Emerald Park

It seems like most of the waterfalls in Arkansas are congregated in the Ozarks and Ouachitas, but there are a few of them hiding right here in the middle of the state. Emerald Park in North Little Rock is home to a neat little waterfall (called Emerald Park Falls or Dogtown Falls), which I decided to head out and pay a quick visit to last weekend while it was pouring rain. The falls are on a small creek that runs down the side of Big Rock towards the Arkansas River.



The falls are about 20 feet tall or so (I'm guessing), and spill down in a few different levels. The water in the creek was running high and muddy - it was pouring rain when I took these (while trying to unsuccessfully shield the camera with an umbrella).



And one more shot of the creek, as it pours over a concrete wall and hurries on its way towards the river.



Emerald Park sits on a hill that was named in 1722 by French explorer Jean-Baptiste Bénard de La Harpe, who deemed it "Le Rocher Français” (the French Rock, it was later renamed Big Rock). He also named a nearby outcrop of rock "le Petit Rocher" which would later become Little Rock. The Big Rock site would see a lot of different uses over the years. The army would establish a base here, Fort Roots, which is now a VA hospital. But a good chunk of the hill was taken away when it was used as a quarry.

During heavy rains, there are few more waterfalls in Emerald Park. Water streams over the cliffs in the park, creating a few waterfalls that are probably about 200 feet tall (I'm guessing - I didn't go out there with a measuring tape like Tim Ernst does in order to get an accurate measurement).