79 Camp Orr to Kyle's Landing Loop

    Almost a year ago we ‘discovered’ the Buffalo River Trail and have been slowly hiking the BRT one section at a time.  A couple months ago we hiked on the Old River Trail for the first time and were pleasantly surprised.  Since that time, I’ve been studying maps looking for loop hike possibilities.  Today we'll be utilizing both BRT and ORT, first hiking to Kyle’s Landing on the BRT then back down to Camp Orr on the ORT.  We park at Triple Falls parking area at the bottom of Camp Orr Road.

bluff above Triple Falls

    Starting out south on Triple Falls Trail for just over 100 yards to a signed trail intersection where we turn right and head to the top of the falls.  It’s a little steep but levels out soon then turns to the left (south) on a ledge.  Along the base of a low bluff high on the hill above the creek is a small shallow cave.  This entire area is very nice, and we soon come down a little hill to the top of Triple Falls.

a dry creek crossing

   With little water in Shop Creek, Triple Falls is just a 'single' trickle (for more on the hydrology of Triple Falls see: 76 Triple Cherry), we head upstream first mostly on bedrock on top of the falls.  This whole area at the top of Triple Falls is beautiful even without much water.  Farther upstream another spring, this one up high on the bluff also with just a dribble falling down into Shop Creek.

small cave in bluff above Triple Falls

     On the east side of Shop Creek, the trail continues upstream less than 100 yards, then climbs up the steep hillside another 100 yards to Buffalo River Trail.  But we don’t do that, instead I decide we’ll avoid the ‘steep hillside’ by continuing up Shop Creek which is ‘so pretty’ and appears to be easy going.  Yeah, it’s pretty all right, but that ‘easy going’ part soon turns into rough climbing over and around some big slippery boulders, a little farther we hit an impasse where we’re forced to climb out, up the east bank to the BRT.

through open woods on the BRT

    We turn right on the BRT and cross the creek, then the trail climbs steep through some downed trees up the west side of Shop Creek drainage.  Passing a big mossy rock we soon round the bend and arrive at a signed intersection.  We stay on the Buffalo River Trail curving around the bend some more we’re now headed west and uphill.

at trail intersection

    The trail for the next half mile first to the west then south is our ‘biggest’ climb of the day about 300 feet of altitude gain.  I wouldn’t say it’s a steep climb just a long one, the trail is good through the open woods.  We top out at a tiny creek crossing, then pass by the top of Buzzard Bluff with some great views of the Buffalo River far below.  Then it’s up and down as we go in and out of more little drainages, one with some stone steps.

vista from top of Buzzard Bluff

    On top of a ridge, we cross Kyle’s Landing Road, down the other side we enter Bear Creek drainage, this is steeper than the east side of the ridge with better scenery too.  On the quick descent are many sets of stone steps along with three switchbacks and a giant boulder with a flat top, accessible from the trail offering a great view of the Bear Creek valley.  Lots of boulders are scattered over this east side of the drainage along with loose rock on the trail.

high above Bear Creek

    At the bottom we cross Bear Creek, the trail now mostly level follows the creek downstream, we soon come to Ledge Falls, a very pretty 8 foot tall and wide waterfall plunging off a ledge of bedrock hanging out over the creek.  This fall needs a good rain to get it going, Bear Creek is known to be ‘dry’ evidently much of the flow goes underground.  It’s another half mile to the BRT/ORT Trailhead at Kyle’s Landing, along the way we cross the creek a few more times, the last crossing right before the trailhead and parking.

bluffs on the way down to Bear Creek

    This BRT/ORT Trailhead is at the west end of Kyle’s Campground, we walk up the road past campsites and restrooms, then leave the road through more campsites following the powerline east toward the river.  Under the powerlines for about a quarter mile we’re not really on the trail, it’s pretty easy going though.  Above the bank of the Buffalo, we see broken bluffs across the river and the powerline going straight up the mountain.

broken bluffs on the Buffalo

   We find the Old River Trail off to our right (south) and right away there are some big concrete footings or piers just to the right of the trail, not sure what they were, something big and heavy once stood here.  The ORT meanders back and forth through the bottomlands along the river, sometimes on the old road and sometimes not.  From the concrete ‘ruins’ it’s about a quarter mile to the Buffalo River and our first crossing.

more rocks above Bear Creek

    Flood waters have really ‘tore up’ the bank here at this crossing especially here on the west bank with lots of flood debris.  A lone hiker going the opposite direction crosses the river, we say hi and ask if he crossed the river farther downstream at Camp Orr, he did and tells us he ‘is glad the water hasn’t gotten too cold yet’.  He continues on his way while we change into our water sandals.

almost to Kyle's Landing

    We start across over round river rock and a swift current.  And the water is cold!  Ice cold, the water is numbing it’s so cold, worse it’s even painful to our tender feet.  I guess the lone hiker was being sarcastic, either that or the nerves are dead from his knees down.  On the other side we quickly dry off and rub our feet to get the blood circulating before continuing, we still have one more crossing to look forward to.

at Kyle's Campground

    Back on the old road and above the river with some great views of Buzzard Bluff towering over us across the river.  As the trail curves around to the north the woods open up to some nice easy hiking.  We see a small campsite off the trail about 40 feet and go over to check it out.  With access from this campsite the river is just beautiful, large flat slabs of rock in the water and on the bank, it is a gorgeous spot, and just downstream a nice swimming hole known as ‘Bee Bluff Hole’.

at first 'cold' crossing

    Back on the ORT we continue north to a little creek, and on the other side an old barn about 50 feet off the trail.  Going around to the back of the barn and along the creek we come to a little ‘oasis’, a lovely little jacuzzi sized pool with a pretty cascade pouring in from just above.  Continuing north we soon arrive at the old house to go with the barn, which consists of a fireplace, chimney, foundation walls and lots of stonework along the road.  This house is close to the mouth of Clemmons Hollow which looks very ‘inviting’ beautiful in fact.

old barn with cascade pool around back

    A good trail leads off to the left and up Clemmons Hollow, this area is private property belonging to the Boy Scouts we stay on the Old River Trail.  We head downhill east to the river and our final crossing today.  The river here is much wider and a little deeper than our earlier crossing, and I’m sure it’s just as cold, painfully cold in fact, at least we knew what to expect this time.

homesite remains near Clemmons Hollow

    On the other side we're now in the ‘main developed’ part of Camp Orr, as we gradually climb above the river the road curves to the right, and we soon pass the 'Memorial Campfire Ring' on our right.  Camping ‘platforms’ are up the hill in the woods, past a couple road forks one right going up to the main part of Camp Orr the other to the left is a helicopter-pad with the Buffalo beyond a big open ‘playing field’.  We go through a gate and on the right is a house, 100 yards further we are back to Triple Falls parking lot and end of the hike.

Buffalo crossing near Camp Orr

    Today we had a great time in a great area of the Buffalo, and we learned something we won’t soon forget: the Buffalo River is too cold for ‘wet’ crossings in December.  For tender-foots like me, comfortable (temperate) crossings can be done from June through November (if water levels allow).   We hiked today on the BRT, ORT, and a little off trail as well for 5.1 miles and 814 feet of altitude gain.

in Camp Orr

Kyle’s Orr Loop: You can start this hike at any of the three parking areas listed in Statistics Chart 79 take your pick.  For directions to Triple Falls parking see: (21 Triple Falls), and to get to Kyle’s Landing west end parking see: (70 Kyle’s to Henderson House).

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