Exploring Northwest Arkansas

Hedges Historical Hike

For years now, I've been wanting to hike an area in the upper area of the Buffalo National River that was rich in history and scenery. Oddly, however, not a lot of "hiking" guides mention the trail, which is mostly used by horseback riders. 

The hike takes visitors back to several historic areas, including an old cemetery, an old school site, an old homestead and some amazing views of the upper part of the Buffalo River, with some amazing scenery in between.

Hedges Hole

The old homestead was the former home of Margaret and Harold Hedges (Hedges Pouroff also bears their name). The Hedges lived in the area for many years and were key players in helping the Buffalo National River gain "National River" protections in 1972. Unfortunately their home was destroyed in a fire (believed to be arson) in 1991. They left their beautiful home site in the Buffalo River and gave the land to the parks service and moved to Harrison.

This hike takes you to their homestead and past many features along the way.

Getting there

The trail head starts at the Boxley Trail head of the Buffalo River Trail. The trail head is just off of Highway 21 1.1 miles south of where the highway crosses the Buffalo River (by Cave Mountain Road) in Boxley. Park at the Buffalo River Trail parking. While the Buffalo River Trail (to Ponca) starts on the opposite side of the highway from the parking area, the Hedges Hike stays on this side of the highway.

Root Cellar at the trail head

At the trail head is an old root cellar and the remains of the old Whiteley Church.

The foundation remains of the old Whiteley Church

The Trail

The trail starts off from the parking area down the gravel road moving away from Highway 21 toward an old barn and scale house. You'll be at the barn after .1 miles. The barn and scale house are key as there are a couple of other old roads in the area.

Scale House

 

Barn along the trail

From the barn and scale house, the trail turns LEFT and heads up the old road. You'll pass a gait that blocks the road and go up the hill then turn a hard right on the road and continue up the hill. This old road will be the type of trail you'll be on for the entire hike and is pretty easy to follow. 

The Old Road that serves as the trail

On up the hill, at .2, you'll pass a small cemetery. This is the old Whiteley Cemetery. There aren't a lot of grave stones there, and only two are faintly legible, but those two definitely tell a story. Both legible grave stones are of children that died at child birth around the turn of the past century -- a reminder of the harsh conditions early settlers lived in.

Born & Died, March 14, 1888

 

Isaac

This old grave marker is being overtaken by a tree

The trail continues up the old road. At .4 it passes a small pond and at .6 a very long stone wall comes into view on the left. The wall runs about .1 miles and is an impressive bit of craftmanship. The early settlers spent a lot of time moving big rocks to build these walls without any type of mortar.

Stone wall

The trail continues climbing up at a gradual pace. At .8, the trail reaches an intersection. At the intersection (just up and to the left) are the remains of the old Whiteley School House. This school house served the youth of the early settlers of the area and it's easy to imagine kids walking these old roads to school each day. Unfortunately, the school house itself burned down in 1999. Only the foundation remains.

Foundation of the old Whiteley School House

At the intersection at the old School House, turn RIGHT onto the road. This is a similar road to the one you've been hiking on and for now, the climbing has stopped. The intersection is about 500 feet of elevation higher than where you started, so you've earned the downhill stretch. 

The road continues gradually downhill. At 1.0 miles it passes a wilderness boundary gate. Continue on the old road.

The Trail

The road passes another old home site that is mostly just a foundation and and the foundation of the old cellar. It also passes a couple of small creeks.

At 1.1, the trail crosses another small creek that has huge boulders. This is a BEAUTIFUL area and definitely worth taking the time to explore. 

Creek and boulder area

Beautiful creek area

Once crossing the creek, the trail bends to the right. It goes up hill a bit, and then back downhill. At 2.1 miles the road finally reaches the old Hedges house.

The Hedges sure had a nice place to live. And there is plenty to explore. There is an old pond off to the left and an amazing stone driveway entryway. Their old mailbox remains near their old workshop area. All that remains of the home are two amazing stone chimneys and some miscellaneous fixtures within the foundation. 

Entry way and chimney at Hedges Homes

 

Hedges

 

Stone driveway entryway

 

Pond by the Hedges Home

 

Old workshop

It's really sad to think that arson forced the Hedges to leave this beautiful place. Once you've explored the home, continue back down on the old road and head down the hill. After a few hundred yards heading downhill the road leads to the Hedges barn.

Hedges Barn

From the barn, there is a semi-marked trail that heads down into the woods at the back and to the right. The trail leads down to the Buffalo River and a beautiful swimming hole that goes by a couple of different names: Hedges Hole (named obviously after the Hedges) and Pickle Hole (named after WP "Pickle" Edgemon who also once lived in the area). Hedges Hole is a beautiful little area and also a landmark or kayakers who are running the Hailstone (the common name for the upper part of the Buffalo River during high water) that they are nearly to Boxley.

Hedges Hole

 

The river serves as a great watering hole for all types of creatures

 

Hedges Hole

 

Hedges Hole

During time of low water, hikers can follow the river back downstream. Eventually a small field will appear on the right and hikers can cut across the field back to the trail head. During times of higher water, this will likely be a WET way to get back, and on this cold winter day we wanted no part of that. So we hiked back the way we came. 

I'm really happy we were able to do this hike. It's a nice hike in its own right, and allowed us to really get a feel for the lives of the early settlers to the area. 

Hike Details

Total Distance: 4.8 miles round trip (plus some for exploring)

Difficulty: Moderate -- it's pretty easy hiking but the trail has an elevation gain of about 500 feet each direction

Footwear: Sturdy Hiking boots are probably preferred

Kid-Friendly: Yes!

Hiking guide: Takahik Hiking the Ozarks Guide (by Danny Hale)

Other sites nearby: The Boxley Valley, The BRT Boxley to Ponca, The Lost Valley Trail, Smith Creek Nature Preserve Trails (Forthcoming), Upper Buffalo Wilderness Boen Gulf Access.

 

 

Stepp Creek Falls - Ozark National Forest

Stepp Creek is a fantastic area in the Ozark National Forest in an area that is part of the Buffalo River watershed. While it is best known for it's name-sake waterfalls, there are several secondary waterfalls and water features in the area that make this fantastic polyfoss area with 6 named waterfalls & cascades, and several other smaller cascades. And at about 3.2 mile round trip hike, that's a lot of enjoyment for fairly minimal hiking. 

Stepp Creek is a tributary of the Little Buffalo River (which eventually flows into the Buffalo River). The trail here is mostly bushwhack, and unmarked, although some of the trail follows an old logging road for easier hiking.

The week between Christmas and New Years featured a lot of rain, and Michelle and I used the time off around the holidays, and rainy weather, to visit some of our favorite waterfalls in the area. We had been to Stepp Creek before, but it had been awhile. And I'd actually never gotten an opportunity to write a blog post about the -- so I thought a return visit to brush up on directions would be helpful. And with the water flowing really well, it made for some really (in my opinion) good photos of the area.

Getting there

From Edwards Junction (which is the Junction of Highway 16 and Highway 21, 11 miles SOUTH of Boxley), turn EAST on Highway 16 (toward Deer). Drive 4 miles (this is 1.5 miles west of the community of Nail), and turn LEFT (north) onto Forest Road 1227. Drive .8 miles and turn LEFT at the fork, staying on FR 1227). After .25 miles, you'll pass a couple of cattle pens (one on each side of the road) and enter a wooded area. The parking area is almost immediately on your left in the wooded area. 

The Trail

From the parking area, begin by following the old logging road in front of the parking area down the hill. This road is closed off to auto traffic (by some big rocks and a large berm) but makes for very nice hiking.

After about .4 miles on the logging road, turn LEFT and start heading down the hill. Essentially, you'll then head down the hill approximately .25 miles until you get to the bottom of the hill. Stepp Creek is at the bottom of the hill.

I don't have a lot of advice here as there isn't much for even volunteer trails down the hill, just make your way down as best you can. There also isn't really a right or wrong time to head down, as you'll eventually hit the creek. However, at .4 there is a small drainage that I like to follow down because I don't hike with a GPS and following the drainage makes it easier for me to find my way back up. But once you get to the bottom of the hill, the hike becomes magnificent!  

Once you arrive at Stepp Creek, turn RIGHT and follow the creek downstream. Again, there isn't much of a trail here, so just find your own way. There are a lot of amazing water features the entire way so I prefer to follow as close the creek as possible the entire way. 

After approximately .8 miles from the car, you'll arrive at the top of the first waterfall. This is the 25 foot tall Upper Stepp Creek Falls. This is a really interesting waterfall with multiple tiers. 

The best way to the bottom is on the right side of the falls while looking downstream. Enjoy the falls, but there's a lot more to come! From here, continue to follow the creek downstream. When there is a lot of water, there's another small waterfall that comes in from the opposite side of the creek.

Continue on down the hill, and after about 100 yards, you'll get to the next waterfall -- which is the 12 foot tall Lower Stepp Creek Falls. From here, you can see both waterfalls from the same spot!

This is just a magical area. 

Continue downstream. There are a lot of great cascades in this next stretch. 

After about 100 yards downstream, there is another waterfall: Intersection Falls. 

Intersection Falls is aptly named as just downstream from here, there is another creek, Upper End Creek, that pours into Stepp Creek. 

From this intersection, we'll turn LEFT and follow Upper End Creek back upstream where several other waterfalls await. 

After a couple of hundred yards, you'll first get to Upper End Creek Falls.

A bit beyond this waterfall is Upper End Creek Cascade:

At the top of the cascade, you can just barely see another waterfall -- this is Upper End Creek Tier Falls -- which is also worth the hike up.

The entire area is just amazing. 

From here, I generally retrace my steps back to the car. There is a "shortcut" across the top ridge that can get you back to Stepp Creek Falls more directly, but I find there to be a lot of thicket and not all that pretty of a hike, so I prefer to hike along the creek to get back. 

In total, we hiked about 3.2 miles to see all 6 waterfalls. About a mile of that (.4 each way) is on the old logging road and easy hiking; the rest is pretty serious bushwhack. First, down the hill (and back up!). But then the area along the creeks is slick and rocky. And during leaf-off, it's really easy to step on some leaves thinking they are on a rock and fall into a hole up to your knee or thigh. So it's pretty rough hiking, but worth every bit of it in my opinion. 

Total elevation gain is about 750 feet climbing out.

Trail Details

Distance: 3.2 miles

Difficulty: Moderate-Difficult Bushwhack

Kid Friendly: This trail isn't suitable for younger children

Footwear: Sturdy hiking boots strongly recommended 

Trail Guide: Tim Ernst's Arkansas Waterfalls

Rating: 5 of 5

Nearby: Dismal Hollow, Glory Hole Falls, Boen Gulf Area, Smith Creek Nature Preserve

Hemmed in Hollow Falls -- from Compton trailhead

One of the very first hikes I made in the Buffalo River area 14 years was to Hemmed In Hollow Falls from the Compton Trailhead. At 209 feet tall, Hemmed in Hollow Falls is the tallest waterfall between the Appalachian Mountains and the Rocky Mountains, and while the hike isn't easy, it is very popular as hikers are eager to see this towering beauty of the falls with a trailhead that is easy to get to without a 4WD. While the trail to the falls is maintained, at nearly 1500 feet of elevation change the hike is not for the faint of heart, but a breathtaking waterfall and secluded canyon awaits those who make the trek.

Getting there

To get to the Compton Trailhead, go to the community of Compton (8.3 miles north of Ponca on Highway 43) and turn EAST on the gravel road immediately across from JB Trading Post. After about 1/10 of a mile, turn RIGHT onto the gravel road and follow it .8 miles and then turn RIGHT onto another gravel road. The parking area and trail head are just up the hill. There are signs at the turnoff of Highway 43 and the 2nd gravel road that point to the Compton Trailhead.

Also, it's worth noting that JB Trading Post is a fantastic establishment here in Compton. They make a great sandwich, and also have maps, trail guides, outerwear, socks, camping supplies and virtually anything you need to make your hike and camp a success - -and it usually pretty quality equipment that you'll be glad to keep long after your hike.

 This is a wet-weather falls, so it is usually best enjoyed in the winter and spring, and during times where there has been a fair amount of moisture. 

The Hike

There are two trails at the trailhead -- the one to the right is a horse trail that heads down through Sneads Creek; the one on the left is the main hiking trail. Today we took off on the hiking trail.

The trail heads down the hill gradually at first. Off to the left you'll begin to notice a small creek -- this is the creek that feeds Hemmed in Hollow Falls.

At about .7 miles, there is an intersection. Stay STRAIGHT at this intersection. The tail to the left takes you to Wild Vic's Cabin, and to the Right connects with the horse trail.

The trail continues going down the hill. In some steep parts there are stone stairs built to make it easier - there are other places that the steep slope has caused the trail to wash out a little and makes for some less-than-sure-footed hiking. There will be great views all around (particularly during leaf-off) so be sure to enjoy them. While the excitement of getting to the falls is usually prominent, at some point as you continue down thoughts about hiking back out of here is going to be HARD. 

At about 1.5, after a few switchbacks, the trail turns right at a rock slab right along the top of an overlook. It's a beautiful overlook and if you look closely you will see a notched out "U" in the bluff and you can see the top of Hemmed in Hollow Falls flowing over the ridge.  This is a great spot to enjoy -- and even a better spot to stop and rest to catch your breath on the way back up!

Keep going though, the best views are only a mile away. 

At 1.8 miles there is an intersection -- at this intersection, turn LEFT. To trail coming in from the right is the trail that comes in past Big Bluff and the Goat Trail from Centerpoint Trailhead. 

When you turn left, the trail goes downhill and back below ridge of the the trail you have just hiked down. 

At 2.3 you reach a creek that is downstream from Hemmed in Hollow and another trail intersection. Stay straight (left) on the trail.  The trail to the right goes .5 miles to the Buffalo River (and this is the trail that comes in from the river if you choose to float and then hike back to the falls). 

Follow the trail as it now goes back uphill to the big falls. After a bit you will cross a small creek that comes in from your left. Below here is a very nice double waterfall that is approximately 14 feet tall (note on the pic above that the falls coming in from the left has pretty low flow on this day).

Continue on the trail and you'll come across yet another nice, 18 foot (ish) tall waterfall on the main creek.

After 2.5 miles you'll reach Hemmed in Hollow Falls. It's a beautiful 209 foot tall falls that pours off into an amazing canyon. It really worth spending the time here to enjoy the area and have a sandwich or some snacks. You've earned it -- and you're going to need to refuel before the trip back up. You can easily climb back up behind falls (although, be careful, the rocks are VERY slick here). And notice that when the wind blows, it often makes the falls move from side to side and around almost like it's dancing in the wind.

After enjoying one of the finest places to in all of the Ozarks, you'll head back UP the trail the way you came. As mentioned before, the hike back up is no joke, and with 1500 feet of elevation gain in just 2 miles you'll feel the burn. Take your time, and drink plenty of water. 

Trail Notes

Distance: 5 miles round trip

Difficulty: Difficult hike on maintained trails

Footwear: Sturdy Hiking boots preferred

Kids: Older kids will be ok

Guide Book: Tim Ernst's Buffalo River Hiking Trails has the best trail description, although it's also covered in Tim Ernst's Arkansas Hiking Trails

Stars: 5 out of 5. 

Nearby: Hideout Hollow Trail, McFerrin Point, Paige Falls and Broadwater Hollow Falls, and the Centerpoint Trailhead to Big Bluff.  

Neil Compton Double Falls, Owl Falls, Amber Falls - Upper Buffalo Wilderness Area

Hawksbill Crag/Whitaker Point is among the most popularly visited and photographed spots in all of Arkansas - and for good reason. However, deep in the valley below Whitaker Point lies a beautiful valley formed by Whitaker Creek, and during wet season, an abundance of waterfalls that are not visited nearly as often as the bluff above.

This area has been on my list for awhile, but awaiting the right weather conditions (times of high water and leaf-off are best) has been key -- and the area proved to be worth the wait.  There are no formal trails here, but we found everything we were looking for without much problem and without a GPS, but with the help of a guidebook. I suspect reaching these areas in the late spring or summer when the undergrowth has grown up would be a challenge.

Getting there

From the community of Ponca, take Highway 43 south through the Boxley Valley, then turn LEFT (South) onto highway 21. Just before you cross the Buffalo River bridge in Boxley, turn RIGHT onto Cave Mountain Road.  Cave Mountain Road is a VERY steep, very bumpy road -- although 4WD is not required during most weather conditions. Once you get to the top of the mountain, you'll pass Cave Mountain Church at 5.4 miles, the Hawksbill Crag trailhead at 6 milesand then go another 1.1 miles to the "Upper Buffalo Wilderness Boundary" sign. Park along the road here making sure to not block the road from passing traffic.   

The Hike

The "trail" starts off directly behind the sign and heads STRAIGHT down the hill. As noted before, there is no official trail here, so just pick your way down the hill as best you can -- if you are headed down, you are heading the right way. We hiked this on January 2nd, so there wasn't a lot of undergrowth and found it to be pleasurable enough hiking -- on the way down. The hike back up was a bit harder.

At about .3 miles, we reached a creek -- this is Whitaker Creek and it runs the length of the valley. The creek will be your "trail" the rest of the way. 

As soon as we got to the creek, we immediately saw a waterfall coming in from our left from a side drainage. We checked out unnamed waterfall #1. I was also glad to see this falls because it made for a nice marker for when we would need to go back up the hill to get to our car.

From here, Amber Falls was just a few 100 yards upstream. Amber Falls is a very nice 18 foot tall waterfall that tumbles into a nice pool below.

Amber Falls is named after Amber Ernst -- who's father Tim has spent a significant amount of his life exploring the wilderness of Northwest Arkansas and documenting it through a series of books that help most people explore and truly enjoy this area. The trail map to get to these falls is in his book "Arkansas Waterfalls". 

After enjoying some time at Amber Falls, we then turned and went back downstream past Unnamed Falls #1.  A short distance downstream from there we hit another drainage coming in from our left. Just up this drainage was another unnamed waterfall -- Unnamed Falls #2.

From here, we continued following Whitaker Creek downstream. As noted before, there is no official trail here, but we found following the creek to be pretty manageable and to be very scenic. The beach trees really were glistening off the reflections of the water on this beautiful winter day. 

After about 1 mile (from the car) we arrived at a series of cascades. These cascades are just upstream from Neil Compton Falls and are very scenic.

The second cascade even comes off at an angle forming an interesting diagonal cascade.

This point is essentially at the top of Neil Compton Falls. However, the best views are from the bottom so finding the way down will be important. From here, we went to LEFT of the creek as we went downstream. This path goes along the top of the ridge for about 300 yards or so high up on the bluff above the falls. Be VERY careful as the path here follows very close to the edge. Eventually the bluff line will start heading downward and then there was a be a break that allowed us to get to the bottom of the bluff line. Scurry down here (again, be careful, this is pretty slick) to get down around creek level.  Once you get to the bottom, you'll need to rock hop across Whitaker Creek and head back upstream 300 yards to get to the base of Neil Compton's Double Falls. 

Neil Compton's Double Falls only runs as a double when the water is pretty high, but it's a beautiful falls that pours 39 feet into a beautiful blue pool. It's a fabulous waterfall and canyon area that is very peaceful.  Neil Compton was one of the early advocates that fought to keep the Buffalo River as a natural, flowing river and it was his vision that helped preserve the river and wilderness that we all enjoy.

When you are done at Compton's Double Falls, as you head back, there is one more falls to check out. Literally 20 feet beyond where you came down the hill to get to the bottom of Compton Falls, there is another creek that flows in from the right side of the creek (when facing downstream). Follow this creek a hundred yards upstream and you'll get to Owl Falls. 

Owl Falls is a roughly 20 foot tall waterfall that is a fantastic cascading waterfall. I think this one is prettier than my photos indicate as the sun wasn't my friend at the time of day we were there (it was directly behind the falls). 

There are more waterfalls downstream -- but as daylight was running short we had to save those for another day. From here, we went back the way we came. 

Hike Details

Distance: .2.1 miles round trip to the top of Neil Compton's Double Falls, .75 miles if you only go to Amber Falls. Because there is no trail here, and the footing is iffy at times, it will feel longer than that (and, from a timing perspective, there is a LOT to enjoy here, so leave yourself plenty of time to explore).

Difficulty: Moderate-Difficult

Footwear: Hiking Boots 

Kid-Friendly: Because there is no trail and it's steep terrain, I'd not recommend this for young children. Amber Falls would be enjoyable for older children.

Trail Guide: Tim Ernst's Arkansas Waterfalls

Rating: 5 out of 5

Nearby: Hawksbill Crag, Cave Mountain Cave, Hedges Pouroff

 

Horsetail Falls -- Richland Creek Wilderness

Let me come right out and say it. I love winter hiking in the Ozarks. The leaves fall and give way to beautiful blufflines that have been out of sight for most of the year. The waterfalls begin to fill up again, frozen water near the falls creates a shimmer in the sunlight, and the crowds have died down, to allow you the opportunity to have beautiful areas all to yourself.

On New Year's Eve, we made another trip to one of my favorite areas of the Ozarks - the drive along Falling Water Creek.

This area if full of wonderful scenery- and last year on New Year's Eve we made the trip here to check out Falling Water Falls, another waterfall area near Falling Water Falls, Six Finger Falls, Intersection Falls, and Terry Keefe Falls.  

This time, we had a couple of other waterfalls on the list - FuzzyButt Falls and Horsetail Falls.

I talk about the hike to Fuzzy Butt Falls here. Horsetail Falls is along the same trail, and directions to the trailhead are at the link.

As you follow along the horse trail, which is a nice, easy hike, at about .3 you will get to the crossing of a small creek -- and there is a small waterfall and a nice little overlook onto Falling Water Creek here.  

If you are just looking for an easy hike, or have younger kids with you, you might consider just staying on the trail and heading directly to Fuzzy Butt Falls. However, if you're up for a little scrambling and bushwhacking and checking out another waterfall, then you'll take a detour here.

At the creek crossing, turn LEFT just before you cross the creek and follow the creek up hill on your left. 

There is a slight bit of a trail here, but not much, so when you inevitably lose the trail, don't panic, just continue to follow the creek upstream. You'll mostly be following the creek up on the hill a bit from the creek, but the creek will always be in view on your right.

You will continue scrambling up stream and UP the hill (we didn't have a GPS, but I'm guessing this is about a 200 foot elevation change) -- just find the best way up you can. At about .6 you'll get to Lower Horsetail Falls. 

The Lower Horsetail Falls is 70 feet tall and tumbles into a large canyon. 

After spending a little time at the Lower Falls, continue your hike UP and to your left around to the top of the falls and continue following the stream another .1 (and another 100 feet of elevation gain) to get to the Upper Horsetail Falls.

Upper Horestail Falls tumbles 31 feet and is visually very interesting. It is also in a nice canyon, and as we were there during winter, there was a a really nice view of the valley down below that we had just hiked up. The bluffs also created a lot of great icicles to enjoy. 

When you are done enjoying the scenery, take the bushwhack back down to the trail. 

Trail Details:

Distance: 1.1 miles roundtrip -- if you're just going to Horsetail Falls. It's roughly .6 additional miles roundtrip from your hike to Fuzzy Butt Falls.

Difficulty: Moderate

Footwear: Hiking Boots

Children: No

Trail Guide: Tim Ernst's Arkansas Waterfalls

Star Rating: 4 out of 5

 

Sweden Creek Falls - Sweden Creek Natural Area

The Sweden Creek Natural Area is a relatively small natural area that is protected by the Natural Heritage Commission.

While small in geographic size, there are a couple of great trails here, several small waterfalls, many great bluffs, and a large, 81 foot tall waterfall that serves as the focal point for this Natural Area. In spite of its amazing scenery, accessibility and  great location near Ponca and the Boxley Valley, I don't hear a lot of people talk about the area and it's well worth checking out.

Getting There

To get to the Natural Area, take Highway 21 North out of Boxley (or South out of Kingston). If heading North from Boxley, travel 3.9 miles North and LEFT onto a gravel road (this is 5.2 miles south of Kingston). The highway sign marks the road as the route to Red Star. The map marks the road as Highway 9, and the road sign marks the road as Madison County 3260 -- but if you look for the sign pointing to Red Star you should find it easily enough.

Travel 3.1 miles on the well maintained gravel road and look for the Sweden Creek Sign on your right. There is a small parking area by the sign. 

The Trail

The trail starts off behind the gate that is just behind the Natural Area sign (this is different than most of trail guides have listed). The trail is very nicely maintained and follows an old road trace for about .4 miles.

At .4, you will arrive at an old home site with a full-sized home and separate garage. 

At the home sight, the trail veers downhill and to the left. After a few hundred yards, the trail reaches a series of smaller waterfalls and splits. 

There are two trails here -- both marked with dark blue blazes. One trail heads off to the left and runs along the top of the bluff line. The other goes through a break in the bluff line and then follows along the bottom of the bluff line. Both head to Sweden Creek Falls. 

I took the lower route first.

The lower route goes through an opening in the bluff line and immediately turns LEFT along the lower edge of the bluff. To the right is a series of 3 smaller waterfalls ranging in height from about 30 feet to about 15 feet (the middle falls is featured above, the lower is featured below).

The lower trail run beside, and sometimes under, the large bluff to your left. It is blazed, so easy enough to follow, but is often rocky with some unsure footing at times. 

I hiked this trail in late December and there was a signficant amount of ice buildup from water that was falling from the bluff, and wet leaves probably aided in my footing challenges. Just take your time and watch your step!

At about .9 miles (.5 of hiking along the bluff), you'll come to Sweden Creek Falls. 

Sweden Creek Falls is an 81 foot tall seasonal waterfall that flows into a deep canyon surrounded by bluffs on three sides. While it will eventually dry out during the dry season, it will run for most of the wet season.

Enjoy the time in this wonderful natural area and enjoy the falls.  When you are finished, hike back the way you came and back toward the homesite and then turn RIGHT onto the upper trail.

The upper trail is a wonderfully maintained trail and much easier hiking than the lower trail. 

As  you hike, you'll get great views of the Sweden Creek Valley down below.

After about .4 miles of hiking on the upper trail, you'll be greeted with a view of Sweden Creek Falls from above.

Unlike a lot of waterfalls, the view of the falls from the top is actually great and well worth the trip. A note of caution here, the bluff is VERY steep down, so be very careful if you get close to the edges because a fall here would certainly be deadly.

As you venture around to the very top of the falls, you will get a look at Sweden Creek upstream from the falls and see the very neat stone area at the top, including a V-slot, that the water has formed over the centuries. 

After you are done exploring, you can head back along the bluff line to the old home site and then back up the old road to the parking area. 

Details Sweden Creek Falls

Date Hiked: December 29, 2014

Distance: 1.8 miles round trip to the Falls. Add approximately another 1 mile if you take both the upper and lower trails.

Difficulty: Moderate

Footwear: Hiking boots due to the footing on the lower trail. I always recommend hiking books for winter hiking as well.

Kids: This trail is not particularly kid-friendly due to footing on the lower trail and the danger of being along the high bluffs

Rating: 4 stars  out of 5

Guidebook: Tim Ernst's Arkansas Waterfalls, or Tim Ernst's Arkansas Nature Lovers Guide

Pedestal Rocks Loop

The Pedastal Rocks area is a spectacular recreation area. The area includes two loop hikes. The Kings Bluff Loop is about a 1.9 mile hike. Pedestal Rocks Loop is about 2.6 miles, or, the two can be combined for a 4.3 mile hike. So you can make the area a couple hour stay, or a full day's worth of hiking.

Both hikes go out to large bluff areas with spectacular overlooks that are uniquely different. Meanwhile, both also opportunities off trail for more exploring below the bluff line.

To get to the area, take Highway 7 to the community of Pelsor (which is 28 miles North of Dover, and 28 miles South of Jasper). Turn EAST onto Highway 16. Travel 6 miles on Hwy 16, and look for the signs to Pedestal Rocks on your right. It's well marked. The parking area is right off the highway and includes a pit toilet.

Today we're going to do the Pedestal Rocks Loop. The King's Bluff Loop I cover here.

Pedestal Rocks

The trail starts off behind the pit toilet and across a small bridge. You'll immediately come to  fork in the road. To the right is the King's Bluff Loop. To the left is the Pedestal Rocks Loop. Today, we're taking the left.

The trail will head down a bit and go down nine stone stairs. At .1, the trail will fork again. To the right is the return of the King's Bluff loop. To the left is the return of the Pedestal Rocks loop. Stay straight to take the Pedestal Rocks Loop.

The trail will head out on the level and go through a nice little forest of pines. After a bit, the trail will begin to descend, and then turn right, and then sharply back left again (there is a wooden post at this sharp left). From here, the trail is level for awhile. To your right is a big view and the spectacular bluff line you're here to see -- and it's just going to keep getting better.

Shortly after the trail levels out, there is a small volunteer trail that heads to the bluff. Take it. This view includes one of the "pedestal rocks" that the trail is named for. You'll follow along the bluff for a bit, with great rock formations and views all around. 

At 1.1, there is a road trace that comes down and joins the trail from the left. At the point where the road meets, just to the right is one of he easiest places to go down below the rock bluff and see some of the cool stuff that is below. If you're up for some exploring, go down below and look around a bit.

Below the bluffs

There are no real trails below the bluff, but it's easy to follow and explore. To the right is a walk-through cave that is regularly used for camping, and another smaller cave. There are two "needle eyes" that you can also scramble through, and eventually you'll get back to the bottom of the first "Pedestal" we saw.

As you can see, we had an awful lot of fun climbing and exploring.

To the left, are more caves and rock formations.

One especially large cave has several spectacular views from it.

If you keep going in this direction you get to yet another "pedestal". 

This is a really fun area to explore. Just be careful. While the falls are not as severe here as they would be from above the bluff, you may be inclined to do some scrambling. Just be smart and know your limits.

Once you are done exploring below the bluffs, you can climb back up the way you came down and continue on the trail.

Back on the trail

The trail continues out along the bluffs for awhile -- with more great rock formations, and more great views.

The trail begins to turn to the left as you follow the bluffline back toward the parking area. If you have young ones with you, please hold onto them near any of the blufflines. While the trail is very safe, it is tempting to get too close to the edge of the bluffs and it is certainly a long way down in places.

After following the bluffs for a bit, the bluffs begin to disappear and you're back in the woods. 

After a bit, you'll see a large natural bridge on your right that is big enough to drive a car through. Worth checking out.

Finally, you're back on the trail and heading back UP the hill. A 2.2 the trail finally intersects with the trail you started on -- to the left you get to do the trail again, straight ahead you can do the Kings Bluff Loop and to the right, it's .1 miles back to the trailhead.

Pedestal Rocks Trail Details

Distance: 2.3 miles

Difficulty: Moderate

Trail Guide: None necessary, but covered in Tim Ernst's Arkansas Hiking Trails

Kids: Yes, but please hold onto them near the bluff lines

Footwear: Trail shoes or hiking boots.

 

Kings Bluff Loop -- Pedestal Rocks Area

The Pedastal Rocks area is a spectacular recreation area. The area includes two loop hikes. The Kings Bluff Loop is about a 1.9 mile hike. Pedestal Rocks Loop is about 2.6 miles, or, the two can be combined for a 4.3 mile hike. So you can make the area a couple hour stay, or a full day's worth of hiking.

Both hikes go out to large bluff areas with spectacular overlooks that are uniquely different. Meanwhile, both also opportunities off trail for more exploring below the bluff line.

To get to the area, take Highway 7 to the community of Pelsor (which is 28 miles North of Dover, and 28 miles South of Jasper). Turn EAST onto Highway 16. Travel 6 miles on Hwy 16, and look for the signs to Pedestal Rocks on your right. It's well marked. The parking area is right off the highway and includes a pit toilet.

We're going to do the King's Bluff Loop First.

The Kings Bluff Loop

The trail heads out just behind the pit toilet and crosses a small bridge. Very quickly the trail splits. To the Right is the Kings Bluff Loop, to the Left is the return of the Kings Bluff Loop or the start of the Pedestal Rocks Loop. We'll start off to the right and do King's Bluff.

The trail starts off on into the wooded area and is on the level for a bit. Then, eventually starts to descend. You'll wind through several switchbacks until eventually, at about .8 miles, you'll come out onto a large (and I do mean large) rock bluff. This is King's Bluff. 

There's definitely more to see here than just the bluff, but be sure to check out the bluff for awhile. To the right is a creek that when the water is flowing well forms a spectacular waterfall off the bluff. Further around to the right (off the trail) is another small waterfall area. 

There is a small fence here -- but I think it acts more as a visual barrier than something that will actually save you from falling -- and it's a long way down, so hold onto any youngsters. The view from here is pretty amazing -- particularly during October when the leaves are turning.

 From here, the trail takes off to the left. It curls around the edge of the bluff and then turns to the right. As you make the turn, there is a route down to the bottom of the bluff that you can follow if the water is really flowing and you want to see the waterfalls from below. (We didn't do this this trip because there was very little water). 

Eventually the trail splits. One trails goes into the woods a bit the other basically follows the bluffline. If you are without kids and are sure-footed, I recommend staying along the bluffline -- Just be careful!  

Along this route you'll eventually be following the bluffline -- which will be on your right, with woods on your left. Along this stretch there are a lot of cool rock formations, and more great views. 

Enjoy. Soak it in. 

After about .3 of following the bluff, the trail will start to curl back into the woods and start to gradually head back up the hill. After another .8 from the bluff, you'll cross paths with another trail.  To the right, or straight, begins the Pedestal Rocks Trail (depending on which direction you want to travel the loop).  To the left is .1 miles back to the parking area.

If you're just doing the King's Bluff Loop, turn left and head back up the hill, up 9 rock steps and you'll get back to the parking area. 

If you want to continue onto the Pedestal Rock's Loop, continue reading here.

Kings Bluff Loop:

Distance: 1.9 miles

Difficulty: Moderate

Guide Book: None necessary, but Tim Ernst's Arkansas Hiking Trails covers the area

Footwear: Trail shoes or hiking boots

Kids: Yes. But be VERY careful around bluff lines

 

Buzzard Roost Scenic Area

I don't really know how to describe Buzzard Bluff -- other than, it's just a cool place to explore. We hadn't heard a lot about this place, but had seen mention of it, so we decided to head out and take a look for ourselves. The trail is unmaked, but with some good directions, you should have no problem finding it.

Getting there

To get to the trailhead, take highway 7 to the small community of Pelsor (about 1/2 way between Jasper and Dover) and turn WEST onto highway 123. Take highway 123 4.7 miles and turn LEFT onto FR1802/1805, CR 14/61, Treat Road. (Yes, this road has 5 different road names depending on what map you're using -- it's a prominent gravel road on your left and had a white sign noting it as Treat Road). 

Once on Treat Road, go 6.5 miles down the dirt road (set your odometer, it will seem like forever) and you will come across a white house on your right, and a barn on your left. Find a place to park along the road here. The road is fairly well maintained at this point and can be handled by any type of vehicle. The trail takes off right next to the barn. Try to not block any of the driveways. 

The Trail

The trail takes off just North of the old barn and heads into the woods away from Treat Road. It's not marked, but it's pretty obvious. The trail follows a 4-wheeler road the entire way -- so it is relatively wide and easy to follow (although big mud holes on the trail are a bit troublesome).

The path is pretty flat for awhile, and then turns left and runs along a ridge. There are great views of the valley below on your right when the leaves are off the trees. The trail then turns back righ, and starts to decend a little. And passes a small pond on your left. Keep going. Past the pond, the trail gets steeper down.

At 1.8 miles, there is another four-wheeler road that joins from the left. Ignore it. Shortly after, is another four wheeler road on the left. Make note of this one, because we'll come back to it later. For now, stay on the main trail (which is to the right).

After about another .2 miles, you'll get to a big, roundabout that seems to be a popular camping site and turnaround for four-wheelers. From here, you'll go down the hill on a small trail that is marked with orange paint on the trees. After a hundred yards or so, you'll get to Buzzard's Bluff.

The area is pretty cool -- with a lot of round-topped rocks that look out over a huge valley. We didn't see any actual buzzards, but it sure seems like it would be a fitting place for them.

You'll probably spend a fair amount of time jumping from rock to rock getting some different views and exploring. Just BE CAREFUL. Some of the drops between the rocks are a LONG way down. Explore for awhile.

Once done exploring the rounded rocks, there are other cool things to see here. To your left (as you look out at the bluff) is a small natural bridge that you can scurry down to check out.

To the right of the bluff is a little trail down to the area below Buzzard Roost. Below the Roost is a maze of caves, tunnels and narrow passageways to explore. It appears to be a popular area for camping as well.

There are a lot of neat routes to explore.

Just take your time and explore.

Here, a huge chunk of rock has fallen off the side.

 And some of the openings are quite narrow.

The Large Natural Bridge

After you're done exploring Buzzard Roose, there is one more place in the area to visit. Head back up to the top of the Roost, and start to head back to the trail head. After about .2, you'll note the ATV trail that comes in from the right. Turn right here at the first ATV trail.

After another about .2, the trail will split. Take the trail to the RIGHT. When the trail starts to turn back left (to join the other trail), there will be a small spur of a walking trail to the right that goes straight down the hill. Take it. After about a hundred yards, you'll come to the larger of two natural bridges in the area.

This apparently one of the larger natural bridges in the area. It's a great spot, with a great view of the valley below.

When you are finished here, it's time to head back to the trailhead.

Trail Notes:

Distance: 4 miles (round trip) + some mileage for exploring

Difficulty: Moderate

Children: Yes, but keep a close hand on them when on the bluff areas

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

Footwear: Rocky conditions make hiking boots preferrable

Rating: 4 stars out of 5.

Winter Hiking: The Glory Hole

One of the interesting things about spending now a LOT of time in Northwest Arkansas is that we're getting to do some of our favorite hikes multiple times. Each of the seasons brings a different perspective on the hikes that makes them special in their own unique ways. Spring brings high water and gushing waterfalls, summer brings a host of wildflowers, autumn brings the beautiful fall foilage, and winter brings great views with the leaves not being on the trees and blocking views -- so things like bluff lines, and the river that are often not able to be seen from trails are viewable.

Winter hiking isn't something we'd done a lot of until recently, but he combination of great views, snowfall and ice have made winter one of our favorite times to hike in the Ozarks.

A couple of months ago we hiked down to check out the Glory Hole. You can find directions to the trail and on the trail here (as well as photos from our spring hike).  But today I'm just going to share some pics of the trail during the winter with a light dusting of snowfall.