#grotto
Hike to Hobo Falls on the OHT
The Ozark Mountains, renowned for their rolling hills, deep valleys, and hidden waterfalls, offer a haven for outdoor enthusiasts. Winding through this scenic landscape is the Ozark Highlands Trail (OHT), a designated National Recreation Trail, and a gem of Ozarks. Starting at Lake Fort Smith, this long distance trail winds through the heart of the Ozark National Forest for over 200 miles. This scenic route is known for its diverse terrain, from gentle valleys and meandering streams to challenging climbs and breathtaking vistas. And while it may be a thru-hiker’s dream, the OHT is divided into sections that offer numerous day hiking options. One of those options is the hike to Hobo Falls on the OHT. I’ve had the hike to Hobo Falls on my to-do list for several years. And long be...
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...
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...
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...
Hike to Steele Falls in the Sylamore Wilderness
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about a recent visit to Mountain View, AR and all the fun things to do around there. Our first stop that day was at Loco Ropes for some ziplining and ropes adventures. You can check out our visit to Loco Ropes here. The second half of our day would take us into the Sylamore Wilderness for a hike to Steele Falls. It’s actually the Sylamore District of the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest. But right or wrong, I just call it the Sylamore Wilderness. Before we would get to Steele Falls though, we had a few other stops to make. First was lunch at Wing Shack in Mountain View (great burgers!). Then we made a quick stop at Blanchard Springs to check out Mirror Lake Falls. From there, we made our way to the area of Fifty-Six and a stop at the beautiful Gunner Po...
Hike to Mineral Springs Falls
Here we are in June and it’s still raining like it’s April. Floating the rivers is a little unpredictable right now. But one thing you can rely on is that the waterfall hiking is excellent pretty much every weekend. Earlier this spring I ventured into the hills northwest of Batson to visit Bingham Hollow Falls. Along the way, I stoppled to make the short hike to Mineral Springs Falls. I was actually on my way to a weekend camping and floating trip on the Mulberry River. That float ended up cancelled due to some unexpected cold and windy weather. So the waterfall hike to Mineral Springs Falls and later to Bingham Hollow wound up as the highlight of the weekend. Bingham Hollow was as great as I thought it would be. But Mineral Springs Falls was much more than I expected, and a ni...
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 continues to happen (which is a good thing!). The latest example is an area of the Big Piney Forest I’ve been exploring lately, just east of Hector. And my first visit to this area included a quick hike to Schoolhouse Falls. Yes, I realize a lot of people know about this area and hike it regularly. But for some reason, I’ve skipped right over it for years on my way to areas northwest of ...
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...
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 means the waterfalls are running! This Fall I picked the perfect day to make the hike to Hideout Hollow. Hideout Hollow is a huge grotto/gorge (a hollow) encased in steep bluff walls with a 40 foot waterfall in the middle. Beneath the cliffs you can find the remains of an old “hideout” structure used by outlaws years ago. Hence the name “Hideout Hollow”. Stories vary on who th...
Hiking to Glory Hole Falls in the Ozarks
Now is the time of year that the waterfall hunters seem to be out in full force. So I am continuing on with my recent waterfall theme today. We have a nice variety of waterfalls here in Arkansas. Short to tall, with or without grottos, free-falling or cascading, they are all unique. One of the most unique though, is Glory Hole Falls. It is a stream that has eroded its way through the top of a grotto to form a hole all the way through the stone. The waterfall doesn’t flow over the top of the grotto like most falls – it flows through it. If you are a waterfall hunter in Arkansas, hiking to Glory Hole Falls has to be on your to-do list. Located near the headwaters of the Upper Buffalo in the Big Piney Ranger District, it’s in the middle of the most waterfall dense area of th...
Hiking to Eden Falls at Lost Valley
December. It’s that time of year when most folks aren’t thinking about getting out for a hike. There’s Christmas shopping to do and parties to attend. And for a lot of people, it’s just too damn cold out there! Or is it? Although I’m really not a cold-weather person, some of my favorite hikes have been in the winter. I learned this years ago while hiking to Eden Falls at Lost Valley. It was 3 days before New Years. I had some time off from work and really needed some nature therapy. But…it was 28 degrees outside! If you know me, you know that I despise Winter. Hate it. I’m a warm-weather person all the way. But I reeeeally needed to get outside. So I layered up, packed water and lunch, and hit the road. The plan: Drive to Ponca and hike whatever I ...
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