Most of the time, the monthly magazine sent to us by our electric company goes right into the recycle pile.
Thankfully, my wife, Susan, told me to take a look at the January edition. On the cover was a picture of Roark Bluff on the Buffalo National River taken by legendary Arkansas wilderness photographer Tim Ernst.
Hike the grotto
From Haw Creek Falls campground, travel one-half mile east on Arkansas 123 from the to the campground. There is a pull-off on the right that drops to a small parking area.
— Souce: “Arkansas Waterfalls” by Tim Ernst
It was a two-page inside photo by Ernst that really got my attention. It was taken from beneath the waterfalls at Pam's Grotto. We'd never heard of it, but several days later Susan and I were off in search of the grotto and the beautiful 37-foot waterfall.
We had directions to Pam's Grotto, but finding the trailhead off Arkansas 123 north of Lamar took some doing. The parking area is located near Haw Creek Falls campground on the right side of Arkansas 123, but it's hard to see and very small. We actually parked on a grassy area right before the parking area.
Not knowing exactly where the trail was, we walked along the highway for about 100 yards until we saw a man-made pile of rocks that marked a trailhead. A small creek also goes under the highway.
Once off the road, the trail was easy to find. The first quarter-mile is a pretty steep hike on a path covered with leaves. One needs to watch their step, especially on the return trip. It gets slippery in spots.
High bluffs came into view while we walked on switchbacks up the trail. These bluffs are popular with rock climbers, but on this day with temperatures climbing into the 50s with sunny conditions, we were alone on the trail.
Once we reached the base of the bluffs, we turned turn left and followed the trail along the bluffs. The trail also goes right, but this is the route for rock climbers.
The hike along the bluff is pretty easy for most of the quarter mile to Pam' Grotto. We knew we were getting close when we heard the crashing sound of icicles falling off the bluffs close to the grotto. We also saw several deer along the creek that leads to the waterfall.
For us, the hard part was just beginning. The view from the bluff line of Pam's Grotto was a treat in itself, but getting to the base of the waterfall is a challenge. Getting to the bottom requires a 50-yard scramble over rocks and boulders to get to the bottom.
The waterfall is flanked by two huge boulders. Other rocks and boulders are strewn about.
This area had not seen rain in nearly a week, but the waterfall was flowing well. One of the best views is from behind the falls looking at a boulder that may have been in this pool of water for years. This would be a great place to have a picnic lunch, but try to make this hike during after a rain when the waterfall is flowing full.
The entire round-trip hike is only a mile, but it's a challenging trek that's defintely worth the effort to find this scenic spot.
Paul Nielsen can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @NWAPaul.
Sports on 02/12/2015