Jeff's Arkansas Hiking Blog: November 2023

Tuesday, November 21, 2023

Sink Holes, Natural Bridge and Arch - In Buffalo National River boundary - Marion County - by town of Evening Star

1/28/23 - Sink Holes and Natural Bridge

GPS Coordinates: (Latitude, Longitude, Elevation)

Parking Area: 36.09750, -92.52309

Peak 1: 36.10760, -92.53327

Peak 2: 36.10757, -92.53355

Peak 3: 36.10705, -92.53731

Arch: 36.10636, -92.53516

Feature 1: 36.10814, -92.53770

Peak 4: 36.10811, -92.53757

Sink Hole 1: 36.10850, -92.53690

WF 1: 36.11229, -92.53268

Feature 2: 36.11221, -92.53256

Feature 3: 36.11182, -93.53172

Giant Sink Hole: 36.11227, -92.53098

Sink Hole WF: 36.11220, -92.53108

Inside Big Sink Hole: 36.11215, -93.53097

Sink Hole 3: 36.11179, -92.53011

Shelter: 36.11176, -92.52987

Below Sink Hole: 36.11179, -93.52975

WF 3: 36.11065, -92.53079

Sink Hole 4: 36.11089, -92.53005

Cascade: 36.11116, -92.52927

WF 4: 36.11090, -92.52916

Natural Bridge: 36.10101, -92.51857

Markers:

Black Waypoints = Unnamed WF

Orange Waypoints = Cascade

Peak symbol = Peak

Binoculars symbol = Feature / Sink Hole /Natural bridge

Stone symbol = Arch

Shelter symbol = Shelter

Hiker symbol = Trail

Car symbol = Parking area

Running Person symbol = Access point

Level of Difficulty: Hiking along the trail is easy. The hike to the peaks and along the hills around it are moderate and mostly level. The hills down to the Arch and back up are moderate to strenuous. The hike back to the trail and down to the Sink Holes are moderate. The hike from the other trail down to the Natural Bridge and back is a little strenuous with the hills.

Hiking Statistics: 6.12 miles round trip / Ascent is 1,076 ft / Descent is 1,105 ft

To reach the parking area, I took Hwy 14 south from Yellville and some ways after driving over the Buffalo National River, I took a left onto Cozahome Rd / 61. It is paved for a ways and then becomes a gravel road. Eventually it turns into CR 650. I started hiking along the trail to the left. There is a trail that goes to the right also. I followed the trail to the left for awhile and then took a left and started bushwhacking at coordinates 36.10775, -92.53240. I worked my way along the hills to Peaks 1 and 2. I spent some time there enjoying the views of the river and marked the area. I then worked my way along the top of the bluff area and hills to Peak 3. The Arch is along the river below the bluffs. I worked my way along the hillside and started working my way downhill at coordinates 36.10776, -92.53789. I found a way down below the bluffs at coordinates 36.10739, -92.54069. I was down below the bluffs and was bushing along them at coordinates 36.10600, -92.54096 where the terrain is level. I had to walk through a lot of brush between the river and the bluff to reach the Arch. I spent some time there taking photo's and enjoying the Arch and the River. When I was done there, I headed back the way I came down and hiked back up the hills that I had hiked down earlier. I eventually reached Feature 1 and Peak 3. I took photo's of both and marked them both before moving on. I passed the first sink hole while working my way back to to the trail. I was back at the trail at coordinates 36.10966, -92.53520. I crossed the trail and headed down the hills on the other side along the drainage to WF 1 and another Feature. I took some photo's and marked those. I took a 10 minute break at the WF. After my break, I started hiking along the hillside at that level to another Feature. After I was done there, I started hiking down hill at coordinates 36.11186, -92.53159. I then reached the Giant Sink Hole and hiked down into it. I spent a lot of time down there taking photo's and videos. It's like a big bluff in a circle. I was looking to see how far under the bluffs I could get and if their were any caves. There is a smaller sink hole down there with water going through it so I call it Sink Hole Falls. I wish I had more time to spend searching down in there. I will have to go back and spend more time there eventually. After I got back up above it, I continued hiking where I came across another Sink Hole. I took a photo and marked it before working my way down the hills to get below it. There's a neat room and shelter down below it. I'm sure water goes through this one also very good after heavy rain. I spent awhile down there before being ready to move on. There is a drainage right after it so I headed up the drainage to another Feature and WF 3. After I was done there, I worked my way to the hollow where WF 4 was and crossed that and worked my way up to the other trail that went to the right when I was first hiking in. I reached the trail at coordinates 36.10962, -92.52753. I took a right onto the trail and hiked along that back towards my car. I hiked along that until I reached coordinates 36.10141, -92.52549. I took a left from there and bushwhacked down to the Natural Bridge. I spent awhile there and took many photo's and marked it. When I was done there, I bushwhacked back to the trail and got back on it at coordinates 36.09949, -92.52496. I took a left onto the trail and hiked along it back to my car.

Inside Big Sink Hole

Arch

WF 1

Shelter

Sink Hole Falls

Big Sink Hole

Sink Hole

Shelter

Sink Hole and Shelter

Peak

Peak and Overlook of Buffalo River

Natural Bridge

Deep inside Big Sink Hole

Thursday, November 9, 2023

Turner Hollow & Horsehead Creek Waterfalls & Rock Formations - Arkansas Ozarks - by Batson -

2/2/2023 - Turner Hollow Waterfalls (WF) and Rock Formations

GPS Coordinates: (Latitude, Longitude)

Parking area: 35.62882, -93.61025

WF 1: 35.662337, -93.61413

Peak 1: 35.62367, -93.61644

Horse Hoof Arch: 35.62367, -93.61657

Feature 1: 35.62342, -93.61642

WF 2: 35.62322, -93.61512

WF 3: 35.62307, -93.61622

Cascade 1: 35.62302, -93.61667

Cascade 2: 35.62301, -93.61678

Cascade 3: 35.62297, -93.61728

Cascade 4: 35.62295, -93.61751

Cascade 5: 35.62309, -93.61752

Cascade 6: 35. 62267, -93.61779

WF 4: 35.62241, -93.61802

Cascade 7: 35.62213, -93.61864

WF 5: 35.62136, -93.62000

Cascade 8: 35.62155, -93.62001

Cascade 9: 35.62170, -93.62050

Niverney Falls: 35.62234, -93.62177

Waycona Falls: 35.62286, -93.62168

WF 8: 35.62069, -93.62023

Cascade 10: 35.61939, -93.62033

Cascade 11: 35.61881, -93.62019

Cascade 12: 35.61870, -93.62012

WF 9: 35.61859, -93.62003

Cascade 13: 35.61825, -93.61967

Cascade 14: 35.61547, -93.61601

WF 10: 35.61559, -93.61570

WF 11: 35.61578, -93.61539

Ehrman Falls: 35.61597, -93.61497

Horsehead Slate Falls: 35.61673, -93.61357

Rock Formation 1: 35.61703, -93.61407

Feature 2: 35.61700, -93.61426

Feature 3: 35.61696, -93.61496

Feature 4: 35.61688, -93.61543

Feature 5: 35.61685, -93.61567

Feature 6: 35.61704, -93.61622

Feature 7: 35.61737, -93.61655

Feature 8: 35.61831, -93.61683

Feature 9: 35.61912, -93.61621

WF 14: 35.61935, -93.61571

Rock Formation 2: 35.61928, -93.61612

Arch: 35. 61935, -93.61657

Shelter: 35.61941, -93.61699

Feature 10: 35.61947, -93.61740

Feature 11: 35.61942, -93.61766

Feature 12: 35.61948, -93.61772

Feature 13: 35.62022, -93.61833

Peak 2: 62056, -93.61798

WF 15: 35.62338, -93.61414

Markers:

Blue Waypoint = Named WF

Black Waypoint = Unnamed WF

Orange Waypoint = Cascade

Stone Symbol - Rock Formation

Shelter Symbol = Shelter

Car Symbol = Parking area

Running Person Symbol = Access Point

Backpacker Symbol = ATV trail

Peak Symbol = Peak/Overlook

Level of Difficulty: Hiking along the atv trail is easy. The hills here in the Horsehead Creek area have some of the steepest hills so they are strenuous going down them along the drainage and then up them along Turner Hollow. Hiking down in Horsehead creek is moderate to a little strenuous. There are downed tree's that you either have to climb over, go under or work your way around. There are the usual water crossings.

Hiking Statistics: 5.12 mile loop / Ascent is 814 ft / Descent is 833 ft /

I took Hwy 103 south from Hwy 215. I took a right onto Rd 4160 from Hwy 103 and drove to the parking area along the road. I had hiked this area before but hiked it a totally different way so i already knew of a couple of the big falls there and had already named them. There is an old road across the street from the parking area. I crossed the street and got onto the old road and hiked that a ways. Eventually I came to a fork in the road. I could have went to the left and stayed up higher but I took the road to the right that went down lower that curved around. I kept an eye on my gps to see when I was getting close to the drainage I had planned on going down. When I got close, I left the gravel road and started bushwhacking down hill at coordinates 35.62389, -93.61492. I worked my to the access point to get below the bluff at coordinates 35.62350, -93.61515. After I got below, I followed the bluff to the left to reach wf 1. I took some photo's and marked it on my gps before moving on and hiking down the drainage. I soon came to the top of wf 2 and could see no way down by it. I hiked along the top of the bluff line to the right of the falls a ways and worked my my down hill to peak 1 at coordinates 35.62367, -93.61644. I spent some time there before finding a way down the hills to the right of the peak at coordinates 35.62374, -93.61646. I got below the bluff line and came to an arch called Horse Hoof Arch. I spent time there taking photo's and marking it. I then kept hiking along the bluff and came across another feature before getting back to the drainage where wf 2 was. After I was done there, I continued hiking down the drainage and soon came to the top of wf 3. Once again, I had to hike along the bluff to the right to find a way to get down below it. I found a way by coordinates 35.62329, -93.61686. These hills are steep and strenuous. I followed the bluff to the left to the drainage and to the bottom of wf 3. I was more than halfway down the drainage at this point. After I was done there, I continued hiking down the drainage and I was past the big bluffs so I was able to stay in the drainage the rest of the way down to Horsehead Creek. There were many downed tree's in the drainage that I either had to climb over, under or work my way around. I came across 6 cascades before reaching wf 4. I took photo's and marked them all on my gps. I soon was down in Horsehead Creek and I took a 15 minute break and sat down to enjoy the area. Turner Hollow was to the left but I wanted to explore to the right some so I headed that direction when I was done with my break. I first came across another 2 nice cascades and wf 5 before reaching 2 bigger wfs. A little ways further, I'd seen Niverney falls to my left and Waycona Falls a little further straight ahead. I first went up to the left to Niverney falls and took photo's and marked that before going back to Horsehead creek and continuing further to Waycona Falls. After I was done there, I decided to head back and work my way towards Turner Hollow. I quickly was back to the drainage that I had hiked down. While working my way from that drainage to Turner Hollow, I had come across 2 more wfs and 4 more cascades. I stopped and took photo's of them all and marked them all on my gps. I eventually reached Turner Hollow on the left and started hiking up it. I passed by another cascade and 2 more wfs before reaching the next big wf. I eventually reached Erhman Falls and took a break there as well as taking many photo's. The hills were getting steep at this time. While looking straight at the falls, I looked at the hills on both sides and decided to go up the hills to my left. I worked my way up the steep hills and then to the top of Erhman falls. I continued hiking up the hollow along the water. There are always water crossings in these drainages and hollows. I eventually reached Horsehead Slate Falls. I took another break there and enjoyed the area for awhile. I could see the bluffs and rock formations to my left up the hills as I was looking straight at the falls. When I was ready to get going, I worked my way up those steep hills to the bluffs and rock formations. I started hiking up the hills at coordinates 35.61667, -93.61377. After I got up to the first feature at coordinates 35.61703, -93.61407, I decide to forget about getting back into the hollow above the falls and to continue up that since I hiked all of it my first time there and to just continue hiking along the bluffs. I took the left and hiked along the bluffs that eventually curved to the right. I came across many nice features that I took photo's of and marked on my gps before I reached the next drainage where wf 14 is. There are other wfs down this drainage but the hills are very steep. During my first hike there, I hiked all the way down Turner Hollow and up this drainage back to the gravel road. Each set of hills I had to get up to be above the next falls in this drainage felt like I was climbing rather than hiking. On this hike, I went past wf 14 and continued hiking along the bluffs on the other side of the drainage. I passed by a shelter and many more features. I took many photo's and marked them all. I then looked at my gps to see where I was and could see that I was almost back to the drainage that I had originally hiked down. I wanted to find a way up above the bluffs on that side before reaching the bigger drainage. I found a place and started working my way up the steep hills at coordinates 35.62064, -93.61830. I worked my way up the hills to the access point at coordinates 35.62077, -93.61782. After I got to that point, I could see that I was above the bluff line so I hiked at that level to the right to see if there was an overlook and I soon got to peak 2. I spent some time there enjoying the view and taking a break after hiking up the steep hills. After I was ready to move on, I continued hiking up the hills and working my way back to the gravel road. I finally reached the gravel road at coordinates 35.62106, -93.61515. I then took a left onto the gravel road and followed that back out to the parking area. I was tired after this hike with how steep the hills are.

Horsehead Slate Falls

Ehrman Falls

Horse Hoof Arch

Waycona Falls

Niverney Falls

Arch

WF 2

Cascade 7

WF 4

Cascade 8

WF 7

Cascade 12

Feature

Shelter 1

Feature

Rock formation

Feature

Shelter

Feature

Peak 2

Wednesday, November 8, 2023

Upper Horsehead Creek Waterfalls - Arkansas Ozarks - By Batson and Horsehead Lake

4/28/2017 - Upper Horsehead Creek Waterfalls (WF)

GPS Coordinates: (Latitude, Longitude, Elevation)

Parking Area 1: 35.58618, -93.64988

Parking Area 2: 35.58662, -93.64775

ATV Trail starts: 35.58614, -93.64686

WF 1: 35.58758, -93.64516

Allervern Falls: 35.58785, -93.64495

Cascade 1: 35.58817, -93.64437

WF 3: 35.58997, -93.64251

Casbalt Falls: 35.59027, -93.64241

WF 5: 35.59148, -93.63856

Emergar Falls: 35.59156, -93.63836

Meribourg Falls: 35.59158, -93.63569

Phantom Falls: 35.59971, -93.63691

Feature 1: 35.60018, -93.63489

Feature 2: 35.60001, -93.63497

Rock Formation: 35.59980, -93.63536

WF 9: 35.59969, -93.63542

Lamb Falls: 35.59951, -93.63577

Upper Part of Lamb Falls 1: 35.59958, -93.63618

Upper Part of Lamb Falls 2: 35.59936, -93.63606

Markers

Blue Waypoint = Named WF

Black Waypoint = Unnamed WF

Orange Waypoint = Cascade

Binoculars symbol = Feature

Stone symbol = Rock formation

Running Person symbol = Access point

Hiker symbol = ATV trail

Car symbol = Parking area

Level of Difficulty: Hiking along the atv trail is easy to moderate. More than half the hike is along the atv trail. Hiking down the hills to get to the waterfalls and back up is moderate to a little strenuous because you don't go down far at the first 4 of the 5 drainages. The hills to get lower after you have to get down lower and away from the atv trail to be near the top of Lamb falls are steep. The hills to get down below Lamb falls and back up are steep and strenuous.

Hiking Statistics: 4.60 miles roundtrip / Ascent is 605 ft / Descent is 614 ft /

To get to the parking area for me coming from NWA, I take Hwy 103 south from Hwy 215. I turned onto 4160 from Hwy 103 and headed west to Batson. I reached CR 4101 on my left when I reached Batson. I took a left and drove on that gravel road a long ways to the parking area. I parked at parking area 2. The Maroon track on my maps that I provide here is the track for this hike. I hiked a little ways further down the gravel road to reach the atv trail on my left. I took the left and hiked along the atv trail a ways until I could see I was close to the first drainage to go down to see a couple of wf's. I left the atv trail at coordinates 35.58766, -93.64609 to get down into the drainage to see Allervern Falls. There was another WF before it along the bluff. I spent some time there enjoying it while taking photo's and marking it on my gps. When I was ready to move on and get back onto the atv trail, I headed up the hill to my right rather than going back to the left the way I came down. I got above that falls and followed the drainage back up and came across a nice cascade. I marked it and then continued on. When I got back onto the atv trail, I took a right and continued on. Eventually I looked at my gps and could see that I was getting close to the second drainage. I left the atv trail at coordinates 35.58964, -93.64304 to get down into the drainage. I worked my way down to Casbalt Falls using the access point at coordinates 35.58986, -93.64257 and spent some time there again enjoying it while taking photo's and marking it on my gps. WF 3 is down here before Casbalt Falls. When I was done there, I decided to go back up the same way I came down this time because the bluff was taller. After I went back up the access point and got myself back to the atv trail, I took a right and continued hiking along the atv trail. I looked at my gps and kept watching it too see when I was getting close to the third drainage. I left the atv trail to get down into the third drainage at coordinates 35.59172, -93.63938 and used the access point at coordinates 35.59147, -93.63863 to get down in front of Emergar Falls. There is another wf down there. I spent some time there taking photo's and marking the 2 wf's on my gps. I again used the same access point to get back up the hill and back to the atv trail. I then took a right onto the atv trail and continued hiking on. I could see on my gps that I was quickly approaching the fourth drainage and left the atv trail at coordinates 35.59159, -93.63684. This hill was easier to get down than the other 3. I soon got down below Meribourg Falls. I spent time there and did the same things before moving on. I went back up the same first hill but then took a right to be right above the falls and hiked at an angle to get back onto the atv trail. I reached the atv trail at coordinates 35.59279, -93.63554. I again took a right onto the atv trail and continued hiking on to get to the fifth drainage where Phantom and Lamb falls both are. The atv trail comes to an end at coordinates 35.59775, -93.63459. I had to bushwhack hike a little further ways at that level and then hike down hill to my right to get 4 contour lines lower to coordinates 35.59881, -93.63548. After I got down to that level, I took a left and I bushwhacked at that level to get over to the tip of the fifth drainage and around it to the other side. At the tip is where Phantom Falls is. I spent some time there again before continuing my way to the other side of the drainage. I worked my way around to the other side to access point 35.60024, -93.63549 before reaching access point 35.60040, -93.63511. These hills are steep to get down below Lamb Falls. As I was working my way slowly down the steep hills to coordinates 35.59995, -93.63499, I passed by a couple of features. From those coordinates, I headed down at an angle to the right to get into the drainage and below Lamb falls. After I got into the drainage and took a right to hike up to Lamb Falls, I passed by wf 9. I took some photo's and marked it on my gps before hiking up to Lamb falls. I reached Lamb Falls finally and took a long break enjoying the area but also thinking about my friend who I named it after. She died tragically and I remember the one time I lead her to that falls and her standing next to it and enjoying it. I remember the photo's I took of her standing in front of it. After I was done there and seen that it was getting late, I headed back to where I first dropped down into the drainage. I thought about that I've been way down below the falls 4 times before but I had never been right under the 2 upper parts so I decided to try and work my way where I would be right under the 2 upper parts of the falls. I headed up the hills to coordinates 35.59980, -93.63536 first and then worked my way up these steep hills to coordinates 35.59973, -93.63590. I was able to hike at that level around the hillside to get just below the first of the 2 Upper Lamb Falls. I took photo's and maked it and then worked my way slowly along the bluff and get to the 2nd of Upper Lamb falls. I did the same there and then worked my way back to coordinates 35.59973, -93.63590 because it was getting late. I then took a left and started hiking up the steep hills to coordinates 35.60000, -93.63615 where I was earlier before I started working my way down the hills. I then took a left and hiked at that level and followed my track around the drainage back to the other side of it to where I came down the hills earlier from the level the atv trail is at. I took a right and headed back up the hills where I originally came down at coordinates 35.59881, -93.63548. I just followed my track to get up the four contour lines and then took a left and stayed at that level back to the atv trail, which is at coordinates 35.59775, -93.63459. I took a little break after I got back onto the atv trail after hiking up and down those steep hills. After a 5 minute break, I started hiking fast along the atv trail and hiked along that all the way back to the road I parked on. I took a right onto that road and hiked back to my car.