A Little Bit Of Falling Water At Falling Water Falls

We left The Narrows, driving back down the same dirt road that runs through Richland Valley.



We got an early dinner at Hillbilly Slims, and then decided to pay a quick visit to the nearby Falling Water Falls. I was a little shocked to see that there was actually a little bit of water flowing through the falls, despite the long lack of rain this summer.



Just for a little comparison, this is what Falling Water Falls looked like the last time I was here in April:



There were just a few other people there at the falls, including some people swimming. They would jump off the top of the falls and land, with a loud smack, into the water below. They said the water was really cold.

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:

Richland & Falling Water

On the way home on Sunday we decided to take the scenic route - which meant driving down some dirt roads through the Ozark Mountains. The kids wanted to see some waterfalls, so we headed towards Richland Creek and Falling Water Creek. The falls weren't going to be running all that much, despite all the rain that weekend, but it would be a fun drive anyways.



The next stop was the campground at Richland Creek, which is an incredibly scenic spot. The water was low, but there was some great fall colors reflected in the creek.





And the next stop was Six Finger Falls along Falling Water Creek. A really pretty spot, even if the falls were barely flowing.



And then the last stop was Falling Water Falls. There was a nice collection of fallen leaves twirling about below the falls.

Falling Water Creek

After delivering the pictures all safe and sound to Clarksville, I still had a few hours left of my day off to spend looking at waterfalls. And luckily that day, the waterfalls were absolutely roaring. This was after the recent snows had melted, and after about two inches of rain had fallen. There was water everywhere.

I drove up to Haw Creek Falls, but wasn't able to cross the low-water bridge into the campsite. That's because the low-water bridge was currently under a lot of high-water. I could see a few people were camping there still, and wondered how long they would have to wait until it was safe to get out. I've been to Haw Creek many times over the years, and I've never seen it with this much water before. 



Further down the road is the old Hwy. 123 bridge over Big Piney Creek, which was built in 1931. I ran out in the rain to get a quick picture.



Most of the mountains were covered by thick fog.



I met up with my good friend Zack Andrews, who lives nearby and is always up for going to see waterfalls. We didn't have much time, so we decided to head over to Falling Water Creek. As the name suggests, Falling Water Creek is home to a good number of scenic waterfalls. And they were definitely running full-tilt that day. Here's the view of the popular Falling Water Falls:



For a comparison, here's what it usually looks like:



And a few more shots of the falling water at Falling Water Falls...





There were still some icy spots along the road, but we were able to get around just fine. We stopped at an overlook, which provides a great view of the creek and the foggy mountains.



And then we made it to Six Finger Falls:



For a comparison, here's what it looks like when it's not at flood stage:



The falls are named Six Finger Falls because if you were to look at it from above, it supposedly looks like a hand with six fingers. Here's one last shot from there:



We drove down Falling Water Road all the way to the Richland Creek campground, and were kinda surprised we didn't see anyone there kayaking. It would have been the perfect day for it (even if the water would have been so cold!).

Falling Water

It was getting late in the day by the time we left Haw Creek, and we had just barely enough time left to see one more place before it got dark. So we decided to visit Falling Water Creek, which was fairly closely but it is also always busy and crowded (we started the day wanting to avoid all the touristy places, and here we were going to one of the most touristy spots). But it is busy for a reason, it is very scenic with lots of waterfalls that are very easy to reach. 

We drove down Falling Water Road, which runs alongside Falling Water Creek, and then stopped at Falling Water Falls (while looking at Fall colors). Amazingly, there wasn't a single other soul at Falling Water Falls when we got there. Falling Water Falls is an increasingly popular spot, and it's rare to be there when it's devoid of people. But as soon we stopped, three cars pulled up and like clown cars deposited out dozens of people. We instead headed off down the road to find a few other places to stop... 

Like this overlook of Falling Water Creek, which was running high after the storms the day before. 

Nearby was a small creek that ran over the bluffline, creating the 30 foot-tall Intersection Falls. 

 

Then we headed over to Six Finger Falls, a unique waterfall along Falling Water Creek. The falls aren't very tall (only six feet), but they stretch across a wide section of the creek. The falls get their name because when viewed from above, they look like a hand with six fingers. 

 

And another view of Six Fingers Falls: 

And one last shot, taken as it was nearly dark with just enough light for a 15 second exposure.