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.

Falling Water Falls

Next I headed over to visit Falling Water Falls, which sits along Falling Water Creek and can be reached by driving on Falling Water Road. As the names suggest, it's a very scenic area with lots of waterfalls. Falling Water Falls is probably one of the most popular waterfalls in Arkansas, since you can drive right up to it.



I carefully made my way across the rocks and the creek to get a better angle of the falls. To get these shots, the camera was sitting on a tripod that was perched just a few inches above the rushing water. I was sitting on a fallen tree trunk, with one leg hanging off into the water. I was wearing waterproof hiking boots, but they aren't really all that effective when one of your legs is submerged in the water.



Luckily I didn't drop my camera into the creek (or my phone, car keys or wallet).



I gathered up the camera and carefully headed back across the creek. I walked with my sodden shoes to the top of the falls, and got one last picture of the falls:

Booger Hollow

Finally we had started getting enough rain to get waterfalls flowing again! It was even raining that day as I drove out towards the Ozarks. I turned north onto Hwy. 7 from Russellville, and the tops of the mountains were covered with thick fog. I tried to find a good spot to take pictures, and ended up at the Moccasin Gap Recreation Area. I got a few pictures (and didn't see any moccasins for people wearing clothes from the Gap).



From there I passed by the ruins of the old Booger Hollow Trading Post. This used to be one of the landmarks along Hwy. 7, but it's abandoned now. The parking lot is now filled with overgrown weeds, and the buildings are in various stages of decay.



The Booger Hollow Trading Post opened in 1961, and signs along Hwy. 7 would beckon travelers to stop at the quirky attraction with the population of "7....countin' one coon dog." The store sold stuff like soap, jams and a wide selection of hillbilly-themed souvenirs and doodads. It had a restaurant, the Boogerhollow Chuckwagon Cage, where hungry travelers could dine on a "boogerburger."



But Booger Hollow permanently closed in 2004. Some of the buildings are gone now, including the two-story outhouse (where the upper level was closed "until we git the plummin' figgered out"). The remaining buildings are fenced off, far removed from the passing traffic along Hwy. 7. It was eerily quiet when I was there, the only sound was from a dog that appeared out of the fog and stood in the middle of the road to bark at me.

Barns!

I took the scenic drive on the way home from Collins Creek, which followed a few different country roads. And along those roads there were a few barns, which I dutifully stopped to get pictures of.







This old barn is in the small town of Pangburn, just across the street from a Dollar General and an abandoned building that used to house a "Tobacco and Tackle" store.









Just south of Searcy I stopped by this field again, and got a few more pictures:





And then one more barn, just down the road: