Jacob's Stairway and Upstream Waterfalls, Ozarks near Jerusalem, Arkansas

1/5/2019 - Jacob's Stairway

GPS Coordinates:  (Latitude,  Longitude,  Elevation)
  Parking location:  35.52964   -92.77109,  1331 ft.
  Falls #1:  35.53237   -92.77167
  Falls #2:  35.53288   -92.77152,  1199 ft.
  Falls #3:  35.53319   -92.77138
  Jacob's Stairway (base):  35.53397   -92.77086,  1022 ft.
  

Pet-Friendly: Dogs off leash should be OK.  The biggest impediment in this hollow is brier patches.  Your dog will do better navigating those than you will.  I took Boomer today and he managed just fine.

Hiking Statistics:  This hike is a bushwhack all the way, but we only hiked 1.3 miles round trip.  If you park at the road, it adds about 0.1 miles.  The minimum-to-maximum elevation difference was only 341 feet, but a good deal of that was in rough terrain.  I chose to climb to the top of the bluff to hike out, which was very steep, adding to the difficulty factor.  Boomer and I took 2:34 hrs on the hike, but our actual moving time was only 22 minutes.  The other 2 hours was all photo taking time.  I would say the bushwhacking conditions are difficult, but with the short length and small elevation change, I would rate it as a moderate bushwhack.

GPS files (.gpx format) - See maps at the bottom of this blog post
  Hector-Smyrna area waypoints
  Jacob's Stairway track
  

Links to blog posts for other nearby areas:

  Schoolhouse Falls
  Lizard Log Falls 
  Ladderbucket and John Mountain Falls
  Brushy Fork waterfalls near Hatley Mountain

The lower half of Jacob's Stairway
with Rick and Boomer

Bethany and I had been on a road trip the last three days, and as usual, while we were gone it rained a lot.  This time, however, our timing was great; we got back home the day the rains stopped, so today was a great day for trekking in those places on my "wet weather go-to" list.  When I hike in the dryer months, any place that looks like it would be nice if you just add water goes on the list and eventually I go back and visit them with good flow in the creeks and waterfalls.  The other way that places end up on my wet weather list is if friends visit places I haven't been and show me photos with some 'wow' factor.  One such place was one that friends Dan Frew and Jacob Guiot had been to recently.  They had this beautiful waterfall Jacob's Stairway because the photo I had seen had Jacob on it and it looked like a huge waterfall-filled stairway.  It was in a small hollow next to one I had already hiked, so I was already familiar with the area.  After getting in late last night, I was looking for something that shouldn't be too strenuous, and this looked like the perfect candidate.  So Boomer (our German Shepherd) and I loaded up and headed toward Jerusalem.  

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

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 on your right 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 12.0 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 at right - you want to stay on White Oak Mountain Road at this point.  After following it for 11.8 miles, turn right onto Wilderness Trail (aka FR-1307).  Go another 5.1 miles and turn left onto an old Jeep trail.  If you don't have a high clearance vehicle, just park here off Wilderness Trail.  If you do have a 4WD vehicle, you can go down the Jeep road about 200 yards to a small clearing where the road ends and goes down to more of an old trace trail, and park there.

Falls #1
When I said harsh sunlight, this is what I meant

After parking, I knew I needed to just go straight into the hollow and hike down it away from the road, toward where it flows into Brushy Creek.  The Jeep road we had taken to the parking location continued on as an overgrown trace road, not one I would drive the FJ on, but one that made for easy hiking.  Boomer and I followed it hoping it would turn down into the hollow.  When it became apparent that was not going to happen, we broke off from it and headed down into the hollow.  There was not a lot of undergrowth today, but what was there was small patches of brier, which I hate.  Still, the briers were not extensive enough that we couldn't easily go around the patches, so it wasn't that big a deal.  Getting down into the hollow, we immediately came to Falls #1, a nice little cascading waterfall.  By this time, the sun had come out in full force, making waterfall photography almost impossible.  The photos you see here are about the best I could do with the harsh light.

Jacob's Stairway - upper section

Continuing downstream, we came to Falls #2 and Falls #3 quickly, only a couple hundred feet separating each one.  The top of Jacob's Stairway is likewise only a couple hundred feet downstream of Falls #3.  I paused at each of the smaller waterfalls long enough to snap some photos.  All three have a unique geometry and are photogenic in their own right, but Jacob's Stairway is truly a pretty waterfall.  It is a little frustrating to photograph, because there is no way you can get the whole thing into one frame, so you have to shoot each section separately.  There is a distinct upper and lower section, with the upper section having a lower slope.  Both upper and lower sections have a vertical drop of about 20 feet each.  The upper section stretches out the run quite a bit more, and also splits and runs up each of the two major forks in this hollow.

Jacob's Stairway
Viewed from where the upper section ends.

Most of my time on this hike I wasn't really hiking, I was trying to figure out how to best shoot Jacob's Stairway.  I did the best I could, but I can definitely tell you that photos and videos don't really do it justice.  If you like what you see in these photos, just consider that being there is an experience with a much greater "WOW factor".   There was less flow today than in the photos Dan and Jacob had taken, especially in the right branch of the upper section (as you face upstream).  Even with the lower flow, it was still spectacular.  It is also quite slick as you walk on the 'stairs' in the waterfall.  I slipped and fell on my butt once in the middle of the upper section, and once while climbing up on the lower section to get myself in a timed photo.   The majority of my time on this hike was spent right here at Jacob's Stairway, trying to photograph every perspective I could think of and trying to make the bright sunlight as inconsequential as possible.   Boomer is a water dog, so he entertained himself by romping and swimming and splashing around on Jacob's Stairway.  

Falls #3

This hollow is fairly small, with only one major fork and no sizable side drainages.  It doesn't flow much more than a half mile from it's headwater to where it flows into Brushy Creek.  I only went downstream from Jacob's Stairway to the point where I could see the slope flatten out before flowing into Brushy Creek.  Since I encountered a lot of small patches of brier hiking down along the creek, I looked at the slope on the bluff above the creek to the west and decided it looked much less brushy.  If you look at the map below, you can see the track Boomer and I took on the climb out.  There was considerably less undergrowth that way, but it is a very steep slope.  I would highly recommend this, as Jacob's Stairway is somewhat unique.  I have seen many long cascades and slides, but I can't think of any quite this extensive and beautiful.  It is a relatively small drainage area, so will be very sensitive to rainfall.  Make sure you go after a really good soaking, preferably on an overcast day.  I plan to come back on a really wet day in the spring to get some greenery in my photos.  

Jacob's Stairway GPS track
Red - today's track
Blue - Jeep road

Upper Bailey Cole Creek waterfalls, Arkansas Ozarks near Witt Springs

12-31-2018 Bailey Cole Creek upper section

GPS Coordinates:  (Latitude,  Longitude,  Elevation)
  Parking Location:  35.73974   -92.91068, 1642 ft.
  Falls #8:  35.73811   -92.91275, 1510 ft.
  Falls #9:  35.73843   -92.91278
  Falls #10:  35.74061   -92.91388
  Falls #11:  35.74108   -92.91405
  Falls #12:  35.74152   -92.91515, 1404 ft.
  Falls #13:  35.74139   -92.91355
  Falls #14:  35.74150   -92.90923
  Falls #15:  35.74144   -92.90947
  Falls #16:  35.74133   -92.90956
  Falls #17:  35.74071   -92.90840
  Falls #18:  35.73952   -92.90629
  Falls #19:  35.73867   -92.90406
  Falls #20:  35.73902   -92.90416
  Anniversary Falls:  35.73852   -92.90392

  Falls #22:  35.73820   -92.90363

  Falls #23:  35.73766   -92.90297

  Falls #24:  35.73773   -92.90263

  Falls #25:  35.73752   -92.90282

  Falls #26:  35.73724   -92.90247, 1600 ft.

Pet-Friendly: Dogs off leash should be OK.  This is a fairly rugged area, with a lot of large rocks you sometimes have to scramble over and around.  A smaller and/or older dog may have some difficulties in some areas.  There will be several creek crossings, and Bailey Cole Creek can be a little deep and very swift at times.

Hiking Statistics: Today's hike was 3.8 miles round trip, but seemed longer.  There was a minimum-to-maximum elevation change of only 313 feet, although there were several climbs up onto bluffs and back down again due to the terrain.  I would rate this a difficult bushwhack, obviously not because of the distance or elevation change, but because of the ruggedness of the terrain hiking along the creeks.  If the creek is as high as it was today you'll be hiking with wet feet, if that adds any difficulty factor for you.

GPS files (.gpx format) - See maps at the bottom of this blog post
  Bailey Cole Creek and Bailey Hollow waypoints
  Upper Bailey Cole Creek track
  

Links to blog posts for other nearby areas:

  Bailey Cole Creek (lower section) from Falling Water Road
  Bailey Falls from Falling Water Road

Anniversary Falls

About three weeks ago, I went to Bailey Cole Creek to do a little exploring of that creek and the small hollow just south of it that contained Bailey Falls.  Both areas were fantastic, offering some of the most pristine Natural State goodness in an area that rarely sees any humans that are not on horseback.  It has very little of the horse-borne visitors, but trekkers like me are often deterred by the geology.  When the creeks in these hollows are high, making for the best in the water features they have, it also means Falling Water Creek will be high.  Sometimes, in dryer seasons, the level is low enough you can cross without getting wet.  Most of the year, crossing Falling Water Creek just means your lower legs will get wet, which in itself is enough to keep many from crossing it.  After a good rain, it can flow enough to knock you off your feet.  On my last hike here, it almost did just that.  I got off to a bad start that day, but still hiked the lower half of both hollows and ended up wet but quite happy with my day in the wilderness.

Falls #20

I was impressed enough with both drainages that I vowed to come back and explore the upper half of each valley.  Today, I headed up to hike the upper half of the valley containing Bailey Cole Creek.  Once again, I feel the need to elaborate on terminology and the names of these areas.  There is a Bailey Cole Creek reaching from its headwaters at Highway 16 to where it flows west into Falling Water Creek.  THAT one was my objective today.  It's confusing because there is also a major creek named Bailey Cole Creek with its headwaters directly opposite this one across Highway 16 that flows south down into the Middle Fork of the Illinois Bayou.  The hollow south of my hike today is unnamed, but I call it Bailey Hollow since it contains Bailey Falls.  Still confused?  Look at the topo map at the bottom of this post.  I still plan on exploring the upper half of Bailey Hollow and the Bailey Cole Creek that flows into the Middle Fork, but that will be another day.

Falls #16

So as not to waste a good part of my exploring time bushwhacking up a creek that I had already explored, as well as no doubt soaking myself again in Falling Water Creek, I looked for access from Highway 16.  I found an old Jeep road going right into the middle of the area I wanted to visit today.
(1) To get there from Dover, or points south/east of it, drive to Hector.  From "The Store", drive 3.1 miles north on Hwy 21 and turn left (west) onto OLD Hwy27.  Go 13.9 miles on Hwy 21 and turn right (east) on Hwy 16.  Go 7.4 miles on Hwy 16 and turn left (north) on an old Jeep road.  Go 0.6 miles on the Jeep road and park.

(2) To get there from Pelsor (Sand Gap), or points north/west of it, from the intersection of Hwy 7 and Hwy 16, go east on Hwy 16 for 21.6 miles and turn left (north) onto a Jeep road.  Go 0.6 miles on the Jeep road and park.
By "Jeep road", I mean an old road that is not maintained and is basically just a couple of ruts across the ground wide enough for a vehicle.  This one is in fairly good condition, but if you don't have a 4WD and/or high clearance vehicle, you might want to park just off Highway 16 and walk the extra half mile.  Use your own judgement.

Falls #9

I'll describe the route I took today first, but after I returned to where I parked my FJ Cruiser, I did a little more exploring and I would recommend a slightly different route in the future.  I first headed southwest and down into the major prong of Bailey Cole Creek there.  I immediately found a couple of small waterfalls, Falls #8 (Falls #1 through Falls #7 are in the lower section of Bailey Cole Creek) and Falls #9, in the range of six to ten feet high.  continuing downstream in this prong, I didn't find anything else but one small yet picturesque waterfall until I came to where this prong flowed into Bailey Cole Creek.  There I found Falls #11, a waterfall that flowed over the bluff directly into the main creek.  I had looked a little upstream of Falls #8 and #9 and didn't see any large water features, just more pretty streams and small cascades and waterfalls.  Depending on what you are looking for, you might want to skip this side drainage entirely.  

Falls #12

I found a spot where I could cross Bailey Cole Creek with only getting a little wet, which was a miracle, as much flow as there was today.  The forest service maps show this as a continuously running stream all the way up into the upper reaches of the valley.  With the recent rains, it was more like a river than a creek today.  Weirdly enough, it seemed like there was as much, or maybe even more flow all the way up to the first major fork at the creek's headwaters.  I went downstream to where I had left off on my hike coming up from Falling Water Creek a couple of weeks ago.  Along the way was Falls #12, which flows into a very large pool in the main creek.  Doubling back to hike upstream, I went up on the bluff since there was scant room to hike along the creek with the water being so high and the banks on each side of it being so steep.  Coming off the bluff to where I had found Falls #11, I found the old horse trail and was able to follow it upstream for at least a short distance.

Falls #11

A short distance upstream from Falls #11, I found Falls #13, a nice cascade on Bailey Cole Creek.  Continuing upstream, I came to one of the major side drainages, flowing in from the north.  I hiked up it a distance, but at this elevation, it had a relatively low slope and the high, steep bluffs and narrow channel meant I would need to climb up on the bluff to explore it upstream.  It had a good deal of flow, so it may very well have something worth seeing further upstream.  It extends all the way up to Richland Creek Road (CR-265).  Today, I wanted to make sure I had time to loop all the way up to the top of Bailey Cole Creek, so I left that drainage for another day and continued up the main creek.  Falls #14, and #15 were in a side drainage with Falls #16 directly opposite of them on the south side of the creek.  Falls #16 will be a wet-weather waterfall, I'm sure, but it sure looked nice today, extending all the way up the bluff.

Falls #19

Falls #17 is a two-tiered waterfall in a side drainage, and upstream from it, Falls #18 is a cascade on the main creek that seems to envelop a large rock in the stream bed.  From there, it was about a quarter mile upstream before I came to other water features.  Falls #19 is a beautiful set of cascades flowing over and around large boulders in the creek.  Falls #20 is a fairly large waterfall in the side drainage right next to Falls #19.  Upstream from that, Anniversary Falls (Falls #21) through #26 were all in rapid succession on Bailey Cole Creek itself.  Anniversary Falls was one my wife Bethany instantly took a liking to and is named to commemorate a special anniversary for us.  None of these are very tall, but a large amount of flow and the geometry of the waterfalls make all of the 'photo-worthy'.  These waterfalls were spaced out on the main creek scarcely 100 or 150 feet apart, but the ruggedness of the terrain and obstacles along the creek made it challenging enough to get from one to another.  It seems like I barely got my camera and tripod put away when I needed to get them out again for another shot.  

Falls #26

Upstream from Falls #26, the main creek still had a substantial amount of flow.  The Forest Service Maps show this as a continuously flowing creek almost all the way up to the headwaters near Highway 16.  This is unusual for the Ozarks in that there isn't a lot of drainage area above it to provide a lot of flow.  That being said, I have found that in the Ozarks weird things happen underground with streams of water, and I have seen water pouring out of a spring that had to be forced up somehow to the elevation it was at.  The maps do show a small lake or large pond on some private land above this on the other side of the highway, so that may be a source somehow.  The main creek flowed off from a juncture at this point, and it looked like it had some blufflines that may hold up.  However, I was running out of daylight, and the old logging road shown on the maps that I intended to take for my return to the parking area was shown to be just a few yards up on the bluff.

Falls #22

Just as an aside, don't trust the Forest Service maps.  There was nothing resembling an old trace road anywhere near where the maps showed it to run.  According to the map, the Jeep road I drove in on should have extended around the bluff and up the creek to just a few yards above Falls #26.  It did not.  I set off bushwhacking across the bluff toward the Jeep road I had parked on and never saw a sign of this trace road.  Getting back to the FJ and completing my loop, I decided to do a little more exploring and see just where the road did go.  From where I parked, I started hiking down it.  The road immediately goes to more of a trail, something I would not want to take a vehicle on.  Instead of turning right and going upstream as the map showed, it instead hooked left and went down the face of the bluff downstream toward the creek.  

Falls #23

This was at one time a road of sorts, now it is what I call a trace road.  It was probably cut into the face of the bluff as a mule/horse/wagon road at one point, and eventually, as people abandoned the hollows, the forest took over again.  It probably has progressed to being maybe an ATV trail at one point to just a horse trail, which it does look like it has been used for lately.  It crosses a small drainage and is washed out to the point I wouldn't even want to try taking a side-by-side over, but I have crazy friends that I know would give it a try.  This trail extends a quarter mile down to Bailey Cole Creek, right across the creek from the large prong that I had started going up, but turned back.  

Falls #25

From the parking location to the creek, it only drops in elevation about 200 feet, so this is a nice and easy hiking route to get from the parking spot to the main creek itself.  The small plateau where the trail ends up is fairly open amongst the large trees, a perfect camping or picnic spot if you are looking for such a place away from everyone also on earth.  It will also be a good starting point to hike up and down Bailey Cole Creek, or for me to explore that large drainage.  It was almost dark by this time, but I'll be back to take a look in that hollow.  I didn't travel very far today or have a big minimum-to-maximum elevation difference.  However, you make several climbs into and out of tight spots with steep and slippery bluffs.  Due to the ruggedness of the terrain, the numerous creek crossings, and steep bluff climbs, I would rate this a difficult hike.  Well worth it, but difficult.

Bailey Cole Creek (upper section) GPS track
Red - GPS track today along creek
Green - Jeep road
Purple - Trail to creek level

Entire Bailey Cole Creek area
Red - GPS track today along creek (today's hike)
Green - Jeep road
Purple - Trail to creek level
Orange - GPS track along lower section of creek
Blue - horse trail t Bailey Falls
Yellow - GPS track along Bailey Hollow Creek

Triple Falls and Rock Bridge Creek Falls, Buffalo National River area near Jasper, Arkansas

12/27/2018 - Triple Falls and Rock Bridge Creek Falls

GPS Coordinates:  (Latitude,  Longitude,  Elevation)
  Parking Location:  36.05646   -93.25742
  Triple Falls: 36.05470, -93.25830
  Trailhead - Rock Bridge Creek Falls:  36.05579   -93.25725
  Rock Bridge Creek Falls:  36.05529  -93.25634

Pet-Friendly: Dogs will be fine.  This is a short, level hike with a well-defined volunteer trail.  It is a popular location so there may be other folks there as well.  If your dog doesn't play well with others, please leave it home.

Hiking Statistics:  This is more of a stroll than a hike.  It is only about a quarter mile each way to Triple Falls, mostly on the level along the creek.  Rock Bridge Creek Falls will be even shorter, but you will need to bushwhack to it from the road to get to the base.  The top of the waterfall is just below the access road to the parking lot.

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

Links to blog posts for other nearby areas:
  Liles Falls

Triple Falls
Tom, Jeannette, Rick and Bethany Henry

I have written a blog post for Triple falls before, which you can see here. That was almost five years ago.  I like to think this blog (as well as my writing, hopefully) has evolved over the years, but this is such a simple hike it has not needed an update. Today, however, I got to see something new.  New for me at any rate.  My brother Tom and his wife, Jeannette, were staying with us for the Christmas holidays and Bethany and I wanted to show them some of the Natural State beauty in the Buffalo River area; Triple Falls, Liles Falls, the Parker-Hickman homestead, and other scenery along this part of the Buffalo National River.  Of course, we also wanted to treat them to deep-fried burgers at the Ozark Cafe in Jasper.  Not just deep-fried burgers, but everything here is delicious.  We rarely are able to pass through Jasper without stopping.

To get there, look for the road to Kyle's Landing Access on Hwy 74 west of Mt. Sherman.  The road is marked with many signs for Kyle's Landing and Camp Orr, and there is a canoe rental place next to the turnoff.  Take Kyle's Landing Road for one mile where the road forks, and take the right fork.  i.e. - go to Camp Orr, NOT Kyle's Landing.  Follow the road to Camp Orr another 1.8 miles, which will take you to the bottom of the mountain.  At that point, the road crosses a creek and immediately to the right will be a parking place for the falls. Note that the sign says "Twin Falls Parking".  The falls have long been known by the name Twin Falls as well, but there are in fact now three waterfalls side by side,  and there are many other "Twin Falls" in Arkansas.  Tim Ernst calls it Triple Falls in his excellent guidebook, Arkansas Waterfalls.  That's good enough for me, and if you don't have that book as a reference, get it.  You will thank me later.  Be aware the road to Triple Falls is steep and can get very rough, but is quite driveable by most vehicles.  Today, it was actually in very good condition despite all the recent rains.

Rock Bridge Creek Falls
Tom (6' tall) added for scale in the middle

Today, on the way down the road, I noticed something I had never noticed before.  As we passed over the small creek just before the parking location, I caught a glimpse of whitewater in my peripheral vision.  Slowing down and steering way over to the edge of the road (to the extreme nervousness and discomfort of my passengers), I could see a large, long, cascade.  Even looking from the top down, it was easy to see it would be beautiful.  I didn't want to burden our guests with bushwhacks or long hikes today, but this was too close to not check out.  I made a mental note to do just that after we visited Triple Falls, and went on to the parking location just a couple hundred feet further down the road.  My wife, Bethany, has learned keywords like "bushwhack", and knows that it means no trail whatsoever, which she has also learned she wants no part of if she can avoid it.

Triple Falls 

The land beyond the parking location is actually on land controlled by the Boy Scouts, not public land.  This is part of Camp Orr, operated by the Boy Scouts of America.  I took a quick look while Bethany, Tom, and Jeannette were unloading, and sure enough, the "Private Property" sign was downstream of where the Rock Bridge Creek Falls was, so it should be okay to hike on over and take a look.  After parking, we crossed back to the other side of the road and the trail to Triple Falls is straight ahead.  The trail is on the level, running right next to Shop Creek, which feeds Triple Falls.  You will be able to see and hear the waterfall almost immediately, it is that close.  It is less than a quarter mile to the waterfalls.  Along the way, there is another trail branching off to the right that goes to the top of the falls, but go straight ahead and you will be at the base of the three falls in no time.  Today, Triple Falls was spectacular, with the recent rains really letting it put on quite a show.

Upper section of Rock Bridge Creek Falls
with Tom Henry

Hiking back to the FJ, Tom and I left Bethany and Jeannette at the parking spot while we checked out this new (new to me, anyway) waterfall.  One of the BNR hiking trails actually runs from the road near the parking spot, close to the private property line, and across the bottom of Rock Bridge Creek.  I'm assuming the creek was named for a rock bridge that had probably been built across it many, many, years ago.  After I got home and did a little research, I found one reference to a Rock Bridge Creek Falls with the correct GPS coordinates, so unlike a lot of waterfalls that I notice while out hiking, this one actually had a name already.  It was, in fact, a remarkably beautiful cascading stairstep-type waterfall, and the heavy rains really had it flowing well.  I'm really surprised to not find any photos on Panoramio or Google Earth of it.  Hiking back, I found it to be much shorter and easier to just hike over to where the road bends around to the parking location.  It's an even shorter hike than the one to Triple Falls.

Triple Falls is a must-see waterfall if you are ever in the area, preferably during wetter periods.  This is the most natural beauty for the least effort you will ever experience.  If you go after a good rain, Rock Bridge Creek will give you a fantastic bonus with just a little extra effort.  Today, we had guests and I couldn't get away with a lot of bushwhack-style exploring.  However, I did notice on the drive out that there was another nice sized waterfall upstream of where the road crossed back over Shop Creek, which feeds Triple Falls.  I'll come back on another day and hike both Shop Creek and Rock Bridge Creek from top to bottom.

GPS Waypoints for Triple Falls and Rock Bridge Creek Falls

Bearcat Hollow waterfalls and bluffs, Arkansas Ozarks near Iceledo Gap

12-18-2018 Bearcat Hollow 

GPS Coordinates:  (Latitude,  Longitude,  Elevation)
  Parking location:  35.86422   -92.92651,  1916 ft.
  Trailhead to Bearcat Hollow:  35.86117   -92.91119,  1803 ft.
  Bluffline Break:  35.86425   -92.90439,  1498 ft. 
  Bearcat Hollow Falls:  35.86322   -92.90621,  1501 ft.
  Bearcat Hollow UNF #2:  35.86253   -92.90500
  Bearcat Hollow UNF #3:  35.86262   -92.90319
  Bearcat Hollow UNF #4:  35.86299   -92.90206,  1347 ft.
  Trinity Falls:  35.86315   -92.90175
  Bearcat Hollow UNF #6:  35.86338   -92.90122
  Bearcat Hollow UNF #7:  35.86339   -92.90078
  Bearcat Hollow UNF #8:  35.86339   -92.90050
  Bearcat Hollow UNF #9:  35.86340   -92.90039,  1183 ft.
  

Pet-Friendly: Dogs off leash should be OK.  Be aware that downstream of Falls #4, it is very steep and smaller dogs may have a lot of difficulty in the jumble of large rocks.  I took Boomer today and he managed just fine.

Hiking Statistics:  This is a hike along a trace trail until you get to the bluffline break to descend into Bearcat Hollow itself. From below the bluffline, it is all a bushwhack hike.  I hiked 4.5 miles, with two miles of that being on Kettle Corn Road.  The minimum-to-maximum elevation difference was 733 feet, and a good deal of that was in very rough terrain.  That climb out really raises the difficulty factor on this one.  We took approximately five hours on the hike, but a good deal of that time was photo-taking time.  Our actual moving time was only 1.3 hours.  I would rate the hike down to the base of Bearcat Hollow Falls as a moderate hike, and the hike downstream and back up as a difficult one.

GPS files (.gpx format) - See maps at the bottom of this blog post
  Richland area waypoints
  Bearcat Hollow GPS track
  

Links to blog posts for other nearby areas:

  Stack Rock Homestead Falls and Punchbowl Falls
  Dogwood Falls
  Sandstone Castle

  Devon Falls, Twin Falls, Hamilton Falls, and Richland Falls
  Landslide Falls

  Wild River Hollow

  Terwilliger Falls and Pine Hollow

Bearcat Hollow Falls

I had been to Bearcat Hollow just two weeks ago with an old friend and frequent hiking companion, Dan Frew.  We had been exploring other bluffs in the Richland area and encountered a long-time resident of the area that told us of this hollow tucked away between the Richland Wilderness and Dry Creek valley.  His directions were not the best in the world, and he didn't know the names of the hollow or roads nearby.  However, after several missteps and going down the wrong tracks, we finally found our way down into the hollow.  Bearcat Hollow has an upper hollow with a very tall bluff surrounding the whole upper section, that then spills out over the very steep bluff above Richland Creek.  On that first trip, we had already put in a few miles that day and only hiked as far as the large waterfall at the head of this upper bluffline.  Water levels were low on that day, but we could tell it would be a really nice waterfall with a little rain.  Today, I decided to go back out and see what else was in this hollow, so Boomer (our German Shepherd and another frequent hiking companion) and I loaded up in the FJ and headed out.

Boomer chillin at the base of Falls #4

To get there, take Highway 7 north and turn onto Highway 123 north at Lurton.  From the 'T' where you can turn left to Hwy 7 or right to Hwy 123, turn right and go 1.5 miles.  Turn right on NC5070 (aka FR-1200, aka CR-36, aka Herbie Hampton Rd, aka Assembly of God Church Road).  Take NC5070 for 6.8 miles, then turn right on NC5080 (aka FR-1205).  Go 1.6 miles on NC5080 and you are at an odd 4-way juncture; this is Iceledo Gap.  Go 1.9 miles south of Iceledo Gap on FR-1205 (aka NC-5070) to Dickey Junction.  Dickey Junction is 5.0 miles north of the Richland Creek campground if you are coming from that direction.   From Dickey Junction, turn east onto FR-1201 (aka Richland Road or NC-5085).  Go 2.1 miles on FR-1201 and turn right onto Kettle Corn Road.  This is a dead-end road that has a gate across it in just a few yards.  If the gate is open, you can drive an additional 1.0 miles on Kettle Corn Road to where an old logging road branches off on the left.  Park here, this is the trailhead to Bearcat Hollow.  If the gate is closed, as it usually is, park at the gate and walk the additional mile to the trailhead.  The Forest Service does use this road, and there are two small parcels of private land down this road,  so park far enough off the road that folks with a legitimate need for the road (and keys to the locks on the gate) can get through if needed.

If you look to the left of the old logging road, there is a faint trail heading downhill.  Someone has put up a sign "Bearcat Hollow aka Horseshoe Hollow".  I have never heard of Horseshoe Hollow, and can't find a reference to it anywhere; on all the maps, it is Bearcat Hollow, so that's what I'll call it.  It looks like no one has used the trail for some time, but it actually follows a good route down to the creek just above the top of Bearcat Hollow Falls.  That name, by the way, seemed logical to Dan and me on our initial trip here.  At that time, we didn't see any evidence of other waterfalls nearby, and we normally name the biggest waterfall in a drainage after the hollow it is in if they are all previously unknown and unnamed.  On that initial trip, we followed the top of the bluffline looking for a break but didn't find one until all the way at the end of the upper hollow, where it opens up above Richland Creek.  We noticed that faint trail at that point and followed it back directly across the top of the knob to where the trail crossed the creek.  This is a much easier route than trying to follow the top of the bluff.

Falls #2

Having the advantage of that first experience a couple of weeks ago, Boomer and I followed the trail across the creek and directly to the bluffline break.  Another advantage of having Boomer along is that he can follow a trail that I will lose when it gets too faint.  When I give him the "lead" command, he'll follow a trail ahead of me, and if there isn't one will find the best possible route.  The break is easily hiked, sloping down the north side of the hollow toward Bearcat Hollow Falls.  We hiked down the break and kept going right along the base of the bluff.  The bluffs here are solid sandstone, and quite high.  At one location, there are pitons and chains hanging from them left at some point by some very adventurous rock climbers.  I can see why the backward-sloping cliff of hard, solid rock would appeal to rock climbers, but it's just not for me.  I'm terrified of heights as it is.  I believe the folks that climbed here are the ones that initially cut the trail down into the hollow, to get the best path possible for packing all that gear in.  

Inside-out view of Bearcat Hollow Falls - with Boomer

From the bluffline break, we hiked along the base of the bluff back up to the top of the hollow, where Bearcat Hollow Falls is.  I did some scaling on this waterfall and found it to be just over 35 feet tall, which gives you an idea how large the shelter cave behind it is.   From the large pool below Bearcat Hollow Falls, the creek winds through the upper hollow past some rocks bigger than a barn which broke off the bluff in eons past and ended up in the center of the hollow.  This is one of the most scenic creeks I have seen in the Ozarks, with crystal-clear water and pristine surroundings.  This will be a truly photogenic area in the springtime.  There are a couple of small waterfalls, Unnamed Falls #2 and #3, along the creek before it gets to the point the upper hollow spills over the next huge bluffline and tumbles down to where it flows into Richland Creek.  

Falls #4

This is where we found Falls #4, with an initial drop in the 25 to 30-foot range.    At the top of Falls #4 is a huge sentinel rock, and directly in front of this huge boulder is a break allowing access to the base of Falls #4.  After spending some time taking photos, Boomer and I headed on downstream.  I chose the left side of the creek to go downstream, and it was a real rock jumble.  The creek tumbles down very steeply at this point.  There are a series of waterfalls tumbling down for a total drop of about a hundred feet, so close together I called the whole thing Trinity Falls.  

Trinity Falls

Below Trinity Falls, the slope on the creek still dropped off steeply.  If you look at this area on topo maps (see the map below), it doesn't really tell the exact story, but you can see that the bluff directly above Richland Creek is very steep and deep.  If you look at it with satellite imagery, you can see the distinctive upper hollow, with a more gradual slope, then from the top of Falls #4 the dramatic change in slope.  Below this second bluffline, the area around the creek is beautiful, with a continuous chain of cascades and small waterfalls.  We found UnNamed Falls #6, #7, #8, and #9 one after another over a distance of about a hundred yards.  That is where we called it quits for the day and turned around.  I'm sure there are more waterfalls downstream, but at this point more and more of the water was going into the rocks and underground, and the flow in the creek was decreasing.  If I can make it here with good water and greenery in the spring or early summer, I'll explore further downstream.  

Falls #7

Boomer was starting to whine about having to maneuver around and over the large rocks in the jumble on this (south) side of the creek, and I had been keeping an eye on the other side to see if it was any better.  It appeared that once you got above the rocks close to the creek itself, there was more even terrain on the bluff over the north side.  So we climbed the short bank on the north side (right side as you go upstream) and made our way back upstream and uphill.  It actually was much easier hiking on that side, with not nearly the amount of rock climbing needed.  As we approached the top of the lower bluffline, where that huge boulder was near the top of Falls #4, we had to weave through some good-sized rocks.  If you were going to blaze a trail down this hollow, this would be the exact route to do it.  At any rate, Boomer liked it.  I think he had had about all the swimming, barking, chasing turkeys, and other such dog fun he could handle for the day and was ready to head home.  

Falls #8

The climb back to where we parked was a total of 733 feet, which never seemed like much on trails in the mountains out west.  Here in the Ozarks, a climb like that is a lot more challenging and tiring.  Going from Falls #9 to the big rock next to Falls #4 was less than 200 feet of that climb out, but it seemed like it was straight up.  It's basically like climbing a flight of stairs 20 floors up, but with a pack and without stairs, on slippery leaves and rocks, while climbing over and around stuff.  Which is a long way of saying we had to stop at the big sentinel rock and catch our breath.  After a short rest, the other 500+ feet we had to climb did not seem all that bad.  The bluffline break is not that far from Falls #4, and the slope back out isn't that bad until you go up the break.  As bluffline breaks go, it's not that bad either.  We made our way back along the faint trail, which Boomer could find with ease, even in spots when I couldn't see a trace of it at all.  

Bluffs at Bearcat Hollow - evidence of
rock climbers climbing both faces here.

The Richland area is one of my favorite hiking spots because the remoteness 

Pitons and chains hanging from
near the top of the bluff above

and ruggedness of the terrain means few people even venture into it.  The Bearcat Hollow area is just outside of the designated wilderness area but is every bit as rough and isolated as the wilderness area itself.  Even though "leaves off" season is one of the uglier times of year for us, it was still absolutely beautiful and unspoiled.  The thick, undisturbed moss and ferns in the area added a little greenery, but I'm sure it will be even better with some foliage.  It's hard to tell this time of year, but it didn't appear that there was very much underbrush or briars to worry about.  If you are up for a little rigorous trekking, I would highly recommend this area.  If you aren't so keen on the "rigorous" part, you can avoid most of that by just going to Bearcat Hollow Falls, then following the creek to Falls #4 and heading back from there.  Oh, by the way, I know you have been wondering the entire time you read this; there is indeed an animal called a Bearcat.  Just not around these parts.  The only thing I can imagine is that the name was partially the result of the output of some of those old whiskey stills from the prohibition days that we find remains of throughout the Ozarks.  If you drink enough of that stuff, you see all kinds of things.  Be careful out there!

Red - Bearcat Hollow GPS track
Dashed red - where the Forest Service thinks the Ozark Highlands Trail is
Blue - Punchbowl Falls GPS track (where the OHT really is)