182 Hudson Shelter and Bluff Loop

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     Recently I started going back to some of the places we have visited before I started documenting our hikes on Outdoor Adventures in the Ozarks.  Fern Falls and Alum Cove are (see: 174Fern Falls and 177 Alum Cove) the first two with many more to come.  Today’s choice is another short hike: Hudson Shelter, first visited way back at the end of March ’15.

Hudson Bluff

    Over nine years ago I probably won’t remember much from that previous visit, but as soon as I pull into the parking area on an old logging road everything looks vaguely familiar.  Except the Wag-Bag ammo-can mounted on a wood post looks pretty new although empty, it serves as a trailhead marker.  And the trail south is in great shape obviously getting lots of use, all downhill to a rocky creek with little water then down some more following the creek.

trail right from old logging road @ 'trailhead'

above Hudson Shelter Falls

    After about a quarter mile the bottom drops out, where this little stream tumbles over Hudson Shelter Falls.  The trail winds down around over and across lots of large rocks making its way to the base of the falls.  If there was any water flowing, this would be treacherous.  Hudson Shelter is just 50 feet further down more big rocks to the east, all pretty steep (luckily nothing slippery) so I go slow and careful.

in Hudson Shelter

    I don’t know where Hudson Shelter rates in terms of size, downright tiny compared to Indian Rockhouse at Buffalo Point (see: 170 Indian Rockhouse), but this is a nice big shelter.  Tim Ernst wrote 'Hudson Shelter is 75 feet deep', so I’ll guess it's mabe 150 feet wide.  Continuing east past Hudson Shelter the terrain gets pretty steep quick, I only get about a hundred yards before turning around and heading back.

ceiling of Hudson Shelter

rugged bluffs east of shelter

    Back at Hudson Shelter Falls I turn south at a huge rock-fall  jumble with a big pit back behind the rocks and under an overhang (basement shelter), rugged going once again.  Just beyond things mellow out to an easy walk along the base of tall Hudson Bluff, soon with a 50-60 foot tall wet weather waterfall.  Then a long overhang above a shallow shelter with lots of bolt and climbers chains hanging everywhere.

big pit under overhang

bluffline south of big pit

    At the south end of the climbing area is a bluff pouroff hitting the rocks a good twenty feet out from the base of the bluff.  Afterwards the bluffs begin to get shorter and more broken with hundreds of small holes (pock marks) everywhere.  Also I see three or four steep narrow bear cracks (or crevices),  I wouldn’t attempt to use any of them.  Before the bluffline turns west one last crevice with an impressive multi-tiered waterfall with a twist. 

Hudson Shelter (close to bottom)

Rock Spire

    Now around the corner and headed west I soon come to what looks like a good place to head back up to the top.  I zig-zag my way up through the rocks,  about half way up is a little shelter or bear den.  This bluffline break is easy and works out well but along the top of the bluffs is a steep hillside with lots of wild blueberry and other undergrowth, so I continue uphill away from the edge of the bluffline.

under long overhang @ beginning of climbing area

lots of bolts and chains mark the many climbing routes

    Not a straight shot to the top, I keep the grade manageable by angling northwest up to Cowell Road.  As I walk north on the road to Hudson Mtn. Rd. about a quarter mile, I reflect that this hike like the one two weeks ago to Sugar Creek Bluff (see: 180 Sugar Creek) would be pretty spectacular right after a good rain to get all the falls roaring.

bottom of crevice falls

top of crevice falls

    Even so this was still a wonderful little hike with plenty of great fall scenery, most of the 1.6 miles was very easy but it had its moments (mostly brief steep spots) which accounts for the 376 feet of elevation gain. Hudson Shelter is still awesome nine years later and the previously unknown (to me) Hudson Bluff is also pretty cool.

steep narrow bear crack

easy bluffline break

Hudson Shelter Bluff Loop: Statistics Chart 182    To get here you could continue south on Cowell Road (NC 6560) after passing Ricketts and Owens Mountains, see: (71 Owens Ricketts Mountains).  The easiest way here though is to head north out of Cowell at the intersection of Hwy. 7 and Cowell Road.  Go north on Cowell Rd./NC 6560 about 4 miles to Hudson Mtn. Road/FR 1204B and turn east, continue 400 feet to the parking area on the right.

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


Location: Hudson Shelter parking: 35.854, -93.1263

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