Outdoor Adventures in the Ozarks

     Summer seems to be coming early this year to northern Arkansas, you never know though.  Remember 2013, when it snowed in early May?  Today’s forecast is for highs in the low 80’s with above average humidity.  I don’t think I want to go hiking, so we settle on a drive instead.  And decide to look around Erbie for some parking/trailhead locations that may be used for future hikes.  We turn off Highway 7 at the old stone-faced church across the highway from Dogpatch. Tom Thumb Cemetery      I want to find Tom Thumb Spring and Cemetery, it’s on lots of maps of this area and looks like a great place to begin a hike to Reavis Cabin and possibly even Fitton Cave.   Like anywhere else it turns out there are a lot of roads in this area that aren’t on the map, we have to turn around a couple times but eventually find the cemetery.      Tom Thumb Spring turns out to be on private property, so we won’t be seeing t...

    Today we’re going hiking just east of Richland Creek Wilderness, in Wild River Hollow.   ‘Wild River’ isn’t actually a river, it’s a creek and not a very long one at that.   I suppose Rick Henry felt obligated to give this place a name when he documented at least 14 water features. I for one am glad he did, any place this beautiful, deserves to have a name.   Some of his readers are giving him ‘grief’ for references like ‘un-named falls on an un-named creek’ (yes, guilty as charged). tight and rugged Wild River      Rick points out that Richland Creek is a nationally designated ‘Wild and Scenic River’ and this little tributary steam is certainly ‘wild’ in its own right, thus this appropriate name.   About halfway between the entrance to Richland Campground and the concrete bridge over Richland Creek is an old road to the east.   We pull in here and park at a wide spot off the road, there are a couple more places...

     On just about every map I have ever seen of the Buffalo River, the upper part is called ‘Main Prong Big Buffalo Creek’, well that is too long.  Who is going to call it that, especially in conversation?  I hope no one objects, in my descriptions I’ll shorten the name to Big Buffalo Creek. Main Prong Big Buffalo Creek      The creek begins at what is known as the ‘farthest source’ which is a small spring at the side of Cave Mountain Road near Roberts Gap, just north of the old church where the road makes a sharp turn.  Big Buffalo Creek ends at its confluence with Reeves Fork, which is where the Buffalo River begins. little creek where we park on FR92269A      By the way, I have a passion for maps,   I study every map I can get my hands on.   A few years ago,  while perusing Google Earth looking for drivable routes to get close to the river,  I noticed what looked like a well-used road off Highway16. ...

     Twin Falls in Richland Creek Wilderness has been at the top of my ‘must see’ list for a very long time, pretty much since the first time I saw pictures of the falls ten years ago.  There are a bunch of different routes to get to Twin Falls, none are considered ‘easy’.    Our plan for today is to park and start our hike at Hill Cemetery south of Iceledo Gap, as this route has less elevation change than the other ‘dry’ routes. creek down below trailhead      The Richland Campground route has even less elevation change but involves crossing both Falling Water Creek and Richland Creek.   Knowing the road down to Hill Cemetery is notoriously bad, our ‘back up’ plan is to drive around the top of the wilderness past Dickey Junction to the parking spot for what Rick Henry describes as the ‘Lower 1205 Route’.  And this is where we end up, after one quick failed attempt down Hill Cemetery Road. Stairstep Falls      ...