Hiking
Hike to Iris Falls Near Lost Corner
The hike to Iris Falls is one that should be on every Arkansas waterfall hunters list. It is one of the many waterfalls you will find in the Lost Corner area, northwest of Morrilton. In fact, it is only about a quarter of a mile down the road from the parking area to Lizard Log Falls. If you have the Tim Ernst waterfall book, he describes this as a 7-mile hike. But that is if you want to see all of the waterfalls along Brock Creek Trail 23. If you want to see each one individually, there certainly are ways to do that. I have previously written articles on Schoolhouse Falls and Lizard Log Falls along Brock Creek Trail 23. I still have Voices Falls and Whiskey Chute Falls left to do in this group. As for the hike to Iris Falls, here is the approach I believe most peo...
Hiking to Lizard Log Falls Near Lost Corner
The Brock Creek Trail Area and other hollows near Lost Corner are a waterfall hunter’s paradise. This area is well-documented by waterfall pioneers like Tim Ernst and the late Rick Henry, among others. A look at the Waterfalls in Arkansas map will show you just how chock full of waterfalls this place is. Some of these waterfalls – like Schoolhouse Falls – can be accessed via easy hiking trails. Others, like Brushy Grotto Falls and Green Grotto Falls involve some trail and some bushwhack hiking. Many of them have multiple ways you can reach the falls. Hiking to Lizard Log Falls is one of those. Lizard Log Falls is a hike that I attempted to do two years before this writing. I got a little confused that day because the GPS track I had saved did not jive ...
Native American Falls Hike Near Sand Gap
I have written several articles recently about some of the hiking gems that can be found along AR Hwy 7. Waterfall hikes like Fern Falls, Hudson Shelter Falls, and Lonesome Hollow are just the tip of the iceberg. There are many more of those yet to go. Some of them are longer hikes, some are more difficult bushwhacks, and some are further off Hwy 7. I’ll try to eventually include as many as I can here. As for the more popular hikes closer to Hwy 7, the next on our list is the Native American Falls hike near Sand Gap. Much like Fern Falls, the parking location for Native American Falls is right on Hwy 7. There are no gravel roads to travel or complicated directions. It’s simply a dirt parking area off the highway, just south of the Hwy 16 intersection at Sand...
Armadillo Falls and Eden Cave at Lost Valley
Boxley Valley is one of the most iconic areas of the Ozarks. This scenic spot near Ponca attracts thousands of visitors per year to view the elk herds and hike the Upper Buffalo area. And that doesn’t even count the thousands of Buffalo River paddlers each Spring. This area has an abundance of fantastic hiking destinations for hikers to choose from. One of the most popular is an area tucked away in a hollow of Boxley known as Lost Valley. Anyone that has hiked much around the Upper Buffalo has likely hiked to Eden Falls at Lost Valley. But not everyone knows about Armadillo Falls and Eden Cave. The main attractions at Lost Valley are undoubtedly Eden Falls, Cobb Cave, and the Natural Bridge. I’ll admit, the first time I visited Lost Valley, I didn’t know there was anythin...
Easy Bushwhack Hike to Lonesome Hollow Falls
In my last article I described how AR Hwy 7 is the road to so many treasures in the Ozarks. In case you missed it, you can catch up on that one here. Yes, Scenic Hwy 7 between Dover and Harrison, and the many roads that intersect it, lead to a myriad of great hikes. There are long hikes, short hikes, difficult hikes, easy ones, and everything in between. As you travel along this highway, you’ll likely pass right by many of these adventures and not even realize it. That was certainly true for me. So in the Fall of 2022, I caught up with a few of these by hiking to Fern Falls and Hudson Shelter Falls. And finally, I made the easy bushwhack hike to Lonesome Hollow Falls Along the same road as Lonesome Hollow Falls lies a bushwhack hike along Cub Creek with multiple waterfalls. And to th...
Hike to Hudson Shelter Falls
It was a random Sunday drive up Hwy 7 into the Ozarks years ago where I unexpectedly found my future playground. Little did I know at the time that a visit to Haw Creek Falls would lead to this rabbit hole of adventures that I’ll likely never find the end of. Haw Creek would lead to Pack Rat Falls and Pam’s Grotto. And then across Hwy 7, I would find Kings Bluff and Pedestal Rocks, which would lead me to Falling Water Creek. And from that point, I was hooked. Oh I had done some mountain biking, some paddling, and your basic State Park hikes. But nothing like the Ozark gems I would find all up and down Hwy 7, and eventually all across the state. Since that day, I’ve travelled along this highway countless times, often not knowing what other gems I was passing right by. One ...
Hike to Fern Falls
The beginning of waterfall season can be a little hit-and-miss sometimes. I guess the dry ground in the Fall soaks up all the rainfall before it can drain off. There have been several Autumn hikes I’ve done right after a rain, only to reach a waterfall that’s dry or barely running. (Like the first time I hiked to Magnolia Falls). Because of this, I tend to save the longer or more difficult hikes for late Winter/early Spring, when I know the falls will be running strong. Early in the season, I’ll “test the waters” with some shorter hikes. So if I strike out, oh well – at least it was a short hike! This year, I started waterfall season off with a hike to Fern Falls in the Ozarks. Fern Falls is a pretty well-known waterfall that gets a decent amount of visi...
Flatside Pinnacle (and Brown Creek Cascade)
When it comes to good places to see Fall colors in Arkansas, I have a short list of locations that immediately come to mind. First, it is really hard to beat Sam’s Throne this time of year – both the drive and the short hike. Next, for hiking to see Fall colors, I really like Buzzards Roost a lot. Those two locations are up in the Ozarks near Mt. Judea and Sand Gap. For people near Central Arkansas that want something closer, one of my best recommendations is a drive to Flatside Pinnacle. And if there has been any recent rain, maybe add a stop at Brown Creek Cascade. The Flatside Pinnacle Vista is located in the Flatside Wilderness area in the easternmost part of the Ouachita Mountains. This vast wilderness area consists of 10,000 acres to the west of Lake Maumelle, and east of...
Bushwhack to Ladderbucket Falls
Hello again everyone! Travis here, back with another tale from the trails. While I rarely have the opportunity to hike during weekdays, I’d taken this past Wednesday off to celebrate my younger brother’s birthday. We share a deep fondness for the outdoors, so it’s only natural we’d celebrate with a hike. He selected a Bushwhack to Ladderbucket Falls from Tim Ernst’s “Arkansas Waterfalls” as our destination, a moderate 4.5-mile out-and-back trail nestled on the southeastern portion of Lost Corner. Lost Corner is the home of many excellent waterfalls, including Brushy Grotto Falls and Green Grotto Falls, both of which were featured by Scott recently. The torrential rains of Monday and Tuesday had left the region well saturated; we were confident it w...
Bushwhack to Greasy Creek Falls
Hello everyone! My name is Travis, and I’m a new member of the AROwnBackyard team. I’ll be sharing tales of trails around Arkansas to help all of you discover your next outdoor adventure. This past week, I undertook a bushwhack to Greasy Creek Falls, as well as several of its waterfall friends in the nearby area! One of my dear friends, Gez Rogers of Waterfalls in Arkansas, has compiled an excellent map of waterfalls around Arkansas. For quick reference, you can always find this map on the AR Own Backyard hiking page. Although it already contains hundreds, some waterfalls haven’t managed to make it to the map just yet! After all, Arkansas has many excellent hollows, gaps, and canyons not fully documented. For me, these chunks of this wilderness make for an ideal weekend h...
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 Lost Valley or Kings Bluff. On the other hand, sometimes I’m in the mood for a challenge. I have a long list of these kind of hikes to do. The latest one I’ve checked off the list is the Bear Creek Waterfall Hike. The Bear Creek waterfall hike has been on my list for years. When I first saw pictures of Sidewinder Falls and V-Slot falls, I knew I had to do this hike. I had the impression ...
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 what to expect. So for a recent hike to Big Creek Cave Falls, I invited my long-time friend Neil Webb. Not because this hike is difficult, but because it is kind of remote. I wasn’t completely sure what to expect, but it ended up being a much easier hike than I thought. Some of my hiking partners are used to seeing places like this. Others have done some of the basic popular hikes like Cedar...
