173 Eastside Waterfalls of Pedestal Rocks

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    Just when I thought April was shaping up to be dryer than normal, we finally started getting some substantial rainfall.  It has rained pretty much every day for the past week, with today supposed to be a break between storms I know it’s time to get out there and see some waterfalls.  Pedestal Rocks Kings Bluff SIA has a small stream that marks the east boundary of the Special Interest Area, that is where I’m going to look for waterfalls today.

Tripet Falls

    At the Pedestal Rocks Kings Bluff (PRKB) parking area there are 3 or 4 cars already here when I pull in around 10:00, and another is right behind me.  Even though today is Monday this is typical, such an awesome place as PRKB is popular every day of the week.  Heading south at the trailhead over the little stone bridge I’m on the Main (Pedestal Rocks Loop) Trail and continue south at the Kings Bluff Trail which soon heads west.


stone bridge at trailhead

    Then it’s down nine nice stone steps and just a little further the well-marked ‘main intersection’ where the two loop hikes (Pedestal Rocks Loop and Kings Bluff Loop) come together.  Turning left (east) on Pedestal Rocks Loop Trail I head downhill steadily but not steeply.  Everywhere along the trail is lush greenery, all the plant life is leafed-out including the poison-ivy.  Anticipating lots of bushwhacking I start to second guess my decision to visit this (fairly remote) hollow.

turn east at 'main intersection'

    But the trail is good (so far anyway), and I continue down soon coming to the first little no-name waterfall right next to the trail.  Past the falls maybe 50 feet is an obvious trail left and down to the falls, the trail is good only for a short way, apparently most folks just come down to check out the falls then it’s back to the top.  After my visit with the lovely little falls however, I continue downstream through lots of brush and poison-ivy on the occasional trail.

little 'no-name' falls

    I zig-zag downhill sometimes right next to the creek and others on the little ridges along the creek, in here I meet a young three-foot snake with yellow and orange strips.  Then I’m at the top of Midway Falls with another little fall just below, I pick my way across the creek below ‘Upper’ Midway Falls and continue down on top a short bluff then back toward lower Midway Falls on a narrow ledge.  But this ledge soon dead ends at a lovely Azalea bush in full bloom.

stripped snake

    This is as close as I get to the lower falls, downstream soon I’m back on what appears to be a faint overgrown trail heading south, my map shows two more named falls farther upstream on the main creek, but I continue on the ‘trail’ hoping for a side-trail back up to Double Spigot Falls and Morris Ridge Falls, but never find it.  Soon this faint overgrown trail ends at a ‘real’ trail that leads me downhill with more zigzags.

Midway Falls

    Back and forth I keep going downhill now hearing what sounds like a good-sized waterfall I look down below for Tripet Falls, catching glimpses of the waterfall but I don’t find a way into the little grotto containing the falls.  Soon landing along the creek and some pretty, intermittent cascades stretching for over a hundred feet, across the main creek a little side stream can be seen through the thick woods sporting another little double fall, I believe this is Side Canyon Falls.

Azalea

    I keep going south and all along here is a tall bluff across the creek, which I couldn’t find a name for on any of the maps I checked (creek or bluff).  Then another fairly loud waterfall, Pedestal Rock Falls down in the canyon with no obvious route to, and same as before: I get some brief teasing through the trees but continue south on the trail.  And again, another waterfall this one called Pool Falls with no easy access.

intermittent cascades

    I’m beginning to notice a pattern here, this nice trail doesn’t actually go to any of the waterfalls, it just gets you in the area then a short intense bushwhack is required to get up close and personal.  About this time the nice trail lands on an old road and continues south, right here at the old road the creek is travelling fast across solid bedrock: a long waterslide averaging six to eight feet wide.

a glimpse of Side Canyon Falls (to the right)

    The trail keeps going south and I would be willing to bet it ends at the ‘Orange Trail’ down along North Fork Illinois Bayou (see:163 Left and Right on the North Fork), but I turn around here determined to find a way to the base of all the falls I passed on my way down.  I don’t go far before leaving the trail at the first promising prospective approach, it’s not fun but after about 100 feet through brush, poison-ivy, greenbrier and some old rotten deadwood I make it to the base of beautiful Pool Falls.

Pool Falls

    As the name implies, Pool Falls tumbles down the shale fanning-out as it falls eight to ten feet into a gorgeous turquoise pool.  A very relaxing setting, I linger here awhile before climbing the steep bank back up to the trail, this will be my routine for the falls yet to come, try to follow the creek up to the falls, then climb steeply back up to the trail as I continue north upstream.

Pedestal Rock Falls

    Next up is Pedestal Rock Falls, following creek level right away are two big old deadfalls: the first must be climbed through and over a maze of branches four to eight inches in diameter, then under the trunk of the next and down closer to the creek bank through plenty of greenbrier poison-ivy and loose wet rock, but it’s all well worth it.

tall dark bluffline

    Pedestal Rock Falls at maybe thirty feet tall is another fall that widens as it falls, reminding me of Upper Horsetail or Native American Falls.  Definitely a wonderful waterfall, Pedestal Rock Falls must compete in beauty and impressiveness with the tall amazing dark bluffline here next to the falls on the east side of the creek.  Today with all the recent moisture, water is raining down all along the bluffline.

a closer look at the cascades

    After a short break sitting on a flat mossy rock and admiring both the fall and the bluff, I make the short and very steep climb back up to the trail, again slippery but I make it fine.  Not far at all, I’m soon back at the cascades with Side Canyon Falls off to the ‘side’.  I climb down to get a closer look (this one's easy to get into), although down near the small confluence is greenbrier and downed trees everywhere so I make a hasty retreat back to the trail.

Tripet Falls

    My last waterfall to visit today is Tripet Falls, I have no idea of the significance or meaning of the name.  But to get to it, first I head downstream a short way on a little ledge to where I can easily jump down a few feet then backtrack upstream along the base of this short bluff all the way to the grotto with Tripet Falls at its head.  Tripet is another great waterfall of about twenty feet and a small pool at its base, and across the creek I’m looking up into a long shelter cave high on the bluff.

many great waterfalls

    Back on the trail I begin the zigzagging uphill climb, soon passing where I first entered this trail, I’m curious to see where it ends up.  After the ascent levels out a little the trail enters an old road and turns to the south, incidentally this good trail has been well marked with pink ribbon tied in trees the entire time.  About here is when it starts raining and even some small hail.

Pool Falls

    The trail I’m following is going south, I want to go north back to the trailhead and parking area.  It isn’t raining hard but I’m starting to get soaked, so I decide to abandon the trail and make a beeline through the woods west to the Pedestal Rocks Loop Trail which is only about a hundred yards away.  Well, I didn’t find out where the ‘pink ribbon’ trail ended and it soon stops raining, now I’m northbound and very wet but happy for the ‘cool-down’.

under the bluff at Pedestal Rock Falls

    The rest of the way back to the top is uneventful, all the undergrowth when off trail was a real adventure, this would be a much easier hike in late fall or winter after a big rain to get the waterfalls going.  I had a great time though and am surprised later when I find no signs of any ticks or poison-ivy ravaging my skin.  Total mileage hiked today was 3.4 with 699 feet of elevation gain.

Upper and Lower Midway Falls

Eastside Pedestal Rock Falls: Statistics Chart 173     If you don’t know where Pedestal Rocks Kings Bluff SIA is located, then by all means read over some of my previous blogposts for visits to the PRKB including driving directions: (29 The Seven Shelters), (35 Wonders Downunder) and (74 A Bluffs Bushwhack) and enjoy your visit.

base map before fair use alterations is property of USGS--licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 U.S. License

Location: Pedestal Rocks parking: 35.72356, -93.01567

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