Lonesome Hollow Falls, Arkansas Ozarks

2/18/2014 - Hike to Lonesome Hollow Falls

GPS Coordinates:
  Parking:  35.80639, -93.15759
  Lonesome Hollow Falls:  35.80487, -93.16006

Pet friendly: Yes.  OK for pets on or off leash.

Motorcycle friendly: Yes.  Less than a mile down a fairly good gravel road.  I would take mine on this road.

Lonesome Hollow Falls

While I was in the Cowell area exploring Cub Hollow, I had plenty of daylight left and decided to check out Lonesome Hollow Falls.  This is only 'just over the mountain' from Cub Hollow, but is a much different hike.  It is one of the easiest, quickest hikes to get to a really nice waterfall.  Only 1.1 miles round trip, and practically devoid of underbrush.

To get there, go to the Cowell Cemetery, about 0.2 miles south of Cowell.  The cemetery is right on Highway 7.  County road NC-7120 goes behind the cemetery, and comes back out on Hwy 7.  Take NC-7120 halfway around the cemetery, and take FR-1253 where it tees in to the west.  There are two dirt roads at this point; FR-1253 is the south-most of these, and has signs that say 'Dead End' and 'One Lane Road with Turnouts'.  Follow FR-1253 for 0.9 miles and park on the right at one of those turnouts that is an old logging trail, now with an earth berm to barricade it off.  It looks like 4-wheelers still use this road.  

Bluff at Lonesome Hollow

Take the old logging road as it descends into Lonesome Hollow to the left of the parking location.  On the right is the rock bluff that forms the overhang that Lonesome Hollow Falls runs over.  After about only a quarter mile, you will notice the road cuts over this rock bluffline.  Exit the old road to the right and go down to the base of this rock bluffline.  The first few yards off the road to the base of the bluffline are loose rocks, and about the only part of this hike you might call a bushwhack.  Follow along the base of the rock bluffline about another quarter mile, and you will come to Lonesome Hollow Falls.  If you stick to the base of the rock bluff, it is mostly on the level and practically no undergrowth at all.  Technically there is no trail, but it is so easy it hardly seems like a bushwhack at all.

Lonesome Hollow Falls

If you want to go to the top of the falls, there are a couple of locations you can exit the old road to the right and go along the top of the bluffline.  I hiked out to scope out this as well.  Other than a spectacular view of Lonesome Hollow, you can't see much else, just where the creek disappears over the edge of the overhang.

Today, the waterfall was a little lacking for water due to the recent lack of precipitation.  Nonetheless, it was still a beautiful little waterfall in a beautiful area.  I plan to come back later this spring after we get some rain.  I would highly recommend this hike any time of year and with any amount of groundwater.  It is just too easy.  Lonesome Hollow itself and the falls, even in low water, are a real treat.