#Ozarks
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 professionally constructed specifically for mountain biking. The mountain bike trails at Mt. Nebo State Park are a great example. They are part of the Arkansas State Parks Monument trails collection, which you can read more about here. Much like the new trails around Bentonville, Hot Springs, and Pinnacle Mountain, these new trails make mountain biking more fun. That’s because they are designed for bikin...
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. They range from easy to difficult, short to long. And some of them are barely a hike at all. Paige Falls and Broadwater Hallow Falls is one of those. Much like Six Finger Falls and Fuzzy Butt Falls, it’s really hard to call this one a hike because the falls are so close to the road. The hike may be really short, but that doesn’t make the waterfalls here less impressive. In fact, this is ...
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...
Hike to Balanced Rock Falls
The Buffalo River is well-known as probably the most popular floating and paddling river in Arkansas. But the lands around it are home to some of the best hiking spots in the state. In particular the Upper Buffalo area near Ponca, Boxley Valley and Compton is where you’ll find a lot of the most popular trails. There is a lesser-known hike in this area that is worth a look and that is the hike to Balanced Rock Falls. You won’t find the trailhead for this one on Google maps like the other ones. Nor is it listed on the Buffalo River NPS hiking page or the Hiking Project App. But you can find it on the AllTrails app I found this hike when I saw pictures of Balanced Rock Falls posted on some of the Facebook hiking pages that I follow. I like interesting rock formations as much as I ...
Climbing and Hiking at Sam’s Throne
Summer is over, and before long the Ozarks will be covered up with the colors of Fall. And one of my favorite spots to see all the Fall colors is Sam’s Throne. This is a hike along the top of a bluff line to a point overlooking a valley, and the views here are gorgeous! Hiking at Sam’s Throne can be a very short hike, or a longer hike depending on what you want to see. Either way, it’s a great place to hang out for a while and enjoy the views. Sam’s Throne is also a popular rock climbing destination. I’m not a climber myself, so I won’t write any about that and risk putting bad info out there. But it’s worth mentioning to anyone interested in climbing…and I do like watching the climbers scale the walls. Between that, the views, and the drive ...
Wolf Pen to Byrd’s on the Mulberry River
Folks, we have had some really good (and rare) late-summer floating opportunities this year. I have written several times about taking advantage of the prime floating conditions of Spring and early Summer. One of the spots this really applies to is the run from Wolf Pen to Byrd’s on the Mulberry River. I missed my chance early in the summer. But thanks to all the rain from the hurricanes, I got a rare late-summer chance to float this section of river on Labor Day weekend. I have stated in a previous article that High Bank to Byrd’s was one of my favorite floats in the state. Well, I’m adding 4 miles to that run and saying Wolf Pen to Byrd’s is now one of my favorites! Not only did we catch it when it was runnable – it was actually high. If you’re lucky e...
Hike to Whitaker Point(Hawksbill Crag)
If you do a lot of hiking in Arkansas and haven’t made the hike to Whitaker Point, you have to add this one to your to-do list. It’s one of the more popular hikes in the Ozarks. Even if you don’t know what Whitaker Point is, you’ve probably seen a picture of it somewhere. Also known as Hawksbill Crag, it is one of the most photographed scenic spots in Arkansas. Lots of marriage proposals happen here and people actually pay photographers to capture the moment from far off. So what is it? Hawksbill Crag is a large rock outcropping sticking out from the top of a really high bluff. The bluff overlooks Whitaker creek in the valley below. On the AllTrails app, it is listed as “Whitaker Point Trail (Hawksbill Crag)”. On Google maps, you’ll find both ̶...
Hiking the Big Bluff Goat Trail on the Buffalo River
I have written a few articles about certain popular hikes or floats that have always eluded me for whatever reason. Hiking the Big Bluff Goat Trail is one of those that has been on my list for years, but just never happened. But this summer, I finally got to mark this hike off my list. And it was everything I expected it to be. In a time where waterfall hikes are all the rage, this a great hike to do when those falls are all dried up. What a great hike this one is. It’s not too long, not too short, slightly challenging, and definitely one of the most rewarding. If you have not made this hike yet, I highly recommend adding it to your list. If you use the AllTrails app, this hike is called Centerpoint to Goat Trail. I think you can get all the way to Hemmed-In Hollow from this trail, b...
Hike to Pedestal Rocks
Well, here we are in the middle of Summer – the dog days. Most of the rivers are really low for floating. Most of the waterfalls are just a trickle, if not dry. And man, is it HOT! If you don’t have a pool, or a boat for enjoying the lake, don’t worry. There are still some fun things to do outdoors. Even in the low rivers, there are still some swimming holes out there. So why not do a hike and swim? During another sweltering summer a few years ago, some friends and I did exactly that with a hike to Pedestal Rocks. You may be thinking “wait a minute…Pedestal Rocks doesn’t have a swimming hole. It doesn’t have any water at all!” You would be correct. It doesn’t. But just 13 minutes down the road is the ever-popular swimming hole at Fallin...
Woolum to Baker Ford Float on the Buffalo
I’m kind of a creature of habit. I have a lot of my favorite floats that I try to do every year. The down side to that is I’ve missed out on a lot of other great floats. You can only do so many per year! So I’m doing more new (to me)floats this year. And a few weeks ago I did the Woolum to Baker Ford float on the Buffalo in my quest to cover all sections of the river. I have floated sections all around this one, but just never got around to hitting Woolum. So my buddy Eric and I loaded our trucks and planned a self-shuttle float to cross this one off the list. This float can be hit and miss by mid-summer. It may be too low one day, but with a little rain it can be fine. Before going, check the river level at American Whitewater or on the RiverApp. I tend to check both. Bu...
Tyler Bend to Gilbert Float on the Buffalo River
I have seen a lot of requests lately asking what is the best float for beginners. I have seen this asked in various social media groups and been asked several times directly. There are a lot of great floats in our state that are great for beginners. And maybe one day I’ll devote a whole article to that list. But there’s one float that comes to mind that I recommend more than any other. The Tyler Bend to Gilbert float on the Buffalo River is, in my opinion, the best float for a first time or novice paddler. Why is that? I’m glad you asked. It’s a combination of several reasons. First, it’s an easy float that is safe for beginners. But it also has beautiful scenery, and enough swift water to make it fun. Next, it’s location makes it the quickest on the Buf...
Floating Byrd’s to Turner Bend on the Mulberry River
There is a general rule of thumb for floating the Mulberry. The deeper we get into summer, the further downriver we have to start our float. Occasionally we will get enough rain to change that rule. But for the most part it pretty much stands true. By mid-June, floating Byrd’s to Turner Bend on the Mulberry River is a popular choice for many paddlers. When the water level is above 3 feet, floating Byrd’s to Turner Bend on the Mulberry River is a really great float. At 2-3 feet, you’ll drag in a few spots and have to paddle more, but still have a run float. At 2 feet, you’ll probably have to start at Redding Campground. So for me, 3-4 feet is the sweet spot for this part of the river. I have been able to do this float a few times when most other rivers were dried up....
