Sandstone Castle, Richland Wilderness Area, Arkansas Ozarks

8/20/2015 - Sandstone Castle

GPS Coordinates:
  Parking:  35.84146, -92.98413
  Trail Head on NC5080:  35.84189, -92.98472
  Sandstone Castles:  35.81647, -92.97268
  Rock Wall:  35.82412, -92.98407
  Another Rock Wall:  35.82039, -92.97832

Pet friendly: Yes, kind of.  Be aware there are a number of trees down on the trail and other obstacles that might challenge a smaller dog on a leash.  Also, unlike most of my hikes, there is no water available.  Make sure you pack water for your dog as well.

Motorcycle friendly: No.  Getting to the parking area takes about seven miles on rough gravel forest service roads.  It's doable, but you'll be sorry if you take a cruiser or street bike on these roads.

GPS files (maps at bottom of this post):
  GPS track file, trail head to Sandstone Castles (.gpx format)
  Route file (.anr format)

Overlooking Richland Valley from one of the caves at
Sandstone Castle - with Rick and Boomer

It had been quite a while since I had trekked out to the Sandstone Castles; you can see the blog post for that hike here.  I keep thinking I need to make this hike, but always seem to get sidetracked.  Usually, at this time of year, it tends to be so hot and humid that hiking is the furthest thing from my mind.  However, by some odd tweak of nature we had a couple of days of very unseasonably cool weather, but still not enough rain to get the creeks and waterfalls flowing well.  My son Scott had been wanting to get out in the woods and see some Arkansas scenery, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity to go back to Sandstone Castle.  When I called Scott on short notice, he was enthused enough to drop his plans for the day and drive right out.  We got Boomer loaded up in the FJ Cruiser and headed north.

Sandstone Castle - with Scott (or maybe Captain Morgan)

The Sandstone Castles are actually a series of caves cut into the rock of the

bluff at the top of the ridge overlooking Big Devil's Fork and Long Devil's Fork, high above where they join at Twin Falls of Richland.  The caves have 'windows' overlooking the valley below.  Legend has it this place was used by criminals and civil war deserters to hide out from the Law.  I'm betting that strategy was highly successful.  This is one of those places that if you know where it is, it is easy to get to and easy to find.  If you have never been there, it can be quite challenging to find.  

The "Penthouse" Cave - with Rick

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 1.1 miles on NC5080 and look for where the power lines cross from the right hand (south) side to the left hand (north) side of the road.  The trail head will be near the last power line pole on the right.  On the north side of the road, there is an extended gravel shoulder to park on.  

Trail head - photo from Jan 2014

The trail head GPS coordinates are listed above.  The last time I was here, there was a blue smiley face painted on a tree at this point on the south side of the road.  From the trail head, there is an old trace road that goes uphill.  Turn RIGHT onto it from the road.  i.e. - you will be heading south-west, at first almost paralleling the NC5080 road you just drove in on.  The trail will head up the mountain on this trace road.  There are a fair amount of fallen trees on this first part of the trail, but don't let that discourage you.  As you climb the trace road it will crest the ridgeline, and just over the ridgeline you will make a sharp turn to the left.  The trail here is more discernible and easier to follow, with fewer detours around fallen trees.  Someone had put a sign here to direct you from the ridgeline back to the road on your way back.

The largest cave - with Scott and Boomer

After cresting the ridgeline and turning left, the trail follows more or less just along the crest of Big Middle Ridge, the ridge between Big Devil Fork and Long Devil Fork.  The old trace road is visible in most places and the trail will follow that as it can, with zigs and zags around fallen trees.  The trail is usually visible, but there are a couple of places it gets difficult to see.   As you can see from the GPS track I recorded (at bottom of this post), the trail sticks pretty much to the ridgeline of Big Middle Ridge.  The elevation along this route does not vary a whole lot, but there are some gradual ups and downs.  You pass a couple of rock walls and an old well along the way.  The first of these is hard to miss and is about at the half way point.  These are a good check that you are on the right path.  I included GPS coordinates for these waypoints so you can track your route.

The trail will lead right down the ridgeline to the point where it drops off above Twin Falls.  The  Sandstone Castles are caves in the rock bluff line at this point, and the trail leads to the cliff directly above the caves.  There are a couple of spots you can make your way down to the cave level.   To your left as you look over the cliff is the easiest way down, going between the two largest caves.

Sandstone Castle - with Scott

I had last hiked this route with my wife Bethany in January 2014, and my recollections of the trail were that it was fairly open, an easy hike with little undergrowth.  As a result, I thought (foolishly) that it would be okay to wear shorts.  Well, let's just say things have changed a little in the last year and a half.  The summertime foliage is quite a bit more dense, naturally.  Also, it appears that there is just not enough people making the trip to keep the trail as discernible as it used to be.  We lost the trail three times on the way out and once on the way back.  Fortunately, I had my GPS and I was able to get back on the track I previously recorded easily enough.  Even keeping the actual off-trail bushwhacking to a minimum, the "trail" was overgrown enough with briers and blackberry brambles that we suffered some pretty severe scratching and gouging.  My legs look like a herd of cats used them as scratching posts.  

Even with the unexpected trail difficulties, it was a great day for hiking.  The high for the day was around 70 degrees, something you don't often see in August.  The hike is 2.69 miles each way, by my GPS trip meter.  Sandstone Castle is highly recommended, but you might want to wait for cooler "leaves off" season.  

GPS Track - Sandstone Castles

 3D GPS track for route to Sandstone Castles

Hidden Falls and Lilly Falls, Richland Wilderness, Arkansas Ozarks

7/10/2015 - Hidden Falls, Lilly Falls, and several unnamed waterfalls

GPS Coordinates: (Latitude, Longitude, Elevation)
  Parking:  35.77353  -92.93273,  1149 ft.
  Falls #1:  35.77646  -92.92977,  1409 ft.
  Lilly Falls:  35.77678  -92.92993,  1456 ft.
  Old trace road:  35.77599  -92.92851,  1510 ft.
  Falls #3:  35.77310  -92.92620,  1516 ft.
  Falls #4:  35.77287  -92.92807,  1450 ft.
  Hidden Falls:  35.77302  -92.92835,  1428 ft.
  Falls #5:  35.77295  -92.92857,  1422 ft.
  

Pet Friendly: Okay for dogs off leash, but there are a few spots that might be a little tough.  At one point where I climbed down through the bluffline, Boomer refused to follow.  He always has better sense about those things than I do.  Dogs on leash would be a nightmare due to the dense undergrowth in some areas.

Motorcycle Friendly: No.  The road is definitely too rough.  Wouldn't take my Harley on it, or any other street bike or cruiser.

Hiking Statistics:  Hidden Falls is only a little over a quarter mile from the road and an elevation gain of about 280 feet.  Boomer and I ended up hiking 1.82 miles and an elevation gain of over 400 feet, with several big climbs, but we visited some other waterfalls definitely worth seeing.  Most of the hike we did is what I would call very difficult bushwhacking conditions, but the part going to Hidden Falls is only moderately difficult. 

GPS files (.gpx format) - Topo map of GPS track is at bottom of post:
   Hidden Falls GPS track

    Falling Water Polyfoss Waypoints

Falls #5 - Hidden Falls in the background

Hidden Falls; you have to admit, even the name has a certain amount of intrigue.  Now, normally I don't do a lot of hiking in mid-July that involves bushwhacking.  The combination of high temperature, high humidity, and strenuous activity is not a good combination.  When you add in dense undergrowth, rock-hopping, slippery slopes, spider webs that always seem to be at face level, and a variety of insect life, difficult bushwhacks are miserable this time of year.  Today, however, I felt the need to give it a shot.  I left Boomer (our German Shepherd) home on my last hike, and ever since then I have had a sullen, pouting 100+ pound dog trying to make me feel guilty.  So I figured a short hike to a new waterfall would be just what he needed.

Falling Water Falls

Hidden Falls is the only waterfall I knew of in the polyfoss area along Falling Water Road that I had never checked out before.  I'm not sure why, since the GPS coordinates that I had for this waterfall showed it to be only about a third of a mile (as the crow flies) from Falling Water Road.  John Moore posted a photo of it on Panoramio that looked pretty nice, so it has been on my waterfall chasing radar for some time.  I could find absolutely nothing on Hidden Falls in my research, other than GPS coordinates from the World Waterfall Database, which is a pretty iffy reference.  As it turned out, I should have retrieved GPS coordinates from John's photo.  

Hidden Falls is one of the many waterfalls in the Falling Water Creek polyfoss area.  There are a bunch of others in this area you can get details on from this Falling Water Creek blog entry.  To get there, go north on Hwy 7 to Pelsor (Sand Gap) and turn east on Hwy 16.  Go nine miles on Hwy 16 and turn left (north) on Upper Falling Water Road.  This is the first left after you pass through the little community of Ben Hur.  It has no road sign, but there is a big sign for the Falling Water Horse Camp.  Go down Falling Water Road, bearing left where roads merge from the right.  You will pass Falling Water Falls on the right, then at 5.3 miles go over the low water bridge.  About 1.6 miles after the bridge, you pass over the creek that Hidden Falls feeds.  There is an area to park right where the creek passes under the road.

Falling Water Falls

Boomer and I had a simple plan.  At least I did; Boomer was just there to have fun.  My plan was to start relatively early, hike up the creek, see Hidden Falls, and go home before it got overly hot and muggy.  What could go wrong?  Well, if you have read many of my previous blog posts, you know there is a whole lot that can and did go wrong.  On the way there, I immediately got distracted.  When we drove past Falling Water Falls, it had really good flow.  For the middle of July, it was amazing flow.  I did not think this area had received that much rain, but apparently it had.  No one else was there, which was also unusual, so we stopped to gawk and snap a few photos.

Views from the bench between drainages

Continuing on down Falling Water Road to the parking location, we found the creek and parked, then headed upstream.  This is where the plan started going a little awry.  Close to the road, there is a juncture of creeks from two drainages, the one with Hidden Falls and a drainage about the same size to the north of it.  By the time I checked my GPS and realized I was on the wrong creek, I was already well upstream on the north creek.  So, we continued on upstream to do a little exploring and see what we could find.  

The capstone layer of sandstone that Keefe Falls and Landslide Falls flow over had to extend in this region as well, so it made sense that Hidden Falls would be on that layer of rock, and that there would probably be a nice waterfall where this creek flowed over it.  If you are unfamiliar with the type of sandstone in the Ozarks, this is not the crumbly red stuff you find out west in Sedona or the badlands.  This sandstone is a very dense rock, harder than granite.  It remains intact while other rock layers of shale or limestone erode away, and makes a nice ledge providing literally hundreds of waterfalls throughout the Ozarks where creeks flow over it.

Falls #1

Sure enough, we came to Falls #1, a beautiful curving cascade about 25 feet high.  Climbing above that, we found Lilly Falls, a classic Ozarks waterfall flowing over that sandstone capstone layer.  In my family, we have a tradition of naming a newly discovered waterfall after a newborn baby in the clan.  Lillian Chubbee was our newest addition, born this summer to Angel and Chata Chubbee.  To get a good shot of Lilly Falls, you have to stand right in the creek at the very top of Falls #1.  That means you need to be very careful to not fall on those slippery flat rocks all the way down that cascade.  There is an animal path behind the falls and up the south bank to a break in the bluff.  I saw both deer and hog tracks, so I assumed they knew the way up and out of the creek bed.

Lilly Falls

From there, I decided to make my way over the ridge and into the drainage containing Hidden Falls, my original destination.  Making our way up the bluff, we soon came to an old trace road.  I mean very old, barely recognizable as such.  We hiked as well as we could down that old roadbed along the bench and down into the drainage containing Hidden Falls.  I say 'as well as we could' because there were a lot of recently downed trees in a swath across this area, victims of a small tornado or sheer winds.  From this bench along the bluffline, you get some spectacular views of Richland Valley below.

Recently Fallen Trees

As the old roadbed came down into the drainage containing Hidden Falls, it rapidly got choked with dense undergrowth.  The GPS coordinates I had indicated Hidden Falls was upstream.  This made no sense, but I headed that way through some of the most dense, impenetrable Arkansas jungle I have ever encountered.  Even Boomer was giving me that look that said, "You want me to go through that stuff?"  But when I'm chasing a specific waterfall, I'm all in.  Tangles of grape vine, briers, poison ivy, sumac, saplings, and ten million spider webs were not going to stop me from finding that waterfall.  

Falls #3

We eventually made our way to where the GPS coordinates said it should be, and found only a cascade with a couple of short waterfalls.  This was definitely not the waterfall John Moore put on Panoramio many years ago.  I marked it as Falls #3, and we pushed on another 50 yards upstream, through equally bad undergrowth.  The drainage was rapidly rising now, as we approached the upper end of it, and there was no sign of a significant waterfall.  Finally giving up, we hiked above the bluff on the south side to get above the dense undergrowth along the creek.

Falls #4

Just below where the old roadbed went down to the creek, we found Falls #4.  This was a pretty little cascade flowing into an emerald pool.  Unfortunately, I underestimated the steepness and slickness of the slope and ended up sliding the last 20 feet into the pool.  It's about three feet deep, by the way.  Climbing back up the slope (I'm not sure why I climbed back up on the same side) was definitely a mistake.

Hidden Falls

Searching downstream, we found Hidden Falls a short distance below the Falls #4.  Without those bogus GPS coordinates, this is where I would have looked to start with.  Our problem now was the fact that the bluffline on this side was very steep.  I did find a way to climb down through it to get to the waterfall, but Boomer refused to go down that route.  He always seems to have a better sense of what is reasonably safe than I do.  I suppose I should listen to him more, but by this time, I was ready to check out Hidden Falls and get out of this gruesome sweat box.  

Falls #5

Hidden Falls is much different now than it was in John's old Panoramio photo.  There is a lot more vegetation, making it very 'hidden' indeed.  There is also a huge tree that has fallen right in the middle of the waterfall.  Today, I could not get a good shot of it; due to the vegetation, the only spot I could get a good view of the entire waterfall had the sun directly behind the top of the falls.  There is a nice little waterfall, Falls #5, just downstream of Hidden Falls.  This would be a much better shot in the winter months, when you should be able to see most of Hidden Falls above Falls #5.  

Leaving Hidden Falls, I had to climb all the way back up the south side to retrieve Boomer.  He was patiently waiting, which means he had already searched quite a way downstream and didn't find a route to his liking.  Good to know, but that meant we had to go back upstream, go down through the jungle, and make our way down the north side of the drainage.  On that side, it was easier going and we were able to come down through the bluffline fairly easily.  

Falls #1

From Hidden Falls back to the parking location, it was relatively easy going.  It is still what I would call a moderately difficult bushwhack, but it felt very easy compared to some of the conditions we encountered at the high end of the drainage.  The route we took today was only 1.82 miles by the time we got back to the FJ, but one of the roughest hikes I have ever done.

If all you do is go upstream to Hidden Falls, this would not be a difficult hike at all.  It is all bushwhacking, but the waterfall is only a little over a quarter mile from the road.  The two nice waterfalls in the drainage just north of Hidden Falls are also worth the hike.  These are also only a little over a quarter mile from the road, and also a moderately difficult bushwhack.   The only part I would avoid, even in wintertime, is the section of creek upstream from Hidden Falls.  It is awful hiking conditions and there just isn't much worth seeing.  

GPS Track - Hidden Falls

Cowan Hollow Waterfalls, Between Simpson and North Fork Illinois Bayou, Arkansas Ozarks

6/28/2015 - Cowan Hollow Waterfalls

GPS Coordinates:  (Latitude,  Longitude,  Elevation)
  Parking Location:  35.58823  -93.02155,  712 ft. 
  Unnamed Falls #1:  35.60210  -93.04384,  941 ft.
  Unnamed Falls #2:  35.60230  -93.04516,  977 ft.
  Unnamed Falls #3:  35.60306  -93.04859,  1057 ft.
  Unnamed Falls #4:  35.60411  -93.05199,  1116 ft.
  Unnamed Falls #5:  35.60420  -93.05310,  1149 ft.
  Unnamed Falls #6:  35.60501  -93.05431,  1191 ft.
  Cowan Hollow Falls:  35.60585  -93.05594,  1258 ft.
  Cowan Hollow Falls bluffline access:  35.60540  -93.05603,  1284 ft.
  Cowan Middle Prong access:  35.61134  -93.04141,  1210 ft.
  Unnamed Falls #8:  35.61197  -93.04342,  1148 ft.
  Unnamed Falls #9:  35.61320  -93.04051,  1126 ft.
  Unnamed Falls #10:  35.60902  -93.03687,  984 ft.

Pet Friendly:  Dogs off leash should be fine.  This is what I would call a difficult bushwhack.  If you think your dog needs to be on leash, it will probably be okay, but you are in for a long day.  There is a lot of undergrowth and opportunity for entanglement.

Motorcycle Friendly:  Nope.  Unless you find a place to park on Highway 7 and hike down into the valley and back up.  The road at the lower end of the valley fords across the North Fork Illinois Bayou and has several large mud holes.

GPS files (.gpx format) - Maps of the GPS track are at the bottom of this post.
   Cowan Hollow, Cabin Creek, and Winter Hollow Waypoints

Cowan Hollow Falls - with Dan

"Dan's death march through the Arkansas wilderness".  Okay, maybe that's a little overly dramatic and not the real title of this blog post, but I was thinking it could have been.  When my friend, Dan Frew, contacted me about maybe hiking through all of Cowan Hollow, my first question was, "Where is that?".  After he told me and I scoped it out on the topo maps, my next question was, "Are you serious?".  Apparently he was.  

Unnamed Falls #2

Cowan Hollow is east of the community of Simpson on Highway 7, and stretches from there to where Cowan Creek flows into the North Fork of the Illinois Bayou.  The valley is only three miles end to end, but the topology is very rugged and very steep, with an elevation change of about 1100 feet.  Now, understand that this certainly looks less rigorous than many of the hikes I have chronicled in this blog.  But there are some extenuating factors; this would be a bushwhack the entire way, the area is heavily vegetated, insects and spiders are everywhere, and it's summertime.  It is hot and humid, not the best time to take on a very strenuous hike.  So yeah, it did sound like a lot of fun.  Of course I wanted to go!

Unnamed Falls #3

Three miles of valley generally means at least six miles of hiking, because we don't hike on a straight line anywhere in the Ozarks.  Given that, our first plan of attack was to take two vehicles, leave one at the bottom, then take the other to the top of the hollow at Highway 7 and hike down one way only.  We ditched that plan due to uncertainty about exactly where along Highway 7 there was private property and if any of it adjacent to the highway itself was public land.  This is where the Booger Hollow Trading Post is, and it appears much of it right along the highway is private property.  The entire Cowan Hollow itself is public land, but we didn't want to cross anyone's private property to get to it.

Unnamed Falls #8

 We decided to just take one vehicle to the bottom of the hollow and hike in and out from one point.  So Dan and I loaded up in the FJ and left for Cowan Hollow.  You really should have a 4WD vehicle for this trip, since you will be fording the North Fork Illinois Bayou.  The last mile of your drive is not a very good road.  As always, use your own judgement and know the limits of your vehicle.

To get there, go to the community of Scottsville, between Dover and Hector on Highway 27.  At Scottsville, turn north on Highway 164, and reset your odometer.  Here are your landmarks on the route after turning onto Highway 164:
  1.5 miles - Cross the bridge over the Illinois Bayou.
  2.9 miles - Highway 164 turns into Granny Gap 1 Road (bear right onto Granny Gap Road).
  3.7 miles - The pavement ends and Granny Gap 1 Road turns into a gravel road.
  4.7 miles - Cross the bridge over the North Fork of the Illinois Bayou.
  5.1 miles - Turn left onto FR-1310, aka North Fork Road.
  5.8 miles - Go straight through the intersection with Adams Mountain Road and stay on North Fork Road.
  17.3 miles - Turn left onto a local road (35.58785, -93.00794).  Go down this dirt road for about one mile to the parking location.  

Unnamed Falls #10

The road will ford the North Fork Illinois Bayou about 1/3 mile after you turn off North Fork Road,  then will curve to the right.  When the road turns back to the left about a mile from North Fork Road, pull over and park.  The road follows along Cowan Creek a short distance until it flows into North Fork Illinois Bayou.  If you come to another river crossing, you have gone just a little too far.

Unnamed Falls #6

Dan and I hiked up Cowan Creek, crossing the creek as we needed to for easier hiking.  The south side of the hollow had a number of side drainages, but at this time of year they were dry or had very little flow.  I suspect that during wet periods there will be a number of nice waterfalls in those tributaries.  Cowan Creek has four major "prongs", or branches, in the top half of Cowan Hollow.  When we came to the first major fork, we hiked up the southernmost of these prongs.  

Unnamed Falls #1

We did not find our first waterfall until we were over half a mile up the south prong of Cowan Creek, almost two miles from where we parked.  This waterfall was in a side drainage, and did not have a great deal of flow, but again looked like it would be great during wet seasons.  Just upstream of this waterfall is Unnamed Falls #1, the first waterfall we encountered on the main creek itself.  This was not much of a waterfall, but was a good sign.  At least now the creek was getting steeper and starting to cut across layers of rock.

Unnamed Falls #2

Continuing on the south prong, we came to Unnamed Falls #2 just a hundred yards further upstream.  This is the first of what I would call really pretty waterfalls, only about six feet tall and a double waterfall.  At last, it looked like we were getting into the kind of waterfall territory we were hoping for.  Unnamed Falls #3 was similar in size, approximately a quarter mile upstream.  An additional quarter mile upstream was Unnamed Falls #4, about 12 to 15 feet tall.  This one was more of a large water slide than a waterfall, flowing into a large pool on the creek.

Unnamed Falls #3

Hiking another hundred yards upstream, we found Unnamed Falls #5 in a tributary creek off the main Cowan Creek.  The canyon we found this waterfall in was choked with fallen trees, many of them appeared to be recent victims of very strong sheer winds or tornadoes.  Unnamed Falls #5 looked great, even with the low flow in the tributaries this time of year.  It has a high, arching overhang that was a good sign for what lay ahead.  Somewhere upstream, the main creek had to flow over the capstone that this waterfall flows over.

Unnamed Falls #6

Continuing upstream on the south prong, we came to Unnamed Falls #6 where the main creek flowed over that layer of hard sandstone.  This was a spectacular cascade falling about 18 to 20 feet into a large pool.  The bluff closes in on both sides, making a box canyon with overhanging ledges.  We had to backtrack downstream a short distance to find a break above that bluffline and continue upstream. 

Cowan Hollow Falls - with Rick
Photo by Dan Frew

I had halfway suspected that Unnamed Falls #6 would be the highest significant waterfall we would find on this prong.  I was wrong.  Just a couple hundred feet further upstream, we found the one so nice we decided to name it after the Hollow we found it in.  Cowan Hollow Falls is a large waterfall, both in height and breadth.  Even though creek flows are typically low this time of year, water was pouring off a broad expanse of the overhanging ledge.  At the time, I thought it was around 40 feet tall.  Doing some scaling after I got home, using a photo of the waterfall with me next to it, I estimated the height to be 50 feet.

Unnamed Falls #4

We had crossed the creek and approached Cowan Hollow Falls on the right (north) side.  Where we found a break to get below the bluffline just downstream of Cowan Hollow Falls, there is another good sized waterfall where a tributary creek flows over the bluff.  Today, there was not much flow, but you could tell it would be a good one in wetter weather.  

Cowan Hollow Falls

Leaving Cowan Hollow Falls, we climbed up through an access point on the left (south) side of the waterfall.  Above, we crossed back over the creek and continued upstream.  We went approximately another 300 yards upstream, to the point that the creek was falling rapidly, causing numerous small cascades and waterfalls, but with no large bluffs for a significant waterfall.  At this point, we decided to hike over the ridge to the north to come down into the middle prongs of Cowan Creek.

Unnamed Falls #5

We attempted to maintain the altitude we had and simply hike around the mountain and into the valley with the next prong, with the intention of staying high and hiking the entire creek going down the first of the middle prongs.  This is one of those things that is much easier to see in retrospect when all the data is loaded on a PC than it is out in the wilderness looking at the little screen on a handheld GPS.  We ended up thinking we needed to head down to creek level a little early, and descended almost 400 feet down to a point where the middle two prongs flow together.  

Unnamed Falls #8

Hiking up the southernmost of the middle prongs (see map below), we soon came to Unnamed Falls #8.  This is a nice little waterfall in a closed-in grotto that reminds me of Fuzzybutt Falls.  This is one of the most beautiful canyons I have ever seen, with the creek winding through steep concave walls and Unnamed Falls #8 tucked away in a blind canyon in the end.  We backed out of that canyon and kept to the base of the bluffline, coming around and into the other middle prong.  We found Unnamed Falls #9 falling over that same bluffline.  

Unnamed Falls #9

At the time, we thought we were fairly high on the middle prong of Cowan Creek and weren't really sure if it would be worthwhile going further upstream or not.  At that point, my GPS trip meter showed we had hiked 6.4 miles, so we made a command decision; head back now and come back for more exploration another day.  That would be another day with cooler weather, more water, and less bugs and spiders.  I swear, there were already thousands (nay, millions!) of spiders cursing my name for taking out their webs with my face.  I know Dan had taken just as many spider webs out as well.

Unnamed Falls #10

So we headed back downstream on the combined middle prong.  This is a fairly tight canyon, causing us to hike mostly at creek level, crossing frequently to the side we could find a route downstream.  About a quarter mile downstream from where the two middle prongs flow together, we found Unnamed Falls #10.  This was another of the many small but beautiful waterfalls in this hollow.  This prong of Cowan Creek has numerous small cascades and short falls, and one very large pool below a short waterfall that looks deep and wide enough for a swimming hole.  But not today; it was waaaay past lunchtime and I was ready to get back to the car.

Unnamed Falls #6

Continuing downstream a short way from Unnamed Falls #10, we passed the intersection of the easternmost of the four major prongs on Cowan Creek.  Yeah, I know.  A whole other major part of this creek, and we weren't exploring it today.  You can count on me returning to Cowan Hollow.  There are enough unexplored areas to take up another long day of hiking.  In addition to the eastern prong and the upper parts of the middle prongs, there is a very sizable tributary creek on the north side of the hollow only a half mile from where we parked.  The south side of the hollow seems more steep, and there are several tributaries that probably have nice waterfalls in wetter times.

Unnamed Falls #2

We eventually made our way back downstream along Cowan Creek to the FJ.  My GPS trip meter showed a total of 8.83 miles of hiking for the day.  I have done more on a day trip, but this was all bushwhacking, mostly in thick undergrowth and rugged terrain.  At the highest point in our hike we were about 900 feet above where we hiked.  And yes, at least the return hike was mostly downhill.  In this kind of country, that does not always mean easier or less strenuous.  I would have to rate this a difficult bushwhack, but well worth it if you are up to it.  Just like Arnold in the Terminator movies, I know I'll be back.

GPS Track - Cowan Creek

Twister Falls, near Longpool Recreation Area, Arkansas Ozarks

6/27/2015 - Twister Falls, Upper Longpool Creek

GPS Coordinates:  (Latitude,  Longitude,  Elevation)
  Parking Location (campsite #16):  35.54897  -93.15920,  550 ft.
  Parking Location (outside rec area):  35.54516  -93.15865,  570 ft.  
  Twister Falls:  35.54738  -93.14688,  829 ft.
  Bluffline break below Twister Falls:  35.54732  -93.14715, 823 ft.
  New water tank; turn up power line access:  35.54795  -93.15793,  651 ft.
  Turn onto ATV trail from power line access:  35.54780  -93.15690,  713 ft.
  Turn off ATV trail upstream on creek:  35.54904  -93.15129,  668 ft.
  Campsite above Longpool Falls:  35.54941  -93.15178,  642 ft.
  Unnamed Falls #1:  35.54826  -93.14929,  702 ft.
  Bigfoot Campsite:  35.54876  -93.15071,  676 ft.
  Unnamed Falls #2:  35.54927,  -93.15201,  638 ft.
  Lower Longpool Falls:  35.54975,  -93.15269,  558 ft.
  Longpool Falls:  35.54930, -93.15216, 620 ft.

Pet Friendly: Yes, dogs on or off leash should be fine. This is a campground, so if your dog is not well behaved around strangers, please keep it on a leash.

Motorcycle Friendly: Yes.  It is paved road all the way to the parking lot, so your street bike or cruiser will be Okay.  In fact, the road to Longpool was recently resurfaced and is a pothole free paved road, at least for now.

GPS files (.gpx format) - Maps of the GPS track are at the bottom of this post.
  Rough Hollow and Longpool area waypoints

Twister Falls

Today, I had a situation on my hands.  A storm had come through the area and dumped some rain on us, so I thought I really should go waterfall chasing somewhere.  My friend Dan contacted me to see if I was interested in going to Cowan Hollow the next day, but that meant Boomer would have to stay home.  I broke the bad news to Boomer (our German Shepherd), and now had a pouting, whiny dog on my hands.  So, I figured the best thing to do would be to take Boomer someplace today to get a little adventure time in the outdoors.  Twister Falls is one of those waterfalls that is very close to home, but somehow I have managed to not visit on many forays into the Longpool and Rough Hollow areas.  I don't even remember where the coordinates on my system came from, and have never found any photos or descriptions of it.  So Boomer and I packed up in the FJ Cruiser and took off for Longpool.

Twister Falls Grotto

You can see blog entries for Longpool Falls at this link.  It's right there close to the recreation area, just a short hike.  But going upstream from Longpool Falls is a little tricky.  I'm sure there are bluffline breaks you can use to get above Longpool Falls, but the only one I found around on the left of the waterfall is steep and requires some climbing that could be dangerous.  The route we'll take today is much better for accessing the area above Longpool Falls.  My advice would be to go ahead and visit both, but take the route I will describe in this blog post to Twister Falls and the route in this blog post for Longpool Falls.

To get there, go on Highway 7 to the Highway 164 west junction about four miles north of Dover.  Turn west on Highway 164 and go 3.5 miles to Longpool Road, and turn right (north).  At this point, this road is actually OLD Highway 7, but is commonly referred to as Longpool Road.  The Moore Outdoors canoe rental should be on your right at this intersection.  Go down Longpool Road for five miles and it runs right into the Longpool recreation area.   At about 2.7 miles from Highway 164, you need to bear left and stay on the paved road where OLD Highway 7 branches off to the right.

I was surprised to find quite a few campsites empty on a relatively cool, sunny Saturday in late June.  That worked out well for us, though, in that campsite #16 was empty.  This is my preferred parking spot.  Longpool is a fee area, so stop when you go in, put $3 in the little envelope, and put the envelope tab on your dashboard.  The Longpool recreation area has a real bathroom, pavilion, lots of campsites, etc., so three bucks isn't a bad deal for day use.  That being said, if you are too cheap to shell out the three bucks, or just don't like giving the government your money (I understand), there is a parking location (see coordinates above) about a quarter mile before you enter Longpool on the right.  Park at the gate there, and the old trace road behind it will take you up to the new water tank.

Parking Location - Campsite #16
Note the ATV trail at the back of the parking pad.

I like to park at campsite #16 because it has an ATV trail running right out the back of it that will take you to Longpool Falls or up above that waterfall, which is where we were going today.  Start hiking down this trail, and at the first intersection keep going straight.  Taking the trail to the left will take you to Longpool Falls, and the one on the right back to Longpool Road just before the entry into the recreation area.  So keep straight at that first trail intersection, and it will take you up to a brand new water tank, where a power line runs through the area.  

Note that the OLD water tank is on the trail to Longpool Falls.  If you see an old, dilapidated water tank, you are on the wrong trail.  From the NEW water tank, head uphill on the power line access for about 100 yards.  At that point, there is an ATV trail heading off into the forest.  Turn left onto that ATV trail and it will take you up over a slight rise and then down to the creek that feeds Longpool Falls and Twister Falls.  When you get to the creek, cross the creek and turn right to go upstream.  

Bigfoot campsite - with Boomer

Upstream, you will come to what I call the Bigfoot campsite.  I don't know if Bigfoot actually set it up, but it's either that, or someone just had entirely too much time on their hands.  The campsite has a number of large (very large) stacked stone armchairs, and even a stacked stone couch, all around an elaborate fire pit.  Bigfoot was not there today, and in any case probably won't mind if you borrow the campsite.

Unnamed Falls #1

The ATV trail made for pretty easy hiking up to Bigfoot campsite.  It is a bushwhack going upstream from there, but fairly easy as far as bushwhacks go.  Continuing upstream, you will come to Unnamed Falls #1 in about 150 yards.  This is a small waterfall, only about four feet high, and a little unusual.  It is a stair-stepped kind of waterfall, but terraced on two sides, with the creek flowing down both into a pool.  

Twister Falls

Twister Falls is about a quarter mile upstream from Unnamed Falls #1.  As Ozark waterfalls go, it isn't all that big or powerful, and the recent rains do not seem to have helped that much.  It is in a beautiful little grotto, though, and certainly worth going to see at least once if you are an avid waterfall chaser.  I found a bluffline break to gain access to the bluffline above Twister Falls on the right as you are facing the waterfall.  I didn't explore much above that; there may well be more to see upstream, but I saw no sign of anything.

Unnamed Falls #2

Heading back downstream, we continued on past the ATV trail to the top of Longpool Falls.  There is a volunteer trail on the right side of the creek.  Just upstream of Longpool Falls is Unnamed Falls #2, another relatively short waterfall, maybe six feet high.   On the hillside above it is another campground with stone furniture, this one not quite as complete or elaborate as the Bigfoot campsite.  We looked over the top of Longpool Falls and determined there was not enough flow to even warrant a trip to the bottom, so we headed back upstream and took the ATV trail back to the Cruiser.  As mentioned before, this is the preferable route anyway.  

Twister Falls is a nice little excursion if you are camping or swimming at Longpool, or if you are visiting Longpool Falls.  I can't really recommend it as a waterfall hunting exercise.  There are far too many more waterfalls nearby in the Ozarks that are bigger, prettier, and easier to get to.  

Blue - Twister Falls GPS Track
Red - Longpool Falls GPS Track