201 East Erbie Loop

 

March was unusually dry this year, April and May have more than made up for it, and today we find ourselves under yet another flash flood warning.  What’s challenging is finding days cool and dry enough to get in a few more hikes before summer sets in.  Today our high is supposed to only reach the upper 70’s with a good chance of rain beginning just after sunset, so I get out early and hope for the best.

'Turtle Bay' on the beautiful Buffalo

I’m going to try sticking to the ‘trail’ hoping to avoid the ticks which are out in abundance this year, apparently thanks to all the rain.  I’ve plotted out a nice loop hike on the Buffalo River and Old River Trails, just east of Erbie Campground.  Much of this route we have hiked before, at least the BRT portion, (see: 51 Erbie to Adair) but this area on the Old River Trail will all be new to me.

Erbie Landing

on the BRT Spur near trailhead

Pulling into Erbie Campground, I head east toward the canoe launch area and park just below the restroom near a couple picnic tables.  While I get my boots on a seemingly endless procession of kayaks float past, one asks ‘where are we?’ the answer ‘Erbie Landing’.  Fifty feet east of the ‘facilities' is the trailhead with signage, this short spur gets me to the Buffalo River Trail and it obviously gets plenty of use, today the trail is quite muddy.

natural stone steps

spur ends at first trail intersection

Here the trail runs parallel to and just below the road, soon after crossing a small creek it’s up some natural stone steps then this spur ends at the BRT.  A right turn here crosses the road then heads west to Parker Hickman Homestead (another area of the BRT we have explored before see: 54 Parker-Hickman 8).  I continue straight (east) soon crossing another little stream this time on solid bedrock with a wide wet weather waterfall just 30-40 feet below the trail.

BRT crosses at the top of ledge falls

powerline vista of tranquil Round Hole

The trail passes along the top of a bluff with the Buffalo River below and another wet weather fall that can’t be seen through the thick green foliage.  Next I pass under a powerline with a great view of the river below.  The Buffalo changes direction here from flowing east to north, right in the curve is ‘Round Hole’ which I nick-named ‘Turtle Bay’ for the enormous turtles that live in this river bend.

wildflowers in the jungle

ORT follows an old road for a little while

Just under 200 yards further east is a signed intersection where the Old River Trail leaves the BRT and continues up into a small drainage.  I stay on the Buffalo River Trail a little further looking for the next trail junction where the ORT enters the BRT uphill from a river crossing at the bottom of this little drainage.  I have my phone in hand looking at the map and trying to determine how far to the intersection when I slip on the slick smooth rock.

wet weather falls below BRT

I’m not hurt just wet and muddy, but the phone has suffered big ugly spider-web cracks all over the screen.  And to make it worse, I can’t find the trail intersection anywhere.  I poke around some downhill from the trail looking for the ORT but soon give up and head back about a hundred yards and take the Old River Trail up the drainage.  This section of the ORT is in pretty bad shape, with mud rocks flowing water and thick undergrowth, it is a trail though quite rugged.

water streaked 'Striped Bluff'

cobblestone and brush @ edge of Buffalo River

After 500 feet of this wet choking undergrowth the trail enters an old road and heads north, this is more like it, but it won’t last long.  Maybe 300 yards later the trail enters a big long hayfield where it immediately disappears in the tall wet grass.  I’m soon soaked from the knees down which doesn’t really bother me much, it’s all the ticks that get my attention.  This isn’t what I signed up for, the ‘plan’ was to stay on trails today avoiding bushwhacks and bugs.

looking downstream below Redhorse Hole

Giving up on the ORT, I turn around back to the north and at the top of a little drainage head down along the creek.  At first hiking right in the creek which is mostly bedrock and small boulders with only occasional mud and flowing water.  I pass an old car half buried and flipped over, then the creek becomes too rough with rocks and brush so I climb up on the bank.  Now above the creek but still following it downstream the creek soon forms a steep little gorge down to my left. 

upstream shoals

sign at spur trail down to river

Under a quarter mile from the edge of the hayfield on top I land on the Buffalo River Trail.  Just below the trail this little creek I’ve been following falls off the ledge twenty feet or so.  I climb down into the gorge/grotto to check out this waterfall, it’s a lovely rocky little terraced fall and with a little more water would be just fantastic.  I contemplate continuing down the gorge to the Buffalo River which isn’t far, but being very steep and slippery I quickly change my mind and head back up to the BRT.

low bluff below Blue Hole

The trail follows along near the top of a low bluffline heading west with occasional leafy obstructed views of the river below.  Then the BRT descends the bluffline on natural stone steps and swings to the north where it lands on an old road at a signed intersection.  The BRT goes west, I go east down the old road/spur trail.  When I get down to a little feeder creek the road and trail have pretty much evaporated.

trail across rock patio

Once again bushwhacking, I pick my way as best I can north through lots of flood toppled trees and brush.  The ground underfoot is mostly sand with some mud but soon gives way to cobblestone as I get closer to the river.  Directly across the Buffalo is a 125 foot tall beautiful water streaked bluff that I call 'Striped Bluff' with a swimming spot ‘Redhorse Hole’ below at its upstream end.  This short gravel/sand bar is completely littered with knocked down trees and debris, I slowly make my way back up to the BRT.

Widow's Cross an interesting ground cover

Back on the BRT it’s maybe 250 yards to the site of a long gone farm just above the trail, I figure that I might as well check it out since I’m way past the prospect of a day on the trail without any bushwhacking.  There isn’t much left at the homesite, all I find is a partially exposed clay drain pipe and an old rusty swing-set.  Probably much more could be found in winter when all the leaves are fallen to the ground, opening the view for easier exploration.

terraced wet weather fall

stony shore

Not far past the homesite the BRT swings to the south and after crossing a little creek a spur trail heads down into this drainage on an old road.  This spur is in good shape for a while, until the road washes out in the little creek.  I continue down the creek across lots of sand and some mud and rock all the way to the Buffalo River.  Here the mouth of the creek is buried in lots of brush hiding a shoal in the river and a short bluff on the other side.  This is at the downstream end of ‘Blue Hole’ another remote swimming location.

little flowers everywhere

I make my way around to the south upstream on the Buffalo, but this isn’t easy, the steep bank is nothing but sand and thick brush.  I back off the river to the creek and eventually the trail,  finding an old junk refrigerator wedged in the creek, from there it’s easy going back up to the BRT.  This is near the beginning of the long rock patio that the trail follows south, the entire area on this ‘patio’ is covered with wildflowers everywhere, possibly the best place in BNR for spring wildflower viewing.

in a dry patch on rock patio

By this time, I’m approaching where I slipped and fell earlier, needless to say I’m very careful of my footing as I cross the long rock patio continuing south.  Then after the ORT junction the trail swings to the west as the patio ends and it’s a little over a quarter mile back on the BRT below Erbie Campground Road to the parking lot at Erbie Landing.  Where a big group of young men are busy unloading kayaks from their three trucks.

Mullein (backpackers toilet paper) 

Even though today’s Outdoor Adventure in the Ozarks didn’t go ‘as planned’ and included a lot more bushwhacking than I would have liked, I still had a great time exploring seldom visited small creeks, gravel/sand bars, bluffs along the gorgeous Buffalo River and short sections of some old roads.  My hike today was 3.6 miles with 376 feet of elevation gain, and there was nobody on the trail but me and the ticks, evidently it's time for some ‘in the river’ adventures as hiking season quickly comes to an end.

parting shop from the Buffalo River

East Erbie Loop: Statistics Chart 201    Getting to the parking lot at the east end of Erbie Campground (boat launch area) is pretty easy from SR 7: turn west on Erbie Campground Road (NC 2500) which is about 2.5 miles south of the Hwy.7/Buffalo River bridge or about 1.6 miles north of the hairpin curve in front of Little Switzerland Cabins.  Go about 5.4 miles to Erbie Campground, turn right (east) to the boat launch and park near the toilets and trailhead.

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