Haw Creek

From Hagarville I headed further up into the Ozarks, which was right at the peak of fall colors. I crossed over the old Hwy. 123 bridge over Big Piney Creek, which was built in 1931. 

The narrow, one-lane bridge bridge is always fun to drive across. The creek below was high and muddy after a recent storm dumped a lot of rain. 

All that rain was actually enough to get waterfalls flowing, which is a rare treat in the Fall (especially when the trees are at their peak). I met my friend Matt, and we set out driving to a little waterfall along a bluff near the Big Piney. We headed down a dirt road, but made several stops to get pictures of the trees... 

 

We did a short hike to the waterfall, only to find that it wasn't really flowing all that well (it was in a small drainage). So even though we had told each other that we would avoid the big touristy areas on the trip, we ended up heading over to Haw Creek Falls. The falls are popular because they are always reliably scenic and pretty. They are also a favorite waterfall of mine - I went to college in Clarksville and these falls were just a short drive away. I made several trips up here to take pictures back in those olden days (this was before Tim Ernst published his waterfall guidebooks, I had no clue there were lots of other waterfalls nearby). 

 
Haw Creek Falls is a short waterfall (only six feet tall), but what it lacks in height it makes up for in length. The falls tumble over a massive slab of rock, and can stretch out across the creek when the water is really high. 

 

There is a small campground at Haw Creek Falls, but the Forest Service has floated the idea of closing it and converting this to a day-use area. Which would be a complete shame, since this is one of the best placed campgrounds in the state. 

And the front view of the mighty Haw Creek Falls... 

And finally, one last series of shots from Haw Creek. Just downstream from Haw Creek Falls, there is a nice spot along the creek where it shoots over a little waterfall and then rushes by a huge boulder.