail as we enjoyed the scenery along Goat Bluff so much that we just hiked down to the J.W. Farmer Homestead and then doubled back the way we came. If you take the actual loop hike the route is 1.8 miles and a nice way to spend an afternoon.

Distance: 1.8 mile loop

Difficulty level: Mostly easy, the short climb up Goat Bluff will be a challenge for the very young and very old

Rating: 4 Stars (out of 5)

Kids:  Older kids are fine – but keep an eye on them on the bluff areas

Shoes: Trail Shoes are fine

Guidebook: Tim Ernst: Buffalo River Hiking Trails

Time of year: This hike is great year around – but I highly recommended it during the fall and winter.

Cherry Grove Cemetery Loop

Another historical aspect of the Buffalo River National River area is that it contains many old cemeteries.

These old cemeteries provide a lot of insights into the people who first settle the area and the difficulties of daily life in the wilderness in the early days.

Many of the gravestones bear the names of the nearby homesteads. Some have been replaced by newer gravestones. Some are barely legible.

One great little loop hike is back to the Cherry Grove Cemetery.

The trail leaves from the back of the Parker-Hickman homestead in the South Erbie area.

When you go to the back of the homestead area, there is a sign that points you to the cemetery. One way it points you is up the trail to the right, the other is up the road to the left. To do the loop hike, take the trail to the right.  This is the Buffalo River Trail that runs between Kyles Landing and the Erbie Campground.

The trail heads up a bit, past an open field and some abandoned farm machinery (I'm guessing this has been sitting there since 1978 when the final residents of the Parker Hickman Homestead moved away) and eventually comes out on a bluff that overlooks the Buffalo River (pictured). The trail follows along the river for a stretch and then cuts back inland, and eventually meets up with an old road. Turn left on the road and walk UP the hill a stretch and you'll get to the old Cemetery.

It's worth the time to read through the old grave stones. You'll note that many of the gravestones are of newborn children (usually less than a few days old) -- a reminder of just how tough giving birth was in a time when hospitals really didn't exist in the west. One family lost two newborn children 20 years apart. There are several "Parkers" buried at this site....likely family members of the original settlers homeowners from the homestead site at the start of the trail.

There is also a gravestone of a man who was "killed by Confederates" - (shown below) a rich testimate to what was a dramatic time in our nation's history. Because of the rugged landscape in the Ozarks, there weren't a lot of battles that took place here during the Civil War, but these people weren't completely isolated from it either.

After you take some time to explore, head back on the old road in the opposite direction that you came in on. This will take you back up the hill a bit and around before dropping sharply back down the hill to the Parker-Hickman Homestead. The whole loop is about 1.9 miles -- with the Cemetery being essentially the half-way point.

This can be a great little half day trip when coupled with exploring the old homestead and some time to play in the river (assuming river levels are safe for doing so).

There are also a fair number of other sites and adventures along this road to South Erbie and in the area if you want to make a fuller day of it.

Distance: 1.9 miles

Difficulty: Easy

Time of year: Can be enjoyed year around -- although in July and August I might recommend just going out and back on the old road to avoid overgrowth on the Buffalo River Trail during those months.

Footwear: Trail Runners -- although tennis shoes would work.

Trail Book: There isn't really a guided route to this loop -- but if you look at Tim Ernst's Buffalo River Hiking Trails Book you can catch a map of the area on the Kyles Landing to Erbie stretch of the Buffalo River Trail. It has details on the BRT stretch of the trail to the Cemetery -- and the old road is noted on the map.

Kids: This is a very kid-friendly trail in both directions.

 

Parker-Hickman Homestead

One of the many interesting aspects of the Buffalo River area, in my opinion, is the glimpses it gives you into the lives of early settlers of the area.

Because so much of the area is unspoiled, there are a host of old homestead sites in the area that remain in their original states...and give a glimpse into how early settlers of the area lived.

One of the best-preserved areas is the Parker-Hickman Homestead. 

The Homestead is very accessible -- just off the road on the road past the Erbie Campground on the way to the river (just before you pass the river Ford into the Northern Erbie area) or the Buffalo River Trail from Kyles Landing to Erbie passes right through the Homestead. 

The Homestead was built between 1847 and 1849 by the Parker Family. By 1912, the Hickman Family had moved in. The homestead remained in the Hickman Family until 1978 -- and the entire area was purchased by the National Parks Service in 1982.

In 1987, the Homestead was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The Homestead now remains very much as it was maintained over the years. The house has been added onto (the addition on the left side of the house as you look at it was added on in the early 1900s and served as a farm supply store during the 1920s -- the room was lined with old newspapers (Pictured) that I hope to some day have a chance and just read through some of the old articles. There are also many other buildings including a couple of barns (one pictured) that were built over the years -- mostly by the Hickman family.

It's amazing to be able to walk through the old farm house and see it as it likely has been for 150 years, see the stream that runs through the property (and an old rock that seems just perfect for laying clothes washed out in the stream to dry).

I really like this little area, and it certainly gives you a feel for what it would have been like to have been an early settler to the area. 

Just up the hill a bit is the Cherry Grove Cemetery.  We'll explore the little loop trail up to the Cemetary in later post.