Month: January 2021
Hike to Magnolia Falls in the Ozarks
When it comes to hiking, I learned long ago to plan your hike, research it, and know what you’re getting into. I’ve learned this lesson several times. But every now and then I seem to forget it, and will go off exploring without a plan. Or I’ll plan a hike and change my mind on the way so I can see something else. Such was the case the first time I made the hike to Magnolia Falls between Deer and Fallsville. I had planned two other waterfall hikes near Ponca that day in early October. But after seeing that the area creeks would be low on water, I opted for Magnolia Falls. I had Magnolia Falls on my list for a while and even read a little bit about it. But I was still completely unprepared that day. I had not downloaded a map or read enough about how to access the other wa...
Sweden Creek Falls Hike in the Ozarks
For my first hike of the year I continued on my quest to hike all the major waterfalls in the Upper Buffalo River area. I decided to start the year off with the Sweden Creek Falls hike since it had been on my list for a while. And the conditions were perfect for a waterfall hike that day. The Kingston area had gotten some rain for several days before, and even some snow. On the day of my hike, the sun was out in full to warm things up to the mid-40’s. This meant there should be plenty of water in the falls from the snow-melt and previous rain. Full sun and water in the falls? I couldn’t ask for better conditions, especially for this hike. Driving up Hwy 21 from Clarksville to Boxley, I was pleased to see there was still a light dusting of snow on the ground. I haven’t see...
Mountain Biking at Pinnacle Mountain State Park
Since I was a kid, Pinnacle Mountain has always been the most popular place in Central Arkansas for hiking. The last few years it’s become so popular it gets overcrowded on most weekends. But fortunately there is much more to this State Park then just the hiking trails. There are picnic areas and group pavilions, a playground and open play fields. It has access to the Maumelle and Little Maumelle Rivers available for paddling and fishing. They also have an Arboretum, a visitor center with meeting facilities, and educational programs conducted by the park staff. And now mountain biking at Pinnacle Mountain is the latest attraction – and it’s almost as popular as the hiking. Mountain bike trails are actually not a new thing at Pinnacle. There have been two MTB trails in the...
