In my first blog series, Big Piney Forest Waterfall Hikes, I wrote about my first visit to Falling Water Falls. On that visit, I was not prepared for a swim there. But in that story, I vowed to go back to take a dip at Falling Water Falls and do a follow-up post. So here it is. This is actually the third and final part to a series for a group waterfall hike. In case you missed the first two parts, we started the day at Pack Rat Falls near Haw Creek. The second stop of the day took us on a hike to Pam’s Grotto.
It was a relatively mild day for July. But after a couple of hikes, we were all hot and tired and ready to cool off. So we made our way back across Hwy 7 to take a dip at Falling Water Falls. As much as the group enjoyed the two hikes, I think everyone was really looking forward to the last stop. I know I was. My first visit there felt like a trip to Disney World without riding Space Mountain.
Directions
From I-40 at Russellville, head north on Hwy 7 past Dover – or south from Harrison on Hwy 7 – to the Sand Gap/Pelsor area). At the intersection at the Pelsor Post Office, go east on Hwy 16 towards Ben Hur. Keep going on Hwy 16 past the parking area for Pedastal Rocks/Kings Bluff and proceed through the Ben Hur community. Approximately 1.15 miles past the sharp right turn in Ben Hur will be Forestry Rd 1205 on the left. Turn left there and at approximately 1 mile, keep to the left as it merges with Falling Water Rd. Approximately 1.25 miles past the merge will be the parking area for Falling Water Falls on the right.
What to Expect
As I wrote in a previous post, there is no hike to these falls. You can see the falls from the gravel road. So once you park, you’re there. So we got parked, put on our water shoes and headed down the rocks to the falls. There were a few other people hanging out at the falls that day. Some just chilling on top of the falls, some swimming…some trying to make a rope swing work.
Most of our group had not been there before. So several of them explored around the pool and creek before joining the rest of us at the top. As for me, I was anxious to jump in that pool. After a few seconds of a cold-water-just-go pep talk, off the ledge I went. Holy Sh*t!!! It was so cold!!! But on a really hot summer day, it would feel great. It’s about an 8-12 foot drop from the top of the falls to the pool for those that want to jump in. There are 2×4 ladders built on a couple of the trees off to the side for climbing back up. We made the short climb several times just to take the plunge again. And yes, it’s safe. My feet never touched the bottom any time I jumped in. For the less adventurous, there are rocky trails that go down to the side of the pool for wading in.
We couldn’t get the girls in our group to jump in. They were enjoying their seats atop the falls. But we were able to get David to do a backflip off the falls into the pool. And fortunately, our friend Jason was there to catch that on camera along with a few other shots. Everyone in the group enjoyed our visit to Falling Water Falls. It really is a great way to end a day of hiking.
Plan Your Visit
If you ever visit during warm weather, bring a towel, change of clothes, and water shoes of some kind. I would also recommend bringing a chair or hammock and lunch, and just hang out a while. Keep in mind, this is kind of in the middle of nowhere. There are no bathrooms, so plan accordingly. (the closest restroom we found – not counting the woods – is the one at Pedestal Rocks trailhead up the road). Also, there is no place to change into dry clothes. We were able to get by with creative use of car doors and beach towels. I managed to grab a few more pics from this trip along with a group shot at the Big Piney Rest Area overlook. Hope you like these.
