Big Creek Cave Falls

The next morning, I met up with Matt Kennedy (a good friend and great photographer) to go visit a few waterfalls. The first stop was the scenic Big Creek Cave Falls. As the name suggests, this is a waterfall that pours out of a cave, which soon flows into Big Creek (which as the name also suggests, turns into a large creek that eventually flows into the Buffalo River).

We followed the trail, which ran by the site of an old homestead. The only evidence of the homestead that we could see was the rusty remains of an old car. Wonder how long it's been sitting out in these woods?



There are a lot of caves in this area, and at one point the trail passes by one cave that has a small creek running out of it. The geology here is really interesting. The bluff has been eroded in a way that it makes the rocks look like cement blocks.



And the view of the creek from under the bluff:



And then the trail runs over and finally meets up with Big Creek Cave Falls, a spectacular waterfall that drops 30 feet from a cave on the side of the bluff.



And the view of the falls, taken after scrambling up some loose rocks and dirt.



Luckily it was cloudy and cool that morning, perfect weather for waterfall pictures.



From here the trail continues on, passing by a side creek with this small waterfall.



And if you follow this creek, you see another waterfall pouring out from a cave.



The entrance to the cave has been blocked off, in order to protect the bat population. The small sign here says that tampering with the bats would get you a $100,000 fine.







And after that we started the hike back to the car. Along the way we passed by this collapsed old barn, so I got a quick picture before we headed off to another waterfall.

Sweden Creek Falls

The next stop was Sweden Creek Falls, which sits within a Natural Area protected by the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission. It is a really scenic spot, with the 81 foot waterfall being the star attraction. I've been here a few times before, and each time I followed the main trail to the bottom of the falls. But there is a side trail that actually instead runs along the top of the bluff, ending above the waterfall.

It's an easy and pleasant hike, and soon I was at the spot where Sweden Creek tumbles over the bluff. On its way, the creek has carved a little chute through the rock, almost like a tiny slot canyon.



And the view of the falls from the top:



A few other people appeared while I was taking pictures. One of them, a guy who was probably in his 20s, picked up a huge rock and then stood on the very edge of the bluff. He then threw the rock over, which slammed into the pool of water below with a loud smack. He looked up at me with a grin and then nodded his head, in the universal Dude code of "big rock make big splash." And I have to admit it was pretty cool, but luckily there weren't any hikers down there...

Sam's Throne

The next stop was another scenic area in the Ozark Mountains - Sam's Throne. Along the way, I quickly pulled the car over to get a few pictures of this neat old barn that was surrounded by a moat of wildflowers.



And then I made it to the Sam's Throne overlook. The mountains gets its name from a guy named Sam Davis who, according to legend, claimed that his sister had been kidnapped. He climbed out onto the rocky outcrop here and gave fiery sermons in protest.



On this visit, it was peaceful and quiet (no loud sermons or kidnappings). Just the sound of the wind blowing through the trees and an occasional birdsong.

Haw Creek Falls

The next stop was Haw Creek Falls, which sits within the Ozark National Forest. It isn't the tallest waterfall around, by far. But what it lacks in length it makes up in width. The falls stretch across the entire creek:





Along with the falls, there is also a small campground here. It's a great place to camp, the campsites are situated amongst tall trees and all are just a short walk to the falls (I just wish the bathrooms were nicer).





This trail here actually heads off towards another waterfall - Pack Rat Falls. It's a really nice waterfall, but I didn't go there this time because the sun came back out just after I took this. So I instead headed off to visit a few other nearby places in the Ozarks instead...

From Rushing With Love

Last Friday I took the day off from work and drove up towards the Ozarks, with plans to spend the weekend hiking to a few different waterfalls. Along the way, I made a quick detour to the small community of Rushing, which sits in the rolling foothills of the Ozarks near the Arkansas River Valley. Here you can find the Piney Cumberland Presbyterian Church, a neat but imposing old church



There is a sign above the door that says "Rushing Church Established 1899." I'm not sure if that means the church was built in 1899 or just the congregation started that year, and I haven't been able to find much information about the history of the church.



Not too far away is another old church, called "Annie's Chapel." It was built in 1886 and was used as a Methodist church.



Inside the church is this old piano, the keys worn and dusty.