You are hereSouth Fork Brown Creek area - two waterfalls
South Fork Brown Creek area - two waterfalls
Hike Features:
Date: January 21, 2007
State: Arkansas
County: Perry
Location: Off Highway 10, on Brown Creek forest road.
Length of hike shown: ~ 2 miles
Trail: All off-trail
16 photos of this hike in photo gallery
Reaching Starting point: We drove out Brown's Creek road (off Hwy 9) until just before the forest road crosses the low-water ford.
Description: This was an entirely off trail hike along several beautiful streams, reaching 2 small waterfalls. It is possible to follow old abandoned roads for most of this hike. We followed the old roads in and then went cross-country coming back. Beautiful area. The Ouachita Trail passes on a high ridgetop just to the east of these falls; most people on the OT never know that there are a couple of waterfalls below them.
The first falls is 20 minutes south of the road and is shown on the right (7 photos). The stream drains the north slope just west of North Fork Pinnacle. This falls runs year round but is often a trickle in summer. As seen in the photos, it is in a "hole". The stream drops 10-12 feet into a tiny box canyon that has its own microclimate. I have been here before in winter and found green plants, mosses, etc. that were not found in the surrounding, more exposed area. It's all fairly delicate and won't stand much visitation. This falls is reachable from the OT via a steep (very steep) scramble down the hillside just south of a large rock dyke. I've been this way once and wouldn't want to go back up!
The second falls, shown in the photo on the left, was about a 15 minute walk to the west. It is another stream coming north off of the mountainside. The falls is created by the same rock wall that underlies the other falls. This one is slightly smaller and is a bit of a cascade. The water drops into a "hole", similar to the other falls but it's more open.
Notes: The hike was relatively easy but was not a stroll in the park. A GPS and topo map are a good idea. If one knows the right creek to follow, both falls can be reached by simply walking up the creek! The usual way into this area crosses the creek several times, which is not easy in times of very high water.
Hikers: jc, sb.
Very nice hiking, even I experimented how nice is to have a fallen branch on my head :-)
In the second series of pictures (photo on the left), the first picture shows me attempting to go down to the creek.
Was a very steep descent, so I was looking for a near small tree to use to eventually stop me.
The tree seemed not in good shape, so I used the stick to "test"it before to jump.
Well, the tree broke around the middle and the upper part fall on me :-)
Fortunately the wood was rotten, so the hit was somehow not so hard ... though I'm still scratching my head :-)
In other words, doesn't matter how much you pay attention ! You must pay MORE attention.
Is incredibly easy to hurt ourselves.
Anyway, the rest of the hike was really pleasant, as usual with John.
I'm looking forward for the next one !
Steve B.