#Ozarks
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 ...
Take a Dip at Falling Water Falls
In my first blog series, Big Piney Forest Waterfall Hikes, I wrote about my first visit to Falling Water Falls. On that visit, I was not prepared for a swim there. But in that story, I vowed to go back to take a dip at Falling Water Falls and do a follow-up post. So here it is. This is actually the third and final part to a series for a group waterfall hike. In case you missed the first two parts, we started the day at Pack Rat Falls near Haw Creek. The second stop of the day took us on a hike to Pam’s Grotto. It was a relatively mild day for July. But after a couple of hikes, we were all hot and tired and ready to cool off. So we made our way back across Hwy 7 to take a dip at Falling Water Falls. As much as the group enjoyed the two hikes, I think everyone was really looking forwar...
Hike to Pam’s Grotto near Haw Creek
This hike to Pam’s Grotto is part 2 of a waterfall group hike series. In case you missed part one, I wrote in that post about how some friends saw my first pics of Falling Water Falls and wanted to do a group hike. So I researched a few spots for us to hike and see some waterfalls. We started the day off with a short hike to Pack Rat Falls at Haw Creek Recreation Area. I had read about Pam’s Grotto and finally figured out where the trail is. It’s actually very close to Haw Creek. So this was a perfect spot to take a large group and not have to drive much between stops. Once we finished up at Pack Rat, we headed back down Hwy 123 to find the trail for Pam’s Grotto. Quick Glance Distance: Approximately 1 mile round-trip Difficulty: Easy to Moderate Parking Coordinates...
Hike to Pack Rat Falls in the Big Piney Forest
In my very first blog post about Haw Creek Falls , I promised to do a follow-up story on a hike to Pack Rat Falls. Well, here it is. After some friends saw my pics of Falling Water Falls, we decided to organize a group hike. So I researched a few spots for us to hike and see some waterfalls. I knew I wanted to return to Haw Creek and find Pack Rat Falls. And I had read great things about Pam’s Grotto, which is very close to Haw Creek. I also knew I had to return to Falling Water Falls – this time prepared to swim. So this was a perfect spot for a day hiking trip with a large group. And just like my very first post, this is another three-part series where I’ll feature each stop of the day. Our first stop of the day was a quick hike to Pack Rat Falls. Quick Glance Distance:...
Riding the Syllamo MTB Trails White River Bluff Loop
It’s about that time of year where I trade the road bike for the mountain bike a little more often. So my first mountain bike post will be about riding the Syllamo MTB Trails White River Bluff Loop. Before I post about mountain biking, let me preface by saying that I am NOT a mountain biking badass. Far from it. I end up pushing my bike up hills a lot when there are lots of rocks and roots. Not being in great shape sometimes doesn’t help either. But I still enjoy it and try to ride through the woods when I can. The Syllamo Mountain bike trail is actually a series of different interconnected trails. All of the trails are loops and added together, they total around 50 miles of trails. It is one of Arkansas’ 5 IMBA “Epic” trails. (More on that here). The day I ro...
High-water float on the Buffalo River – Pruitt to Hasty
All of this rain recently has me thinking back to the summer of 2015 when a group of friends and I got to experience a rare high-water float on the Buffalo River. I say “rare” because it was in the middle of summer. It was the 4th of July to be exact. Anyone that has ever floated the Buffalo at that time of year knows the water is usually too low to float without a lot of dragging and paddling. But this time the water was so high we almost didn’t get to float at all. We had just had a heavy rain the day before we set up camp at Tyler Bend Campground. We planned to float from Baker Ford to Tyler Bend the next day. That evening our outfitter informed us that the river was over 12 feet. If it did not go down overnight, we would not be allowed to get on the water the next day...
Hiking to Longpool Falls on Big Piney Creek
Today’s blog post has us hiking to Longpool Falls on Big Piney Creek in the Piney Forest District of the Ozarks. This is a massive Grotto and a really nice waterfall when the water is flowing well. It is a short drive from Russellville, and is a relatively easy hike. I have an annual camping trip with some friends at Longpool Campground. We have done this short hike several times and it’s always great. If you have not been here before, you definitely need to have this one on your list. Directions From I-40, take the Highway 7 exit to Dover. About 10 miles north of Dover turn off Highway 7 on to Highway. From there follow the signs to Long pool Campground. If you get lost, the nice Folks at Moore’s Outdoors Outfitters can help you out. Once you are inside Longpool Ca...
Falling Water Falls – An AR Natural Swimming hole
Welcome to Part 3 of the Big Piney Forest Waterfall Day Hike Series – Falling Water Falls. This one is the last stop of a day trip spent hiking in the Big Piney Forest near Pelsor. In you missed the first 2 installments, Part 1 was the first leg of our day trip, Haw Creek Falls. And Part 2 was a hike to Kings Bluff Falls. So be sure to check out those stories for more info, maps, and pics. Our final stop of the day was my first visit ever to Falling Water Falls. This is a popular and highly-photographed waterfall and swimming area that you’ve probably seen on Instagram, Facebook, and other places. It’s so photogenic that it even made it onto the header image for some of the pages on this site. If you are ever hiking in this area in the summer, this is the best p...
Waterfall Hiking at Haw Creek Falls
Welcome to AR Own Backyard blog! Here I’ll be blogging about my own hikes, floats, bike rides, and other outdoor excursions. I’ll also blog about gear, cool articles, other sites, and occasionally have guest bloggers share some of their stuff. So subscribe or check back now and then if you like it. Today I want to share one of my first hiking trips in the Big Piney Forest in the Ozarks. This will be part 1 in a series of a day hiking waterfalls in the Big Piney Forest. Part 1 is waterfall hiking at Haw Creek Falls. Quite a few years ago I started to get serious about hiking and exploring some of the scenic places around the state that I kept seeing pictures of. Hundreds of waterfalls can be found in the Ozark and Ouachita mountains. My hiking buddy and old college friend, ...
