When an all-night rain pelts rooftops across the land, sleepy explorers know sunrise will shine on waterfalls roaring to life in the Ozarks backcountry.
There's no need to hike for miles to find a tumbling cascade. Sweden Creek Falls in Madison County plunges 80 feet in the back of a horseshoe canyon at the heart of 136-acre Sweden Creek Natural Area. It's about a mile hike from the trailhead to the waterfall and another mile back out. There are bluffs, rock gardens, wildflowers and foliage galore to see along the way.
Sweden Creek Falls
Directions: From Kingston, go south on Arkansas 21 five or six miles to Madison County road 3260. Turn right (east). There is a sign here that points to Red Star. Drive 3.1 miles on this road to the trailhead.
Hiking: The roundtrip hike from the trailhead to the waterfall is about two miles. The hike can be muddy and slick after a rain when the waterfall is running best.
— Staff report
A toad-strangler rain last week had every little ditch and creek running fast and full. We knew Sweden Creek Falls would be rocking when we hiked to the waterfall last Thursday. Gene Williams of the War Eagle area and I grabbed our hiking sticks, cameras and laced up some waterproof shoes. We knew the trek would be muddy and slick.
The trailhead and small parking area is three miles down Madison County route 3260, which is a gravel road off Arkansas 21 five or six miles south of Kingston. There's a large Sweden Creek Natural Area sign at the trailhead. You can't miss it.
The hike starts at a gate and heads downhill on a wide path through the woods. Soon the trail passes an abandoned house. Another few steps and you'll hear falling water, but this little 20-foot falls is only a warm-up. Near this waterfall, you'll see trails on your left. One takes the high road and leads to Sweden Creek Falls on top of a bluff. The other goes lower along the bluff's base. We chose the low road.
Williams and I eased about 10 yards through a slippery cleft in the rock, then headed left on the faint trail marked with blue blazes. I'd never visited the waterfall this late in the spring. The woods were like a rain forest, lush and thick. Water dripped from every overhang above us.
Footing was dicey on the rugged, slick rocks. Our hiking sticks and shoes that gripped well were handy.
The roar of water was music to our ears. Through the trees we could see Sweden Creek Falls dropping 80 feet from the lip of the canyon. We sat on a rock to revel in its beauty and watch the waterfall pour into a turquoise pool. The wilderness serenity and the sound of water is almost like a dream.
Coming out of our trance, we hiked downhill on jagged rocks to the base of Sweden Creek Falls. We crawled hither and yon taking pictures from every angle. Our noontime arrival wasn't the best for photos, with half of the waterfall in sun and half in shade. With our cameras full of pictures, we sat on a log, pulled lunches out of our packs and watched this wonder of water. The sound is as pleasing as the sight.
"Even with all the photos we've taken, they don't really do this justice," Williams mused. "You can't get all the nuances in a photo. It's even hard to describe it. To sit here, have lunch and watch that water coming down, there's a natural serenity here."
There's the main waterfall and one or two lesser falls spilling over the lip of the canyon. From the falls, Sweden Creek flows for several miles before it joins the Kings River.
We had our photos, but the best memories are in the cameras of our minds. They're pictures we'll always see when we think of Sweden Creek Falls.
Flip Putthoff can be reached at [email protected], or on Twitter @NWAFlip
Sports on 05/21/2015