Outdoor Adventures in the Ozarks

     Getting into a designated wilderness area in the Ozark Nat. Forest or Buffalo Nat. River can be a challenge, especially since there aren’t supposed to be any maintained roads or even trails.  Ponca and Hurricane Creek seem to be the exceptions, Ponca has maintained trails crisscrossing the entire wilderness and Hurricane Creek even allows vehicular travel right through the middle of the wilderness. jagged bluffs      Even though it has legal vehicle access and the OHT, Hurricane Creek Wilderness remains one of the least visited wildernesses for me.  I’ve only  been in the ‘official’ wilderness area twice (see: 84 Sexton Cemetery and 90 Hurricane Knob ).  I have decided today to explore Hurricane Creek Wilderness some more, after all access is pretty easy. trailhead next to road      Down in the southwest corner of Hurricane Creek Wilderness is Sugar Creek with a drainage just over three miles long emptying into Big ...

       We had quite a bit of rain the last couple days so I’m thinking it should be a good day to go waterfall chasing.  I have a couple places in mind that I’ve been meaning to go check out and end up in Sand Gap at Native American Falls.  The parking area is on the west side of Highway 7 south of Highway 123, the ‘Piney Creek WMA’ sign that once stood at this spot is gone. first falls encountered along Indian Creek       Out the back heading west is a very visible trail, well-worn, obvious and easy to follow.   All the colorful ribbon and flagging hanging everywhere is completely unnecessary.   The trail starts downhill right away, first it's gentle but seems to get steeper the farther I go, soon I can hear running water.   Now the trail follows a little side stream as it continues down to Indian Creek. Tumbling Cascade       This is up near the top of the Indian Creek drainage, I’m surprised at the amount...

       This morning we have to go into town and pick up some last-minute   items for Thanksgiving dinner, and since it looks like a nice day, we decide to make a day of it by going hiking.  We haven’t seen much rain lately, so we cross off waterfalls from the possibilities list and after a little discussion decide on Buzzard’s Roost way down south.  It is quite a drive,  but we got an early start,  and the scenery is nice, so the drive goes by pretty quick. easy hiking      Buzzard’s Roost is a 'Special Interest Area', but you would never know it from the lack of any signs, without doing a little research we would have never found it.  Just past a little white house we turn left off Maupin Flat Road on an old road which now is an ATV trail, I pull off the road up a low bank and park, with the white house still in site through the trees.  There are a couple more pull off parking spots nearby but not very many, room f...

    You don’t get too many days in January forecast to reach the upper sixties, so we jumped at the chance to get out and go hiking.  The Moccasin Creek area is remote with a lot to offer anyone willing to make the journey. Since the area isn't really on the ‘tourist circuit’ and it’s not the easiest place to get to, we weren’t really surprised that we never saw a single soul while hiking today. Moccasin Creek confluence with Indian Creek      For us the best route into the area takes us down Dare Mine Road all the way to the bottom at Indian Creek near the confluence with Moccasin Creek.  We park right on Forest Service Road 1806B, which is on the right just after Dare Mine Road reaches the bottom of a long hill.   First, we'll head north to check out Little Still Hollow, we hike up FR1806B, which is more like a trail than a road and right away come alongside an old rock wall. in Little Still Hollow     Soon we leave...