Big Piney Creek and Longpool Falls

Woke up Saturday to some good waterfall hunting weather. The only problem was, where to go? I opted to hit up a few waterfalls a bit closer to home, which I had already been to once in the past year.

The first waterfall was Longpool Falls, located next to Big Piney Creek in the Ozark National Forest north of Russellville. Before hitting the trail to the falls, I had a look around Big Piney Creek:


The creek was running high, and looked cold. There were a few people braving the stormy weather and floating by on kayaks.



The trail to Longpool Falls is short (1.5 miles), and except for some rocky footing around the falls, is an easy hike. The first part runs along a hill overlooking the creek, then drops down and runs up to this little waterfall.


From there it's just a scramble over to Longpool Falls, which are about 40-50 feet away. I was pleased with myself for finally finding the "trail" that leads up the falls, I had managed to somehow miss that every other time I've been here. Instead I would find the most haphazard way to the falls, resulting in a few comic slips and falls. But I eventually made it, though there wasn't much water in the falls.


It was a bit different than the last time I was here, in January. The bluff was covered in icicles.

I walked around the base of the falls, and got this shot looking out from behind Longpool Falls.


After that it started getting really dark in the forest, and I kept hearing thunder off in the distance. I didn't know it at the time, but there were some pretty nasty storms not that far away. I got back to the car, in a light rain, headed off to the next waterfall...