Stepp Creek

All the recent rains had left the Ozarks soaked, so it was no surprise that a thick fog had settled over the mountains that morning.







And the thick fog lingered as we begun our first hike of the day, which went deep into the woods towards Stepp Creek.









The trail starts out on an old road trace, which was nice and flat and easy hiking. But to get to the creek, you have to go downhill. There wasn't much of a trail here, so we made our way as best we could (you might say we got our steps in on this visit to Stepp Creek). Soon we made it to the creek, which was incredibly scenic.



This beautiful waterfall tumbles 25 feet over several tiers.



Water poured over the bluff, creating a few other smaller waterfalls.



From there, the creek flowed on. It eventually flows into the Little Buffalo River, which then flows into the Buffalo National River.



We made the short hike over to this 12 foot waterfall, which isn't very tall but was still very photogenic. We spent awhile here taking lots of pictures, and also just enjoying time in the woods.









And then we decided to hike back to the car. Unfortunately, what hikes down must soon hike up. So we headed up and up the hill, and I was reminded yet again of just how out of shape I've gotten. But we finally made it, and then drove off to see another waterfall.