226 Fred Berry Conservation Education

     Whenever I’m looking for a hike close to home, I always seem to wind up at either Mincy Conservation Area (see: 111, 112, 133, 175, 218) or Slippery Hollow Natural Area (see: 108, 109, 176, 202), both are great areas for hikers.  But there are other places, also close to the house that I always overlook.  Today we’re going to check out ‘Fred Berry Conservation Education Center on Crooked Creek’, a long name, yes, but as we’re about to find out a beautiful place and close...

Crooked Creek

    Yes I said ‘we’, Kat has decided to come along for the adventure after I assure her, this should be an easy hike.  We drove around at ‘Fred Berry’ once many years ago, but this will be our first hike at the Ed. Center in Yellville, which is administered by Arkansas Game and Fish.  We pull into the Natural Area, crossing the bridge over Crooked Creek with Kelly’s Slab visible just downstream.

first view of the creek

on Creek Bottom Trail

    There are at least five parking areas along the main road ‘Conservation Lane’, I park at the nice pavilion with a big fireplace.  This is sort of a ‘trail hub’ with hiking access in almost any direction.  We head east across a big field on a faint trail that leads to ‘Creek Bottom Trail’.  Once on the real trail, a wide mowed path, it soon turns north and follows Crooked Creek upstream, but stays up above the steep bank, at least for a while.

Kat along beautiful Crooked Creek

    Right away is a real short ‘spur’ over to the edge of the eroded bank about twenty feet above Crooked Creek.  No way down from here but this spot is a nice photo-opt up and down beautiful Crooked Creek.  Back on Creek Bottom Trail we continue upstream about 1000 feet to an easy access down to creek level.  Here there’s more scenic views of the creek and lots of deep clean sand piled-up everywhere.

active beaver area

Ardy @ wood duck nest box

    The trail continues north, and in about a quarter mile we enter an active beaver habitat area.  With lots of chewed-off trees on the left and a couple beaver trails off to the right down the steep bank to Crooked Creek.  I follow one of these trails, down to the edge of the creek hoping to see evidence of beaver dam construction, but no such luck.  I get a couple more pics then climb back up the steep slippery bank to the trail.

bluff above Crooked Creek

    Soon, as we cross under the power lines, the trail begins to swing toward the west, then pass through an area of yucca everywhere.  Maybe 300 yards further, we take a spur trail north down to the creek at the top of a tight bend.  Bends on ‘Crooked Creek’ are a dime a dozen, it’s easy to see how this stream got its name.  Looking back downstream, the bluff across the creek is nearly 100 feet high, but lots of trees do a good job to keep it hidden.

landscapes of Crooked Creek

    We stay down on the sand and gravel along Crooked Creek for about 300 yards around the point.  At the top of this ‘point’ is a short ledge rapid with a nice swimming hole just below against the opposite bank.  Continuing around now heading south Crooked Creek is pretty wide, shallow on this side but a deeper channel runs through maybe thirty feet out.  On the other side we see a trail coming down to what looks like a fine fishing spot with some flat rocks to sit.

tranquil pool above Kat @ brief whitewater

    Soon a good trail heads back up to Creek Bottom Trail where there are a bunch of signs: two to the north about no vehicles permitted, one right here stating that Smallmouth are strictly catch and release only.  And just to the south, the direction we head, the next intersection has a trail sign with map.  We leave Creek Bottom Trail turning right on Creek Bluff Trail.  Naturally this still wide trail start heading uphill right away.

a last look upstream then back on the trail

    The gradual climb will get us about 80 feet above Crooked Creek, which we seldom get glimpses of through the thick woods, mostly of cedar.  What makes this Creek Bluff Trail beautiful is the long split rail fence between trail and bluff and the expansive pastoral scene east of the trail.  The split rail fence is over 4200 feet long, almost the entire length of Bluff Trail, along the way besides the great views to the east, is a little pond with a ‘wildlife observation point’.

typical trail signage at junctions

split rail between trail and bluff

    Past the wildlife observation point (a blind), is a cut-off trail east, back to our parking area and the Visitor/Education Center.  But only about halfway done, we continue south on Bluff Trail with more nice sweeping views to the east.  About a third of a mile further, soon after the trail starts its descent the split rail ends and our ‘minds’ return to the twenty-first century.  Then another signed trail intersection, Bluff Trail ends and we turn right heading down Woodland Creek Trail.

views to the east

    ‘Down’ being the key descriptor, it isn’t too steep but with all the loose rock, well just be careful as the trail winds its way down to the little creek.  With a wood bridge at the bottom, the creek is quite scenic, I spot at least three short waterfalls and a couple cascades (if only there was a little more water).  At the bridge the trail turns and follows the creek upstream for about a third of a mile to the next trail intersection.

down on Woodland Creek Trail

    A four-way intersection, with the only sign a warning about the ‘firing range’.  Through the woods I see what looks like a small shack, we take the right (south) path to check it out, turns out to be another ‘wildlife observation point’.  Not nearly as nice as the first one, ‘shack’ is a good description, we turn around back to the four-way junction.

'wildlife observation point' (shack)

on tree lined Conservation Lane

    We head east and right away notice the big old oaks along the path, this soon turns into a road (Conservation Lane) at a parking area on the north side of the road along with skeet shooting facilities.  Along the south side of the road is Archery Range Trail which winds around to various ‘targets’ set along the way.  At the next intersection Conservation Lane turns left and so do we.

benches @ the pond

    For the next quarter mile we’re exposed to the direct sun, luckily it isn’t too hot and there’s a little breeze.  Where we get close to a good sized pond, I take a short-cut around the east side of the pond where there are some nice wood benches.  Kat sticks to the road, maybe a little further, we finish the last 200 yards back to the truck on the now paved Conservation Lane.

long split-rail fence transforms us back in time

    This really was an easy hike, and we both had a great time exploring along beautiful Crooked Creek.  We hiked a total of 3.8 miles with only 282 feet of elevation gain, Kat says she’s ‘game’ to come back and explore the rest of the trails here at Fred Berry Conservation Education Center on Crooked Creek...I can’t wait.

Crooked Creek a gorgeous Ozark stream

Fred Berry Loop: Statistics Chart 226  Getting to Fred Berry Education Center in Yellville is real easy, on SR 62/412 just west of Yellville is an off-center railroad crossing (slow down), 1.3 miles past the tracks is MC 4002 signed ‘Fred Berry Conservation...’ make the sharp right turn.  Go west 1 mile to the Crooked Creek bridge (to your left is Kelly’s Slab put-in/take-out, and parking is on the right).  Across the bridge just under 0.5 miles further is parking area 3 at the pavilion.  Coming west out of Yellville on SR 62/412, MC 4002 is 0.65 miles from the Marion County Courthouse.