Ouachita Trail (section 08) mile 173.5 to 175
Hike Features:
Date: November 27, 2003
State: Arkansas
County: Saline
Location: Off forest road near OT mile 174
Length of hike shown: ~ 3.4 miles
Trail: All on trail except short bushwhack up to cliff
GPS: 502608.71E 3855535.00N 15S (OT access off forest road 132 near mile 174)
13 photos of this hike in photo gallery
Reaching Trailhead: This is a bit hard to describe. The easiest way to find this place is to look at the Section 8 map in the Ouachita Trail Guidebook. FR 132 is the "Winona Scenic Drive". It can be reached off of highway 9 a few miles south of Williams Junction and can also be reached from highway 7 (just north of Iron Springs picnic area).
Description of hike: This was one of those special hikes that are not easily forgotten. It had rained the night before but the day was breezy, bright, sunny and clear. I had been to this small cascade before but it was just a trickle and I specifically wanted to return to check it out after significant rain. So this was the object of the hike... to see the falls flowing. The drive on FR132 is very nice too. From highway 9, FR132 is a dirt/gravel road that winds through the mountains, first reaching the Wildcat Mountain parking area at about 3 miles, then reaching Flatside wilderness at ~ 8.5 miles and then reaching the access for this hike at about 15 miles from highway 9. The drive from highway 7 to the trail access is about 12 miles. The drive itself is beautiful, with numerous views. The mountains get a bit larger as one drives west from highway 9. Grindstone and Crystal mountains, just to the south of this hike are about 1700 feet.
The hike starts at an OT trail access. There is a typical OT access sign and an unofficial place to park across the road. From the OT trail junction, which is very close to the road, I headed east (turned right). Its basically flat, with a few ups and downs. The trail passes a wildlife pond on the right and then generally heads east at about 1,400 feet elevation through mixed hardwood and pine forest. It soon passes OT marker 174 and at about halfway to the falls, starts to descend gently through small, open ravines. The trip is downhill all the way to the falls, but the total elevation change from the car to the falls is only about 250 feet. It continues to descend northward through a series of small drainages until it reaches a flowing stream about 5-6 feet wide. This is the stream above the falls, which is under a massive rock outcropping to the northeast, which is visible in places through the trees. In a few feet more the trail reaches the falls. At this point the trail is on the west side of the stream/falls. The official OT goes just above the falls and then heads uphill and away. There is an old, now abandoned part of the OT that goes straight (north), following the stream. Its actually easy to miss the OT and take this old trail by mistake.
Just below the falls there is a flat open area that's a nice lunch spot. From there, it was obvious that the cliff top can be reached by a short bushwhack up the hillside. The views from the top are great, mainly west and south. On this day, which was sunny and breezy, I sat up there (see photo) for about a hour. It was one of those wonderful times when the wind is whistling in the pines and there was an intense feeling tranquility and, at the same time, of isolation, wilderness and wildness. I was thinking what a great place this was for contemplation and snapping photos of the beautiful deep red leaves, backlit by the sun, when I heard thunder. At first I thought it must be something else; a jet or other non-natural sound. Then it came again and again... so I decided to head back. Within a few minutes of hiking back towards the starting point, it started raining, the wind picked up, gusting and howling through the trees and the lightning became much more frequent. It was basically walking back the whole way in rain with frequent thunder & lightning. As the storms came in, the clouds descended so that thick fog was blowing through the treetops overhead. In a few places, when the wind let up, the forest floor was actually foggy with the settling clouds. Although I don't like the danger of hiking in thunderstorm conditions, I didn't want to reach the car any sooner than necessary. Times like this when out hiking are often the most mystical and unforgettable.
This "falls" is really a small cascade, probably no more than 6-8 feet tall. I've visited here many times, including with ice in winter and in the heat of summer, and this is the most water flow I've seen yet (see photo gallery). Usually the stream flow is minimal and the falls is a trickle. There is a nice little pool under the falls which usually has water (in my limited experience) even in summer.
This area can also be reached by a much longer hike, from the OT road crossing just under Flatside Pinnacle. That hike, round trip, is about 8 miles.
Cautions: none. Snakes in hot weather. Expect ticks and mosquitoes in hot weather. I would rate it 'easy' due to its short length, all on-trail and elevation change of less than 300 feet.
Hikers: jc