Author: Scott Hallmark
Maumee to Rush on the Buffalo River – An Overnight Float
One of my favorite ways to experience the rivers in Arkansas is with an overnight float trip. I’ve done several of these, and my most recent overnighter was South Maumee to Rush on the Buffalo River. All of the lands bordering the Buffalo River are public lands owned by the National Park Service. This makes the Buffalo one of the few rivers in Arkansas where you can camp almost anywhere alon...
MTB Trails at River Mountain Park
Central Arkansas may not ever compete with Northwest Arkansas for the title of Mountain Biking Capitol of the World. But great strides are being made in Central Arkansas with trail systems like Pinnacle Mountain and Rattlesnake Ridge. And now we have MTB trails at River Mountain Park in West Little Rock. Although these are not part of the Monument Trails system at Pinnacle, they are professionally...
Floating North Sylamore Creek – Blanchard Springs to White River
One of my favorite things about doing a new hike, bike, or float is the surprise element. And the best surprise is when I finish it and have a new favorite. Floating North Sylamore Creek from Blanchard Springs to the White River was one of those occasions. I’m not saying it is my number one favorite, but it definitely lands securely in my top five. I knew it would be pretty good, but I had n...
Marble to Marshall Ford on the Kings River
We are so fortunate here in Arkansas to have so many beautiful rivers to float, fish, and hike on. If your goal is to float them all, it can take a while to get to some of them. Especially when you have some favorite floats that are hard to stray from! The Kings River is one that’s been on my list for a while. But due to distance (and competing rivers), it has eluded my paddle for years. So ...
Bear Creek Waterfall Hike
I try to cover a variety of hikes that range in difficulty for hikers of all abilities. Sometimes I do an easy hike, and other times a more difficult hike. It just depends on what I’m in the mood for. If I’ve been stressed or too busy to plan a difficult hike, I might go for an easy one. Something on a well-travelled or well-marked trail I don’t have to think about. Hikes like Lo...
Hike to Big Creek Cave Falls and Wolf Creek Cave Falls
One of my favorite things about hiking with friends is seeing their reaction to some of the amazing sights in our beautiful state. Often times I’ll hike alone – intentionally – for my own mental health and to disconnect from everything. But other times, I like to have a hiking partner. This is especially true for more remote or difficult hikes where I’m not completely sure ...
Hiking the Kings Bluff Loop
Sometimes you just need a do-over. The third article I ever wrote for my blog was for a hike to Kings Bluff Falls. I did that hike years before I ever knew I would have an outdoors blog. I didn’t research the hike or even really know what to expect. We just showed up and hiked to the falls and back, not even knowing what else was out there. That was the case for several of my early articles,...
Creekside Hike to Green Grotto Falls
Coming into 2021, I had a pretty long list of hikes to do in the southern Ozarks’ Lost Corner area. But one hike that was not on my list was the creekside hike to Green Grotto Falls. Nope, I was going to follow the main trail and miss some cool waterfalls upstream from Green Grotto. That is until I met up with my friend Gez Rogers, who knew a great creekside route to Green Grotto and several...
Creekside Hike to Brushy Grotto Falls
Lost Corner is an area I first visited in early 2021 with a hike to Schoolhouse Falls. When researching that one I learned there are a TON of waterfalls in the wilderness around Lost Corner. It’s another one of those places where most of the hikes will show you multiple waterfalls on a single hike. This January, after a good rain, I made my third visit to Lost Corner for a full day of waterf...
Compton’s Double Falls and Amber Falls
*In Memory of Rick Henry.* Rick, you may not have known most of your readers, but we feel like we knew you. Thank you for leading us to so many beautiful places. When it comes to waterfall hiking, it’s always great to get your money’s worth with multiple falls on a single hike. Most of the waterfall hikes in the Ozarks offer this opportunity, although some make it easier than others. M...
Big Rock Quarry Bike Park Pump Track
It’s no secret that Arkansas, specifically Northwest Arkansas, is becoming a cycling hotspot. The cycling enthusiasm – and more importantly, the investment – is really picking up steam in Central Arkansas as well. We all know about the great things happening with the Arkansas River Trail and Pinnacle Mountain State Park bike trails. And I’ll be writing soon about the new mo...
Hike to Thunder Canyon Falls
Waterfall season got a late start this year, but it is finally underway. I have been on a roll lately, checking hikes off my list that have been tugging at me for years. And once the steady rains hit the Natural State, I got to start checking off some more. At the top of my list this waterfall season was the Hike to Thunder Canyon Falls. I actually tried to do this one last Winter. But I had not d...
