A Little Creek In The Ozarks

We left the woods after finishing the hike to Bearcat Hollow, saying goodbye to all the ticks. A few hours later, a storm system pushed through the Ozarks. Dark and forbidding clouds passed by overhead:





And after dark, the skies were lit up by flashes of lightning. The bolts seemed to dance across the sky.



The next day we went to visit a magical little spot in the Ozark Mountains. We turned off the pavement of Hwy. 7 onto a bumpy dirt road, which ran down into the woods. Along way we stopped by this oddly-shaped old house, and I ran out to get a picture. I think it kinda looks like a mushroom, like it's something that the Smurfs would live in. I'm guessing it has a good amount of attic space here:



And then we made it to this scenic little creek in the woods, which isn't too far from the Ozark Highlands Trail.



We spent a good amount of time here taking pictures of the creek and the massive boulders that sit in the water.









And another part of the same creek (this part is actually on private property - we had permission to be there).





A large boulder sat by the creek, and one side was covered with a thick carpet of moss. And growing through the moss were some tiny little ferns.



And after that it was time to leave the mountains and head back to the city. It had been a good visit, but I'm sure all the ticks were sad to see me go.

Bearcat Hollow

I've known Zack Andrews and Matt Kennedy now for about 17 years (give or take a few months). They are both outstanding photographers and great friends. We've been out hiking to lots of waterfalls across Arkansas, hitting places like Twin Falls at Richland, V-Slot Falls, Cossatot Falls, Acord Hollow, Compton Double Falls, and Bowers Hollow Falls. And we still try to meet up to do some hiking every year, even if we aren't in as good as shape as we were 17 years ago.

So this time we hiked into Bearcat Hollow, which sits north of Richland Creek. The hike starts out easy enough, following a dirt road and then the Ozark Highlands Trail. But then you leave the well-marked OHT and then descend into the woods. There was a faint trail here, probably mostly used by rock climbers. But the woods were already overgrown with briars and poison ivy, and we lost the trail. We bushwhacked downhill, getting snagged by thorns and attracting the attention of a large number of ticks.

Eventually we made it to the top of the falls. But to get to the bottom required hiking along the bluff line for a bit until there was a decent opening where you could safely drop down. But we did finally make it to the waterfall, which drops 35 feet onto a large rock sitting in a pool of turquoise water.



The sun was breaking through the clouds, so we spent a good amount of time here waiting for the light to change. It gave me plenty of time to pluck off the ticks that were trying to climb up my legs (I found more than a dozen of them on this hike).





Matt and I hiked to this waterfall back in January of 2019, and it was interesting to see how different it is in the Spring. There definitely was a lot more green - there was now a thick carpet of ferns growing behind the waterfall.



While taking a long exposure photo here, the tripod head wasn't tight enough and the camera swiveled just a little bit. I kinda liked how the resulting shot (which was taken completely by accident) turned out.



And one last shot of the ferns behind the falls. After this we made the hike back up the hill, through the thorns and ticks. All together, it was about a four mile hike to the falls and back.

Haw Creek Falls

I got back onto paved roads and the headed over to visit Haw Creek Falls. But along the way I did make a stop at the old bridge over Big Piney Creek. Here a little dirt road heads off, going deep into the woods.





The narrow one-lane bridge over the Big Piney was built in 1931.



It's a fun bridge to drive across (as long as there's not any oncoming traffic).



And then I finally made it to Haw Creek Falls, which is one of my favorite waterfalls in Arkansas. I went to college not too far from here in Clarksville, way back in the olden days. I made many trips up to this waterfall back then, and have been returning here every chance I can ever since. It's always like reuniting with an old friend.

Richland Creek

I followed Falling Water Road all the way to the campground at Richland Creek, which easily takes the claim as one of the most scenic little streams in the Ozarks. It's even been designated as a National Wild and Scenic River by the federal government.



The campground sits on the edge of the Richland Creek Wilderness, which contains over 11,000 acres of land that is permanently prohibited from logging, mining and vehicles.



At the campground you can also find the spot where Falling Water Creek flows into Richland Creek:



Next to the creek was this small set of stairs, which heads up to the campsites.





After leaving the campground, I had to stop the car for again for a few shots from along the dirt road (which is a lot of fun to drive down):

Six Finger Falls

My waterlogged shoes and I got back in the car, and drove further down Falling Water Road. I made a quick stop here to get a picture of the creek. As I was standing here, I found a tick climbing up my leg. It'd be the first of many that I'd see that weekend.



And then further down the road was this overlook, looking down on Falling Water Creek. The timing was just right to catch the Ozarks at just the perfect moment of Spring - when the new growth on the trees are a bright and vibrant green. It only lasts about a week before the foliage transitions to a more duller green that it will keep until the fall.



And then back to the road and to the next stop - Six Finger Falls:



The falls aren't the tallest (only six feet tall), but they span the entire width of the creek. The falls actually get their name because when viewed from above, the falls look like a hand with six fingers.



Falling Water Creek flows into Richland Creek, which then flows into the Buffalo National River, which then flows into the White River, which then flows into the Arkansas River, which then flows into the Mississippi River, which then flows into the Gulf of Mexico.