Exploring Northwest Arkansas

Liles Falls

  
We had been coming down to Arkansas for several years before we ever heard about this waterfall and only then upon reading about it in a book. It's super-easy to get to, and very picturesque, and yet, it isn't a place that people talk about a lot.

Liles Falls is just off the road on the way to the Erbie Campground. As you are driving on the road to Erbie you pass the Koen Interpretive Trail, the Ponds Loop and a little picnic area (I'll talk about all of those at a later time) and at one point, cross a little stream and there is a parking area there on the right.

If you park your car there and then walk back out across the creek there is a very well-traveled trail that dips down into the woods from the opposite side of the creek. It isn't a maintained trail, but it's flat and easy to follow -- and the falls is only about a quarter of a mile of flat trail from the road.

Once you get to the waterfall, the scramble down to the bottom is a little challenging but can be done by most active individuals -- and when they get to the bottom, they'll be greeted by a wonderful, 41' tall cascading waterfall. 

This waterfall is also easily accessible off of the Buffalo River Trail between Erbie and Ozark.

We came during the wet season, but it had been several days since it had rained and the falls was just a small little cascade. I've seen some wonderful photos of it on flickr and plan to come back after a good rain to see it in all its glory.  Even with a small stream of water, it was still a beautiful place to sit and relax for a spell before heading back to the car.

Star Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 (this may go up if I go on a really wet day)

Difficulty: Easy -- although the scramble to the bottom of the falls is a little tricky

Footwear: I recommend trail shoes -- but tennis shoes would be fine

Kids: Except for very young kids this should be easy enough. May be a bigger challenge for the elderly.

Trail Guide: Tim Ernst's Arkansas Waterfalls book

 

The Ponds Loop

The Ponds Loop is a sort little trail (about a .4 mile loop) that is right off the road driving into the Southern part of Erbie (for the purposes of this blog I will differentiate south Erbie from north Erbie because the river crossing here is not always able to be crossed and definitely not always able to be crossed for those without a four-wheel drive).

The Loop starts just across the road from a little picnic area. The little route to the South Pond (pictured first with my lovely wife Michelle posing in front) is flat and wide and is actually handicap accessible. A short trek through the woods gets you to the North pond (secong picture). And then, it's another short little walk back to the parking area.

This little loop can also be added to the Buffalo River Trail -- Erbie to Ozark stretch.

This is an easy and scenic trail and great for people with young kids or for the elderly.

Distance: .4 miles

Difficulty Level:  Easy

Footwear: Anything will work

Children: Definitely

Guidebook: Tim Ernst - Buffalo River Hiking Trails

Time of Year: Winter/Spring/Early Summer (I imagine these ponds will dry up a lot by the end of summer and into the early fall).

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.