Author: Scott Hallmark
Horsetail Falls off Falling Water Creek
If you hunt enough waterfalls in Arkansas, you will eventually miss one that’s close to an area you’ve already hiked. I like to cover as much as I can in each hiking trip and article. So when I miss a cool feature on a hike, it’s pretty common for me to go back and do it again. One area that I’ve recently revisited for this exact reason is Horsetail Falls off Falling Water ...
Hike to Schoolhouse Falls near Lost Corner
I love finding new areas to hike that I’m completely unfamiliar with. They offer brand new sights, new mountains, streams, waterfalls, and trails. For me it’s the same excitement as taking a vacation to a new but popular place. You don’t know exactly what to expect, but you know you’re going to enjoy it. Even though I’ve explored quite a bit of Arkansas, this still co...
Forked Mountain Falls in the Flatside Wilderness
In the northeast corner of the Ouachita Mountain region lies the Flatside Wilderness area. It is an area that’s relatively less explored and often overlooked. I think this may be because exploring this area requires a LOT of dirt road driving, which may turn some folks away. Personally, I like driving those dirt roads. I think another reason is that people mostly hear about the beautiful sce...
Hiking or Biking at Rattlesnake Ridge
Living in Central Arkansas, I’ve watched the sun go down many times from the top of Pinnacle Mountain. From my spot on the north peak, I’ve looked to the west and wondered “what is that other mountain over there?” And “it sure would be cool if we could hike to the top of it and look back this way.” Well, that mountain “over there” overlooking Lake Ma...
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...
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...
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 Mau...
Hike to Winding Stairs on Eagle Rock Loop
I continue to be blown away by the natural beauty in our state. Just when I think I’ve seen the prettiest hike in Arkansas, I eventually go on another one that changes my mind. The hike to Winding Stairs on the Eagle Rock Loop Trail in the Ouachitas is the latest one. I’ll admit that I have not given enough attention to the Ouachita Mountain region so far. Sometimes I get in the habit ...
Alum Cove Natural Bridge
Many of the hikes I have written about so far are located in the areas between Russellville and Jasper, or Clarksville and Ponca. Nestled right in the middle of all those hills, creeks, and waterfalls lies Alum Cove Natural Bridge Recreation Area. In all my trips through this area, I’ve passed really close to Alum Cove probably a hundred times. And until recently, I had never stopped to visi...
Mountain Bike Trails at Mt. Nebo State Park
There has been a surge of new mountain bike trails constructed all over the state in the past few years. New trails are being finished faster than I can keep up with them. Not only is the quantity of trails in Arkansas increasing, but so is the quality. For years, I was used to riding on trails that basically amounted to hiking trails you could ride bikes on. But these new trails are professionall...
Paige Falls and Broadwater Hollow Falls
I have written a few articles lately about hiking around the Upper Buffalo River. That’s because there are so many great places there to hike. And most of them are not that far from each other, so it’s easy to do several in a day. All the trails have something different to offer. Some of them have waterfalls, others have majestic views, and some have caves and weird rock formations. Th...
Hike to Hideout Hollow
As much as I hate for summer to end, there is a silver lining to Fall and cooler weather getting here. It’s my favorite time of the year to go hiking, for so many reasons. Overgrown trails become more clean. Ticks, chiggers and snakes go away. I can hike all day without sweating my ass off. The fall colors make the drive and the hike even more scenic. And late Fall means more rain, which mea...
