Outdoor Adventures in the Ozarks

     Three weeks ago,  we set out to hike up Hurricane Creek to Natural Bridge but after running into private property ended up on Big Piney Road to City Road 311, see:   ( 85 Rock Creek ...).   Just over half a mile up City Road 311 we crossed Rock Creek, found a spot to park and hiked up to Rock Creek Bluff Falls.   We vowed to return to Rock Creek since the place is fantastic, there is so much more to explore in this large area of beautiful bluffs, waterfalls, shelter caves, rock formations and an amazing hidden box canyon. Big Piney access at Limestone      I decided that day we should try coming in from the north down City Road 311 which would take us through Limestone, once an actual town with store and post office.   I have been curious to see Limestone for years, and if we can make it down City Road 311 all the way to Rock Creek well, that would be a huge short-cut, compared to our usual route into the area via Parker Ridge Rd. Big Piney is just a creek      About a mile and a

       The saying goes ‘third times a charm’ or is it ‘three strikes you’re out’ we’ll see which one holds true today.   Sixteen months ago,  here in Bowers Hollow we got wore out on the bushwhack to the old homesite and never made it to the falls (see: 33 Bowers Hollow ) , today we’ll skip the homesite and try a different approach, a more direct route to the top of Bowers Hollow Falls. Bowers Hollow Falls     Today the drive in on FR1410B is much worse than on our last two visits, it’s one mud-hole after the next.  Waterfalls should be looking good though, with the heavy rain just yesterday, it brings to mind the waterfall chaser's conundrum: the best time to view waterfalls is the worst time for getting to them.  We don’t have a problem with all the mud, thankfully we drove the truck, I back up into the same parking spot we have used in the past. near the top of Bowers Hollow      The parking conditions here at Kapark Trailhead aren’t the best, without blocking-in anybody there&#

     The southeast corner of Richland Creek Wilderness is an area we know pretty well, having visited many times, but there are still many waterfalls in the area that we have not seen.   Today we’re out to check-off a couple more from the list and check-out a different route to get there. at the roadside campsite      Under two miles south of Witts Springs is Richland Creek Road (SC265 or FR1219), we turn west on this good dirt road and less than four miles later arrive at Falling Water Road (this is the intersection for which Intersection Falls is named).   A left on Falling Water Road (FR1205) brings us to the concrete bridge over Falling Water Creek.   There's parking on both sides of the bridge, we pick the west side right in front of our trailhead.   This parking spot right on Falling Water Creek at the confluence with a lovely little feeder stream wouldn’t be a bad place to camp although very close to the road. Flat Stanley Falls      We start up the road away from Falling Wa