Brown Creek Falls - April 19, 2003

Hike Features:

Date:  April 19, 2003
State: Arkansas
County: Perry
Location: Off Highway 10, on Brown's Creek Road. 
Length of hike shown:  ~ 2 miles
Trail: Off-trail hike.  Almost all of this hike was on old roads except a short bushwhack loop.
GPS:  Parking at start of hike 510092.52E  3858492.03N 15S

 24 photos from this hike in photo gallery
Reaching Trailhead: From Little Rock, west on Hwy 10, past Williams Junction, turn left (west) on 324.  After about 1.8 miles a dirt road called Brown's Creek road (or something like that) veers off to the right.    After about 5.3 miles, there is a hunters camp/parking on the left.   We parked there, crossed the creek and walked due south on an old road bed (see map).

Description of hike: Some hikes are pure magic and this was one of them.  It was full springtime, it had rained a bit the night before and was still overcast.  Everything was wet.   The combination of the new spring growth everywhere, the overcast diffused light and everything being wet resulted in brilliant, saturated colors.   Just looking with the eye, not considering the camera yet, the colors were incredible.   The parking area is a hunter's camp during hunting season (or at least a hunters parking area).  From the parking, there is an abandoned road that heads due south across the creek.  Can't miss it.   From the parking to Brown Creek falls is only about 0.2 miles of easy walking.   The falls are very small, only about 5-6 feet at most and its really a cascade.   After a heavy rain these falls can be very noisy and interesting to see with so much water, but usually its just a nice tranquil place to visit.   On this particular day, I hiked about a mile south on the old roadbed, hiked up the west fork of the stream, cut east across the hillside until I reached the east fork of the stream and then followed it back to the old road.  This is the short 'bushwhack loop' part of this hike.  All of it is extemely easy, but it is off-trail.  There is no maintained trail, there are no signs at all. 

Notes/comments:   This little hike heads up a stream at about 800 ft elevation, into a closed valley, surrounded on all sides by 'mountain' ridges up to 1400 ft.   It is entirely in forest.   The beauty is in the forest and the subtleties.  In spring, this is an easy way to see wildflowers and experience an almost intoxicating profusion of new growth and life.  

Navigation: No GPS needed, especially just to visit Brown Creek Falls.   In the Ouachita woods, off-trail, every direction looks the same.   In addition, once off-trail (or away from the old road) more than about 30-40 feet, it is impossible to see where the road is.  So, for inexperienced hikers with no GPS, it would be easy to get lost up in the valley.   However, by staying near the stream, its a no-brainer to hike out just by following the water!  There is only one stream exiting this valley and all other streams up in here lead to the same place.

Cautions: When the water is up, like after heavy rains, it is not possible to cross Brown Creek.  After very heavy rains, the only way to get into this valley is to hike down from the road up on the ridge (to the south) or hike in from the adjacent valley to the east.

Hiker:  jc