Rick's Hiking Blog

Monday, January 13, 2020

Waldo Mountain waterfalls and bluffs, Ozarks along Bullfrog Valley, north of Dover, Arkansas

1/13/2020 - Waldo Mountain waterfalls

GPS Coordinates:  (Latitude, Longitude, Elevation)
Parking Location #1:  35.550674,-93.175677
Parking Location #2:  35.535018,-93.185718
Falls #1:  35.549817,-93.176752
Falls #2:  35.549608,-93.176175
Falls #4:  35.546136,-93.179214
Falls #5:  35.545749,-93.179762
Falls #6:  35.545296,-93.180082
Falls #7:  35.545091,-93.181607
Falls #8:  35.544592,-93.181082
Waldo Mountain Falls:  35.544553,-93.181671
Falls #10:  35.544413,-93.181617
Falls #11:  35.543449,-93.183146
Falls #12: 35.541641,-93.183777

Pet Friendly: It's public land in the national forest, so dogs are allowed. That being said, it is a total bushwhack, sometimes on steep slippery slopes and places where a little climbing was involved. Boomer would have done fine on this hike, but many dogs would not. Know your pet's capability and use your own judgment.

Hiking Statistics: We hiked from the top of Dry Branch to the bottom, so the statistics I have are just for that one-way hike downhill. The one-way distance from parking location #1 to parking location #2 is 2.16 miles. The highest-to-lowest elevation difference is 712 feet, but remember it is going downhill. We still had to hike up the occasional bluff and back down again when the route along the creek was impassable. We also did a little exploring around the bluffs above Waldo Mountain Falls. I would rate this a moderately difficult bushwhack.

GPS files:
Waldo Mountain area waypoints
GPS track for Waldo Mountain along Dry Branch

Links to blog posts for other nearby areas:

Longpool Falls
Rough Hollow
Grimmet Springs Hollow
Graves Creek
Upper Graves Creek
Twister Falls

Waldo Mountain Falls

We are in the middle of moving to a new home near Mountain View, so I felt a little guilty leaving Bethany to the packing and numerous other tasks that had to be done. But when longtime hiking partner Dan Frew asked if I could get out for a little while this morning, she encouraged me to do so. After all, it won't be that easy to get to the places around the southern Ozarks north of Dover (where our current house is). Neither of us had a lot of time today, so we set out to see how much ground we could cover in the morning. My Topo map system has tracks all over the area close to Dover and Bullfrog Valley, but I'm constantly amazed that there are still areas I have not ventured into fairly close to home. Today, Dan wanted to explore an area on Waldo Mountain, just off Pilot Rock Mountain Road. Dry Branch is situated with both the top and bottom of the hollow fairly close to roads, so it was perfectly suited to taking both our vehicles, parking one at the bottom and then going up with the other to hike it straight through without worrying about a loop hike or an out-and-back hike. This was just what we needed when limited on time. We took Dan's Jeep and my FJ Cruiser and headed for Bullfrog Valley (Hwy 164 between Hwy 7 and Hwy 123).

Downstream of Falls #10

Getting there from Dover was pretty quick and pretty straightforward. As usual, the easiest thing is to enter the coordinates for the parking locations listed above into your navigation unit. If you can't do that and need turn by turn directions:

From the Dover town square (intersection of Hwy 7 and Hwy 27), go north on Hwy 7 for 5.5 miles and turn left onto Hwy 164.
Go 4.7 miles on Hwy 164 and bear right onto Pilot Rock Mountain Road (FS-1800). This is just after the twin bridges over Big Piney Creek
Go 1.6 miles on Pilot Rock Mountain Road. This is Parking Location #2, where we left my FJ. There is a pull-off trace road on the right where you can park off the road.
Go an additional 1.7 miles on Pilot Rock Mountain Road and turn right onto Dry Creek Road.
Go 0.5 miles on Dry Creek Road and park off the road. This is Parking Location #1.

Falls #1

We found a place on the left side of the road to park, crossed the road and headed straight down into the hollow on the main upper fork. See the map at the bottom of this post for our route down Dry Branch. While Dry Creek Road is not at the top of the mountain or the top of this hollow, it was above all the actual water in the drainages. I'm not sure name which is correct, Dry Creek as the road is named, or Dry Branch, as the creek is named on my maps. At any rate, it wasn't actually dry, which is the most important thing for waterfall chasing. We soon came to our first waterfall find high in the hollow, a fairly nice one for as high in the drainage as it was. Just downstream of Falls #1, another fork joined in from the left (east). Looking upstream, sure enough, Falls #2 was flowing over the same bluffline. Downstream of that juncture a short distance, we found Falls #3, a short but beautiful waterfall.

Falls #4

This was starting to look like a veritable polyfoss, with a plethora of waterfalls. As often happens when we start thinking like that, we stopped finding waterfalls on the main creek. But then, we found Falls #4 a little more than a quarter-mile downstream and quite a few more that were 100 yards or less apart on the creek. Falls #4 was one of my favorites for this hike, a series of tumbling smaller waterfalls flowing into a nice pool. Unfortunately, Dan lost a lens cap here and it disappeared into the pool, which was much deeper than it appeared. While I was congratulating myself on having a lanyard on my lens cap, somewhere in the short distance between Falls #4 and Falls #5, my lens cap decided it would come loose and get lost. I now carry a spare lens cap in my pack, because continually cleaning the lens in a wet, cold, foggy, muddy, and slippery area like this can get a little old.

Bear Cave/Tunnel
Access downstream to Falls #7

Falls #5, as I mentioned, was less than a 100 yards downstream of Falls #4. This one is a beautiful waterfall flowing into a very steep and relatively deep canyon. Downstream, Falls #6 was equally beautiful in its own way, although much shorter. The fog, which had lifted entirely on our road trip here, had closed in again and made this waterfall look kind of spooky. Going downstream from Falls #6, the next waterfall downstream on the creek was what would eventually be the tenth of our waterfall finds today. However, the terrain forced us into another direction first. To get out of the creek level where we were and continue downstream, we had to go through a cave (more like a tunnel) to another drainage of Dry Branch, so we ended up at Falls #7 in a different side drainage of the main creek. The cave had signs of bear, both hair and scat, and you could see where it/they had bedded down. If there were any bears around today, I'm sure they got spooked and ran off long before we got to this point. This area has the nicest scenery and prettiest waterfalls, in my opinion, of this entire hollow. It's just hard to get from one to another except for a round-about way. Fortunately, they are all grouped fairly closely together between the two prongs.

Falls #7

Falls #7 is a nice one, falling off a tall bluff in this side drainage. downstream of it was another small waterfall, followed closely by Falls #9, which we later decided to call Waldo Mountain Falls. Shortly downstream of Waldo Mountain Falls, this drainage flows into the main creek of Dry Branch and you can follow it back upstream a short distance on the left to an accessible area just below Falls #10. This waterfall is one of the prettiest waterfalls I have seen in the Ozarks, but it is very difficult to get a shot of it that shows that beauty. I'm not a big drone user and don't like packing stuff like that on a bushwhack, but it sure would have come in handy for photographing Falls #10. Heading downstream from this wonderful area, we first went up to explore the bluffs and rock formations above Waldo Mountain Falls, then headed downstream.

Falls #10

We found a couple more waterfalls on Dry Branch on the way back to where we had left the FJ Cruiser parked. Below Falls #10, the creek flattens out some and we even picked up an old trace road along Dry Branch that always makes for easy hiking. It is less than a mile from Parking Location #2 to Waldo Mountain Falls and is much easier hiking than the very steep and rugged terrain upstream of that juncture. If you only have one vehicle, or you just want to see the biggest and nicest of the waterfalls here, I would suggest parking at the lower parking location and just hiking up Dry Branch and back down. This is one of those areas that I can't believe was practically in my backyard and I had never gotten around to exploring it. It is well worth it.

Falls #3

Falls #5

Falls #7

Falls #8

Downstream of Waldo Mountain Falls (background right)

Waldo Mountain Falls

Falls #10

Falls #12

GPS track for Dry Branch on Waldo Mountain

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Round Top Mountain Hiking Trail, Ozark NF near Jasper, Arkansas

12/21/2019 - Round Top Mountain Hiking Trails

GPS Coordinates:  (Latitude, Longitude, Elevation)
Parking Location:  35.983764, -93.178591
Cave #1: 35.986266, -93.180037
Turn off trail to caves: 35.986373, -93.179762
Cave #2: 35.986084, -93.179999
B-25 Crash Site:  35.987184, -93.179868

Pet-Friendly: Dogs are will have an easy time here, the trail is well maintained and traveled. This area is not part of the Buffalo National River, so dogs are allowed. It is a popular trail, so odds are you will encounter other people at some point. If your dog is not well behaved around other people or other dogs, please keep it on a leash.

Hiking Statistics: This is an easy hike as far as trail steepness and terrain goes. The beauty of it is that it is all fantastic scenery and you can do as much or as little as you like. Today, I tried to go everywhere there is an actual trail, so we ended up hiking a total of 3.55 miles. The total minimum-to-maximum elevation difference was 373 feet, from the parking area to the top of the mountain. I would rate this an easy hike.

GPS files (.gpx format) - See maps at the bottom of this blog post

Round Top Mountain Waypoints
Round Top Mountain Hiking trails GPS track

View from the north bluff overlook.
The Newton County Fairground is straight ahead,
and Jasper is right behind it.

Today, Bethany and I woke up in a Newton County frame of mind. For some reason, right after breakfast, I started thinking about the deep-fried burger at the Ozark Cafe in Jasper. After that, it was all downhill. It doesn't take much to convince Bethany to make the hour-long drive up to Jasper if it means a stop at the Ozark Cafe. We didn't want that to be the only thing we did if we drove up there, so what's a good hike to work up a little appetite around there? Round Top Mountain, of course. This trail system is just off Highway 7, just before you go down into Jasper. It's not very strenuous at all, but plenty of trails to stretch your legs and see some awesome scenery. Perfect for our needs today.

Visitor center and toilets (background) at the trailhead

Getting there is pretty easy. If you have ever been to Jasper, you have no doubt seen the sign on Hwy 7. If you haven't ever been to Jasper, what's wrong with you? What a great little town! As you drive into Jasper from the south on Hwy 7, you start a long decline from the mountain ridge top that Hwy 7 follows, about a mile and a half before you get to Jasper. When you start that decline, you'll notice a sign on the left (west) that says "Round Top Mountain Scenic Hiking Trail". That's it. Turn onto the road and follow it about a hundred yards up to where you park at the trailhead. If you are coming from Jasper, it will be on the right a short distance after passing the Newton County Fairgrounds. There are public toilets here, as well as a small visitor center that has never been open any time I have been here.

Map at the trailhead

At the trailhead, you will also note a large sign with a map of the whole trail system, so you don't even need to download the GPX file above. It's a fairly simple trail system with two big loops and is about impossible to get lost on. We went up the trail and decided to hike the lower loop counter-clockwise today, so we turned left onto the loop. I'm kind of lazy and like to do ascents early in a hike, while I'm still fresh, and then save downhill parts when I'm more tired. Not that any of this trail is difficult or steep, it really isn't, it's just one of those hiking habits deeply ingrained in me. By going this way, in about a quarter-mile you come to a trail junction on your right with a stone-cut stairway leading up to the upper loop. We headed up to the upper loop and started hiking around it.

South Gap Narrows

Every bit of trail here is just a leisurely stroll through some fantastic scenery. It is great in any season, but especially beautiful in the Fall, in my opinion. This was technically the first day of winter, and Christmas was right around the corner. Normally, I like peace and solitude to enjoy the sights and sounds of nature, but today, we put our Christmas playlist on my phone and listened to Christmas songs on our stroll. We only passed three other couples on our entire hike, and they seemed to enjoy the Christmas spirit as well. On the very north end of the upper loop, there is a spur trail that goes down to an overlook from on top of the north bluff. From there, you can see seemingly forever, and you can look down right into the downtown part of Jasper.

On the southernmost point of the upper loop, there is a narrow spit of rock that you can climb on and walk out to the end, with sharp dropoffs on each side. It goes right out and over the South Gap, a "gap" between Round Top Mountain and Judea Mountain just to the south. The lower loop goes around the base of this narrow bluff. Continuing on around the upper loop trail from South Gap, we soon came to our stairs leading down to the lower loop. We turned right and continued our counter-clockwise hike around the lower loop trail. At this point, the trail mostly follows the base of the bluff, with lots of small shelter caves, enigmatic holes in the rock, and fossils from a bazillion years ago when this was

South Gap Narrows
from below the bluff

on the bottom of a large sea. We soon came to the base of that narrow spit of rock extending into South Gap and continued on around the lower loop trail. At this point, the trail kind of meanders away from the bluff a bit as you hike along the west side of Round Top Mountain.

There are a few points along the trail overlooking the lower bluff on this side of the mountain, with stunning vistas of the Little Buffalo River Valley. If you want to explore the upper bluff, you'll need to leave the trail and do a little bushwhacking. We didn't want to get overly dirty before going to eat, so we didn't do that. Also, one of my goals for today was to cover all of the trails here and get a good GPS track of the whole thing, so we pretty much stuck to the trail today. That said, it's a great trail to stick to, with beautiful scenery and cool formations everywhere. After you hike all the way around the west side and north end of the lower trail, the trail turns almost due south and a couple hundred yards after that is when you come to the B-25 crash site. See the coordinates listed above.

Back on February 6, 1948, a B-25 bomber was flying from Dayton, Ohio to Little Rock, Arkansas on a training mission with five crew members on board. As Snoopy used to write, "...it was a dark and stormy night...". No one knows exactly what went wrong, but at about 8pm, the plane crashed into the upper bluff of Round Top Mountain. It is theorized that the freezing rain that night caused the wings to ice up, and the heavy fog limited the crew's ability to

Plaque commemorating the 1948 crash site

navigate. Keep in mind this was in the days before on-board radar and the niceties of aviation electronics we know today. One of my Uncles piloted a B-25E during WWII, and ironically crashed his plane into a mountain near Sarajevo. Of course, his crash was helped by anti-aircraft fire. We can only theorize about the details of this crash, but it was horrific. All five crew members died. One engine was actually embedded in the bluff rock, and you can still see scorch marks of the burning fuel. Locals heard and felt the explosion while at a basketball game in Jasper, and helped authorities search the wreckage and secure the scene until daylight. The crash site was finally added to the register of Arkansas Historic Places in 2010, and a plaque honoring the crew was placed at the crash site. I like to just stop and take a moment here to pay my respect and do a little deep thinking about life in general.

Cave #2

There are still some remnants of the wreckage here, but please take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but footprints. Continuing south on the lower loop trail, you soon pass another point of interest. On the right, there is a volunteer trail leading up to the bluff and a couple of small caves. For me, it's hard to pass by a cave without going and checking it out, so I did. They are small and not all that special, but they are caves and caves are cool, at least for me. Going south on the lower loop trail from there, you soon come full circle back to the trail leading from the loop trails back to the parking location. This is an enjoyable, fairly easy hike that I would highly recommend for hikers of all ages and hiking abilities. By the time we finished our hike we had worked up quite an appetite, so off we went for our 'reward' at the Ozark Cafe. Deep-fried burger with cheese and an egg over-hard on it, then brownie with a ton of toppings for dessert.

Along the lower loop trail - with Bethany

This hole in the bluff was just the right size, so I stopped and took a breather.
Behind me, there is a chimney that goes all the way to the top of the bluff.

Round Top Mountain Trails

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Ladderbucket and John Mountain Falls, Ozarks on White Oak Mountain, north of Hector, Arkansas

11/9/2019 - Ladderbucket Falls and John Mountain Falls

GPS Coordinates: (Latitude, Longitude, Elevation)
Parking Location: 35.54074, -92.79777, 1547 feet
Turn left onto ATV trail: 35.54159, -92.79934, 1601 feet
Falls #1: 35.5444, -92.80044
Keep right onto ATV trail: 35.55351, -92.7603, 1407 feet
Bluff Break: 35.55073, -92.79351, 1222 feet
John Mountain Falls: 35.55112, -92.79336, 1223 feet
Falls #3: 35.55010, -92.79433
Ladderbucket Falls: 35.54868, -92.79469, 1227 feet

Pet Friendly: Yes. No problem for dogs off-leash. A dog kept on a leash may have some difficulty going up and down the break in the bluffline.

Hiking Statistics: The one-way distance to John Mountain Falls and then on to Ladderbucket Falls is 2.23 miles. The return hike is slightly less distance because you can go directly from Ladderbucket Falls to the bluffline break, bypassing nearby John Mountain Falls. The highest-to-lowest elevation difference is 554 feet, but there are no extended steep climbs. Approximately 3/4 of this hike is along an old logging road and a couple of ATV trails so it is easy hiking. The remaining hike is a bushwhack but is fairly open hiking without a lot of undergrowth or obstacles. I would rate this a moderately difficult bushwhack.

GPS files:
Ladderbucket area waypoints
GPS track file to John Mountain and Ladderbucket Falls (.gpx format)

Links to blog posts for other nearby areas:

Schoolhouse Falls
Jacob's Stairway
Lizard Log Falls
Brushy Fork waterfalls

Ladderbucket Falls

It has been over five years since Boomer has been to Ladderbucket Falls with me, and I owed him a day out in the woods since he wasn't allowed to go to the Buffalo River with me. The last time we visited this area, he was bitten by a copperhead and I was curious to see if he would remember the area. It was five and a half years ago, but it was very traumatic. He almost died. I ended up carrying him on my shoulders for a while until he just couldn't take it anymore. Even after rushing him to Doc (his vet), he got the anti-serum but the paw that was bitten had to be repeatedly hydrolazed and cleaned out where the flesh was abscessed and rotted. It was a full two months before he was allowed to hike and swim again. So today, we loaded up in the FJ and headed out this morning for the White Oak Mountain area north of Hector and a do-over for Boomer on this hike.

Sign at 'Y' in White Oak
Mountain Road - bear left

This is one of those places where just plugging the coordinates for the parking location into your GPS navigation unit may not give you the best route. Your navigation system will probably tell you to take Lindsey Motorway since it will be about five miles shorter. However, that road is always a wild card. You never know what the status of the ford across the Illinois Bayou will be like, and Lindsey Motorway itself is normally a pretty bad road around the river. White Oak Mountain Road is much better and always seems faster for me, so that is what I recommend.

To get there:

Drive north from Hector on Highway 27. Less than a mile from the Big Piney Ranger station in Hector, you cross over Dare Creek. Look upstream when you cross and you will see a nice little waterfall.
Immediately after crossing Dare Creek, turn right onto White Oak Mountain Road (aka FR-1301). This is a gravel road but is a well-traveled and fairly well-maintained road.
Go 11.8 miles on White Oak Mountain Road. Be careful about seven miles from Hector and bear left where the road branches at the 'Y' in the road. See the sign in the photo at right - you want to stay on White Oak Mountain Road at

Parking Location

this point.
After following it for 11.8 miles, turn right onto Wilderness Trail (aka FR-1307).
Go another 3.5 miles and turn left onto Jobe's Way, then drive a quarter mile to the parking location coordinates (35.54074, -92.79777). If you drive up to the gate with the "no trespassing" sign, you have gone too far. I used to think the private property started at this fence and gate, but it is actually somewhat before that. Look at the photo of the parking location; see that bear-proofed utility pole further down the road? That is where private land begins.

The shaded area is private land

That is John Mountain to your left as you drive into the parking location, hence the name of the waterfall on the side of this mountain. If "Jobe's Way" looks more like "Jobe's driveway ruts", that's because it is. The cleared area beyond the gate and a hundred yards or so around that is private land and is well posted, so please respect the landowner and stay off. Jobe's Way and the parking location are on public land. If you draw a line perpendicular to the road, that is the approximate boundary of Harry Jobe's little chunk of land. From the parking location, hike directly uphill through the woods, then turn to your right after about 200 yards where it levels out. Then hike on the level for about a hundred yards and you will come across an ATV trail. That point is marked with GPS coordinates listed above. This little bushwhack through the woods in pretty easy bushwhacking as it is mostly clear of undergrowth and other impediments. It's just a short detour through the woods and you are around the private land and onto a trail you can follow most of the way to John Mountain Falls. See the map at the bottom of this post for more detail.

John Mountain Falls

Turn left onto an old logging road, away from Harry's property, and stay on it as it swings around the end of the hollow. If you stay on the logging road for almost 1.5 miles, it will swing back to the right and down to a point just north of the top of John Mountain Falls. Where the logging road has a 'Y', bear to the right, where it is more of an ATV trail. staying on this trail until it ends. Where the trail ends, you are actually only about 100 yards from the top of John Mountain Falls. Leave the trail to the right and go down a slight slope to a small creek. This is the creek that feeds John Mountain Falls. Cross the creek and follow it downstream a short way further to the bluffline.

The trick to seeing the waterfalls in this hollow is finding the spot where you can actually get down through the bluffline to access the base of the waterfalls. That spot is right where the hollow's bluffline bends around to the grotto where John Mountain Falls is. In other words, where the falls bluffline bends around to the bluffline for the main hollow. In fact, you can see the waterfall from this point around the bluff to your left. There are two breaks in the bluffline here that you can take to get below the cliff. When you do, stay at the base of the rock cliff instead of going further down the slope to the creek level. Follow the base of the bluff around, keeping the bluff to your left, and it will take you to the base of John Mountain Falls.

Falls #3

John Mountain Falls is a tall one, falling off the bluff ledge for 84 feet before hitting the rocks below. Today, it had enough water flow to look great. But, as with a lot of the tall waterfalls, it is difficult to get a good photo of the entire waterfall due to the foliage and height of the waterfall. It was also a very bright and sunny day, not the best for photographing waterfalls. I did the best I could with it. To get to Ladderbucket Falls, you can go down to where the creek from John Mountain Falls flows into the main creek and go upstream, or you can follow the base of the bluffline back around the way you came. Today, we did a little of both. We hiked upstream on the main creek until we saw Falls #3 flowing off the bluff, then hiked up to it and followed the base of the bluff upstream right to Ladderbucket Falls

Ladderbucket Falls

Continuing on around the base of the bluff keeping the bluff on your right, you will come to Ladderbucket Falls. This is a beautiful 36-foot waterfall, with a steep cascade at the top half, then falling the rest of the way into a large pool. Ladderbucket Falls is on the main creek running down this hollow. After relaxing, shooting some photos, and swimming (well, Boomer did, anyway) we headed back. The easiest way back is the way you came in, along the bluff and back up through the bluffline break. The return trip is slightly less distance since you won't be going around the bend to John Mountain Falls.

It was back at our break in the bluffline that Boomer got bitten on his left rear paw by a snake. I think he has probably let time heal those bad memories. He seemed to have a great day out hiking today. We made pretty good time hiking the two miles back to the FJ. This hike is really not that difficult, from a technical aspect,, especially compared to most areas of the Ozarks. The part that is bushwhacking is not rough, and this route is relatively free of brush and other obstacles. I would recommend this hike for anyone capable of getting off trail and hiking a few miles. There is that private property to be cognizant of, but if you stick to the track that I made you'll be OK. Using a GPS device or app will assist you with that. You can click on the "Glossary and FAQ" link at the top right of this post for information on what I a using for GPS guidance.

GPS track for today's hike

Thursday, October 31, 2019

James A Villines Homestead, Buffalo National River near Ponca, Arkansas

10/31/2019 - Jamee A. Villines homestead

GPS Coordinates: (Latitude, Longitude, Elevation)
Park: 36.02134, -93.35495
Villines Homestead: 36.02230, -93.35302

Pet-Friendly: Dogs are not allowed here. This area is part of the Buffalo National River and is under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service. Pets are not allowed on trails within the Buffalo National River (BNR), with the exception of the Mill Creek trail, Tyler Bend campground trails and the Buffalo Point campground trails. You can take them on the river itself, and in campgrounds, on a leash, but not other areas of the BNR. You can see the NPS policy here.

Hiking Statistics: This is an easy hike of only 1/3 mile for the entire loop trail. You do go up on the hill above the old log cabin, but the lowest-to-highest elevation difference is still only 120 feet. I took my time, and it took less than 16 minutes. I would rate this an easy hike.

GPS files (.gpx format) - See maps at the bottom of this blog post

Leatherwood Creek Waypoints
Villines Homestead GPS track

Links to blog posts for other nearby areas:

  Balanced Rock Falls and Leatherwood Creek
  Triple Falls and Rock Creek Bridge Falls
  Whitaker Creek waterfalls - Compton's Double Falls, Amber Falls, Owl Falls

Villines Homestead Log House

After spending a few hours exploring Leatherwood Creek, I came out of the woods at the trailhead near the Ponca low water bridge. Guess what else is there? That's right, the trailhead for the historic Villines Homestead. This is such a cool slice of history and is so easy to get to, it's practically a crime to not go check it out. The James Villines family were early settlers in the Buffalo River area, and many descendants of the family still live in the immediate area. They were an influential lot, having built the Boxley Grist Mill near where Mill Creek flows into the Buffalo River, a little upstream from this farmstead. They built up the dam on the spring-fed mill pond by hand, to power the grist mill when Mill Creek was too low. Three generations of the Villines family operated the mill for almost a century. The NPS (National Park Service) gives tours of the old mill on weekends between April and October. When the locals' dependence on mills to grind corn, wheat and other grains faded, the Villines family built fishing cabins on the site and helped kickstart the tourism industry in Boxley valley by hosting out of town fishermen on their mill pond. As I said, an influential family in the valley. This farmstead gives you a little glimpse into how they lived.

Park on this side of the low water bridge.
There is plenty of room!

Getting to the parking location is super easy; just go to the Ponca access on the Buffalo River, where the low water bridge is:

From Jasper, go north on Highway 74 to the junction of Highway 74 and Highway 43.
Just prior to the junction, Highway 74 has a bridge over the Buffalo River. While on that bridge, if you look to your left, you will see a low water bridge over the buffalo. That's where you will park.
Turn left (west) on Highway 43, then in about 100 yards, turn onto the gravel road on the left.
The gravel road goes only 0.2 miles to the parking area on the Buffalo River.

NOTE: It is always good practice to park on the highway side of the low water bridge. There is room on the other side for a couple of vehicles, but there are some other considerations. There is a "No Parking" sign on the gate on the left that goes up to the Villines homestead. More importantly, the Buffalo River can rise several feet in a very short time during rainy periods. If you park over there and it rises over the low water bridge, your vehicle isn't going anywhere for a while. Yes, people have been stranded there. Don't be one of those people. There is a vault toilet in this large parking area that looks like it may have been built back in the CCC or WPA eras but is kept fairly clean, as most facilities in the BNR are.

Once across the low water bridge, there is a gate with a trail going up the hill. It is a loop trail, so when you get to a branch to the right, you can go either way around the loop. I bear to the left, so you go up the hill a bit more and come out on the main structure in the farmstead, the log cabin where James A. "Beaver Jim" Villines lived with his family. The story has it that he lived his whole life within a mile of where he was born. I find that hard to believe, but I can easily believe he didn't stray more than walking distance from this farmstead. He was born and raised in Boxley in 1854, and in 1882 he married Sarah Arbaugh and moved across the Buffalo River to this farmstead. He got his "Beaver Jim" nickname from his legendary skills as a trapper. He lived here with his family until his death in 1948, a considerable lifespan for that era. I think if I had a place at the juncture of the Buffalo River and Leatherwood Creek, I probably wouldn't be wanting to move either.

The National Park Service (NPS) now maintains the historic structures here and has some posting to the effect that you can look all you want, but you can't go inside. I'm assuming the floors or something else aren't quite that stable and this is a way to preserve it and prevent injuries. You can go inside some of the other old structures in the Buffalo National River, such as the Parker-Hickman Homestead. The NPS has put up informational placards to describe the various buildings. As you wander from one building to another around the short loop trail, it is a fascinating insight to the way folks lived 'back in the day'. Before you know it, you are back around the loop and at the low water bridge.

I took my time, taking photos and checking out various locations for possibly doing some Milky Way photos here (I don't think that's going to work), and it still only took me just a little over 15 minutes to walk around the loop. I never did get the 'big camera' out of my pack, these photos are all cell phone pictures. This is a short, easy hike with a little history lesson kicked in. It is highly recommended for all.

GPS track for the Villines Homestead loop trail (black)

Balanced Rock Falls and Leatherwood Creek, Buffalo National River near Ponca, Arkansas

10/31/2019 - Leatherwood Creek and Balanced Rock Falls

GPS Coordinates:  (Latitude, Longitude, Elevation)
Parking Area:  36.021338,-93.354948, 1007 ft.
Trailhead: 36.021370,-93.354290
Falls #1: 36.019940,-93.352310
Leatherwood Spring: 36.018108,-93.350642
Falls #2:  36.016920,-93.350200
Old homestead:  36.016400,-93.349850
Falls #3:  36.016250,-93.349480
Falls #4:  36.016410,-93.348900
Balanced Rock Falls: 36.016800,-93.348120, 1213 ft.
Falls #6:  36.016850,-93.347880
Falls #7:  36.015350,-93.349510
Falls #7:  36.014540,-93.349210
Falls #9:  36.014040,-93.348900
Falls #11:  36.013600,-93.348430
Falls #12:  36.013480,-93.348480
Falls #13:  36.013160,-93.348670
Falls #14:  36.013690,-93.348200
Falls #15:  36.013800,-93.348010
Falls #16:  36.014040,-93.347640
Bluffline Break to Wading Falls: 36.013125,-93.347783
Wading Falls: 36.013184,-93.347653
Falls #18:  36.012980,-93.347150
Kizmet Falls:  36.012490,-93.346610
Falls #20: 36.011940,-93.345550
Falls #21: 36.011651,-93.345040
Falls #22:  36.011000,-93.344440
Leatherwood Falls:  36.010780,-93.344040, 1210 ft.

Hiking Statistics: This is an easy hike to Balanced Rock Falls, with a volunteer trail. The distance to Balanced Rock Falls is approximately 3/4 mile one-way. The rest of Leatherwood Creek is a bushwhack, but not difficult by Ozark Mountain standards. I hiked a total of 3.37 miles today, including a little wandering around and exploring. The highest-to-lowest elevation change was only 233 feet. That is the approximate climb to both Balanced Rock Falls and to the BNR boundary line at the upper end of the creek from the parking location. I would rate this a moderate bushwhack.

GPS files (.gpx format) - See maps at the bottom of this blog post

Leatherwood Creek Waypoints
Leatherwood Creek track
Leatherwood Creek return track

Links to blog posts for other nearby areas:

James A Villines Homestead
Triple Falls and Rock Creek Bridge Falls
Whitaker Creek waterfalls - Compton's Double Falls, Amber Falls, Owl Falls

Balanced Rock Falls

First, let me clarify where this is. Like many creeks, hollows, lakes, etc., there is more than one Leatherwood Creek in the Arkansas Ozarks. There is a Leatherwood Creek that runs through the heart of the Leatherwood National Wilderness, then into the Lower Buffalo Wilderness Area, and flows into the Buffalo River only seven or eight miles from where the Buffalo flows into the mighty White River. This is NOT that one, this is the Leatherwood Creek that flows into the upper Buffalo River at the Ponca river access. Ever since Danny Hale first explored Leatherwood Creek and documented it in the Takahik website, it has been high on my list to explore. Finally, we got some rain and all the stars aligned in my busy life of retirement and I packed up and headed for Ponca. Yeah, I know you folks that aren't retired don't understand. You probably visualize, as I did, retirement as a life of leisure and free time to do whatever you want. The reality is, we pretty much do whatever we want, but somehow that makes us busier than we ever have been. I don't know how I ever had time for a job. But I digress again, please forgive me. Bethany heard the word "bushwhack" and opted out, and Boomer isn't allowed in most of the Buffalo National River (BNR), so he had to stay home and I was on my own today.

Park on this side of the low water bridge.
There is plenty of room!

Getting to the parking location is super easy; just go to the Ponca access on the Buffalo River, where the low water bridge is:

From Jasper, go north on Highway 74 to the junction of Highway 74 and Highway 43.
Just prior to the junction, Highway 74 has a bridge over the Buffalo River. While on that bridge, if you look to your left, you will see a low water bridge over the buffalo. That's where you will park.
Turn left (west) on Highway 43, then in about 100 yards, turn onto the gravel road on the left.
The gravel road goes only 0.2 miles to the parking area on the Buffalo River.

To access Leatherwood Creek,
Look for this unmarked trail over a small berm

OR from Boxley, go east toward the junction of these two highways. The Buffalo River access road will be on the right 100 yards before the junction with Highway 74. If you find yourself in Ponca or on the Highway 74 bridge over the Buffalo, you went too far. NOTE: It is always good practice to park on the highway side of the low water bridge. There is room on the other side for a couple of vehicles, but there are some other considerations. There is a "No Parking" sign on the gate on the left that goes up to the Villines homestead. More importantly, the Buffalo River can rise several feet in a very short time during rainy periods. If you park over there and it rises over the low water bridge, your vehicle isn't going anywhere for a while. Yes, people have been stranded there. Don't be one of those people. There is a vault toilet in this large parking area that looks like it may have been built back in the CCC or WPA eras but is kept fairly clean, as most facilities in the BNR are.

Thong Tree

On the other side of the low water bridge, there is a clearly marked trail on the left by the aforementioned gate that goes to the old Villines homestead. On the far right, there is another clearly marked trailhead for the Buffalo River Trail. In between the sign and the BRT trail is a volunteer trail that goes up and over a little berm that is NOT marked in any way. That is the trail for going up Leatherwood Creek. There is no official maintained trail in this valley. The volunteer trail only exists because after Danny Hale posted some photos of Balanced Rock Falls, it suddenly became very popular. It's a relatively easy hike along a remarkably beautiful little creek. The fact that it has gone unnoticed for decades, for the most part, tells you a little about how common this type of scenery is in the Ozarks, and especially areas like the Buffalo River. There are literally thousands of waterfalls in the Arkansas Ozarks, but this one is such a unique formation that folks were certainly drawn to it after Danny found it. If you visit it, please keep it as pristine and beautiful as it is now. Leave no trace, and take only pictures.

Falls #2

Once over the berm, you find yourself walking along the right side of Leatherwood Creek. You pass a large thong tree and in only a couple hundred yards, come to the first waterfall, Falls #1. I'm using Danny's names for waterfalls since he was the first to come here and document it. He does the same thing that I do in a new area; just number the waterfalls as you come to them, and if you give one an actual name later just update the documentation for it. At the lower end of any hollow, generally, the waterfalls are fewer and smaller. Leatherwood Creek is no different, and in the upper parts of the creek, they are one after another. It is about a quarter-mile upstream from Falls #1 to Falls #2. Along the way, I saw a nice spring coming right out of the rock bluff on the left side and flowing into Leatherwood Creek. I suspect in wetter times, there is actually a small creek in the side drainage here. I called this Leatherwood Spring and put coordinates for it in the list above.

Balanced Rock Falls

Less than a hundred yards upstream from Falls #2, there are the ruins of an old homestead on the right, just above where high water would come. Falls #3 is right above Leatherwood Creek in the side drainage on the left. This is the tributary creek that Balanced Rock Falls is in. Cross Leatherwood Creek upstream of this side drainage and the volunteer trail winds to the right side of the creek as it follows the tributary upstream. You'll pass Falls #4 in this tributary, then Balanced Rock Falls is only about a hundred yards upstream from that. It is only about 150 feet of elevation difference from the creek to Balanced Rock Falls, and that is about the biggest and steepest climb I had for the whole day. As I said, this is fairly easy hiking by Ozarks bushwhacking standards.

Falls #4

Above Balanced Rock Falls is Falls #6, a two-tiered waterfall with twin falls at the top and a longer cascading waterfall right below them. I spent a little time climbing up to the bluffs above in this little drainage, doing some exploring, then hiking back down to Leatherwood Creek. I stayed mostly on the right side of the creek as I made my way upstream. There are stretches of about a hundred yards of the serene, beautiful, creek between waterfalls, and the fall colors made this a fantastically pretty area today. When you get up to where Falls #11 is, there are a half dozen waterfalls in the two side drainages on each side of Leatherwood Creek.

Wading Falls

Just upstream, the next one you come to on Leatherwood Creek itself is Falls #17, which Danny has named Wading Falls. I immediately saw where the name comes from. There is a large pool that covers bank-to-bank between the bluffs along each side of the creek. Wading appears to be the only option to get to the base of Wading Falls. Those of you that are avid blog readers know that I'm not much of a fan of getting in the water and wading, especially in cold water. For the record, I didn't do that. I hiked up the bluff on the right and found a bluffline break that I could climb down through right at the base of Wading Falls. The coordinates for the break are listed above. Once down at the base of Wading Falls, I chose to scramble up on the rock ledges on the right side and inch my way over to the top of Wading Falls, which puts you in a big, long slot canyon that leads up to Falls #18. In retrospect, that is probably not the smartest thing to do, and definitely not the safest. It's probably best if you climb back up through the bluffline break and hike up along the top of the slot canyon.

Kizmet Falls

Continuing upstream, Kizmet Falls (#19) is one of the most serene, beautiful waterfalls you will find this time of year. I call it Kizmet Falls, because the word Kizmet has a special meaning for my wife Bethany and me, and fills me with inner peace. Falls #20 and Falls #21 were roughly spaced out 100 yards apart upstream, similar to most of the creek. Above that, the topology changes and there is a big bluff with a very wide overhang on the right side of the creek. Here, Falls #22 flows out over an extended ledge. Just upstream from that is one that I'll call Falls #23A, since it flows out of the pool below Falls #23. Danny named Falls #23 Leatherwood Creek Falls, but I didn't see a location for this little one just downstream of it. A large dead tree has now fallen onto the top of Leatherwood Creek Falls, all but obscuring the top of this waterfall. I'm sure that with the force of water during heavy rains, this tree won't last more than a couple-three years before being torn apart and carried downstream.

Leatherwood Creek Falls

I climbed the bluff on the

Falls #22
You can barely see the top of Leatherwood Creek Falls
at the end of the bluff

left and continued upstream above Leatherwood Creek Falls to the boundary of the Buffalo National River. Beyond this boundary line, I could see massive bluffs, rising 200 feet or more straight up above the upper part of Leatherwood Creek. I could see the bottom part of at least one waterfall that had to fall all the way from the top of this bluff. This is private land, so I went no further today. There is no signage, so you have to be cognizant of where the boundary line is and keep an eye on your GPS. See the "Glossary and FAQ" link at the upper right for what I'm using to navigate and track my hikes. Please respect the property rights of others; there are vast amounts of public lands to explore here, so there is no need to trespass. For my next trip here, I'll locate and contact the property owner to see if I can get permission to do a little exploring.

Bluffs rising above Leatherwood Creek
at the Buffalo National River boundary

Turning back, I stayed above the bluff and went downstream along the opposite side that I had traveled upstream on. Ergo, I was still keeping to my right. There is not a lot of undergrowth here, and since I had seen the entire creek on the way up I saw no reason to do the kind of rock-hopping and zig-zagging that is required along the creek. Plus, despite my best efforts my boots and socks were completely saturated with water and my feet getting pretty cold. When I came to the side drainage containing Balanced Rock Falls, I descended to the creek level and crossed the creek, returning along the creek on that volunteer trail I started today's hike on. It was a short, pleasant, hike, and I soon found myself back at the low water bridge. Since the trail to the Villines homestead is right there, it is kind of required that I go check it out. That will be the next blog post!