#bluffs
Tea Kettle Falls Hike (with Reynolds Hollow Falls)
Tea Kettle Falls is one of the more well-known and unique waterfalls in Arkansas. The base of the waterfall is a massive grotto style bluff that is quite an impressive sight on it’s own. The creek flowing over the top of the bluff has carved a hole in the rock at the top of it. Much like Glory Hole Falls, the water drops through this hole before ever making it to the edge of the bluff. But where the hole at Glory Hole falls drops straight down through the bluff, Tea Kettle is different. Instead of the hole coming out the bottom, it re-routes horizontally, shooting the water out the side of the bluff. This rock formation resembles the spout of a kettle, which is how Tea Kettle Falls gets its name. I’ve wanted to do the Tea Kettle Falls hike for quite a while, and finally got the...
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 ...
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 ...
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...
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 along the entire river. Maumee to Rush is located on the lower Buffalo, making it floatable – usually – well into July. I love overnight floats because I don’t have to worry about the campgrounds filling up or trying to find a site. I don’t have to worry about getting off the river at a certain time to catch a shuttle. And when I do come off the river I don’t have to driv...
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 no idea of what this river really had in store for us. To say that I was pleasantly surprised would be a massive understatement. Floating North Sylamore Creek has been on my to-do list for quite some time. The problem is that it’s not an easy float to plan for. This creek drains really fast, so you have to hit it at just the right time to have a good float. Since I mostly have to float on the...
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 this year, I made the Kings River my top priority. But my buddies and I weren’t satisfied with just any section of the river. We wanted the best water and most scenic. So my 2022 float season started with a float from Marble to Marshall Ford on the Kings River I recruited two of my best buddies, Eric and Neil to join me on this one. We were going to camp, but with rain in the forecast that S...
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, but this one only had a few pictures and no video! There’s so much more to hiking the Kings Bluff Loop than I covered the first time. So I think this hike deserves a do-over. After that first visit, I made a return trip there and hiked the Pedestal Rocks Loop. Both hikes are really one big loop, but you can hike them separately. The rock formations at Pedestal Rocks are amazing. It wasnR...
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. My recent Christmas hike to Compton’s Double Falls and Amber Falls is a great example. Much like the Magnolia Falls hike, this one has several falls, each one just around the bend from the next. As long as there is water, you get to see five waterfalls on this hike. And you can continue down Whitaker Creek to see several more (Wild Burro, Beagle Point, and other smaller falls). This is a...
Hike to Buzzards Roost
I find something to enjoy about every hike that I do. But some hikes are better than others. And then there are the ones that really stand out from the rest. Those are usually the ones where I spend the whole time thinking “how am I just now visiting this place?!”. The hike to Buzzards Roost is the latest one that really blew me away. Maybe it’s because I geek out a little bit over crazy rock formations (see video below), and this hike is full of them. This geological wonderland has two natural bridges and a huge rock outcropping/vista full of caves and tunnels. I would compare it to the Bear Cave Trail area at Petit Jean State Park, but more impressive. It also didn’t hurt that we caught this area on the last weekend of peak leaf season this fall. This hike has a c...
Round Top Mountain Hiking Trails
There are many hikes in Arkansas that are better at certain times than others. And when you can’t do those, you need a backup plan. I have a list of hikes that I have been saving for times when rivers and waterfalls are dry. These are my “Plan B” hikes. Not because they are not good hikes, but because they can be done at any time. Hikes like Centerpoint/Goat Trail to Big Bluff or the Mt. Nebo Rim Trail for example. The latest Plan B hike I’ve checked off my list was a visit to Round Top Mountain hiking trails. I have passed by Round Top Mountain dozens of times on my way to Jasper or the Upper Buffalo River area. This Fall I finally had a good chance to stop in and hike it. I had been out waterfall hunting up Hwy 7 right after a rain. And after striking out on...
Hiking the Riverview Trail at Tyler Bend
It seems like every Arkansas Summer has a stretch of drought sometime between July and September. When the float rivers dry up and waterfall hikes become… well, just hikes. This summer (2021) has been especially dry and hot, making it difficult to get out and do these things. So what can you do when you just gotta get out there? How about a vista hike? Well that’s exactly what I did one Sunday in August. I hiked the Riverview Trail at Tyler Bend Recreation Area on the Buffalo River. There are a lot of high bluffs along the Buffalo River with trails leading to some great views. I like to hit those trails this time of year. Last Summer I did the most popular, Centerpoint/Goat Trail to Big Bluff near Compton. So this time I chose something closer to the Lower Buffalo. There a...
