One thing's for sure. People love waterfalls.
There's no doubt about it after a talk Jan. 13 at Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area. The big classroom of the visitor center hosted a full house of folks eager to learn where, when and how to visit the spectacular waterfalls in our neck of the woods.
I was honored and excited to give the talk and photo presentation. When you sign up to be a speaker, you hope a couple of people show up. So I was tickled and thankful that 190 people came to the program, according to the park staff's count. Just shows to go how much people love waterfalls.
The talk was sort of a Waterfalls 101. It might be worthwhile to review some of the information for readers who'd like to get out and see some of our waterfall wonders.
Most important is to know that nearly all our waterfalls are wet-weather falls fueled by rainfall. No rain, no waterfalls. A big rain gives life to hundreds of waterfalls in the Buffalo River drainage and Ozark National Forest.
Winter and early spring are waterfall season. Trees and vegetation are dormant, or asleep, as I like to tell the kiddos. So most of the rain runs to fill our creeks and streams. When this water flows over the lip of a bluff, a waterfall is born.
Once things get green in springtime, trees and grass drink up big amounts of rain water. There's less runoff to create waterfalls.
Prime time for a waterfall safari is a day or three after a major shower. The sooner you can set out after a toad strangler rain, the better the waterfall will be. Not everyone can hunt waterfalls on a whim. Go when you can. There will likely be a waterfall flowing to some degree.
A book that's handy is the "Arkansas Waterfalls Guidebook" by Tim Ernst. The book has directions to 120 waterfalls, with a description, photo and GPS coordinates for each one. Some waterfalls you can drive right up to. Others require bushwhacking miles through the forest. Most are reached with an easy to moderate hike.
Fact is, waterfall hunting can be dangerous. You might be hiking along the edge of high cliffs or along slick trails with dicey footing. We all want kids to see these outdoor gems, but safely. The table of contents in Tim's book points out which waterfalls might be more kid friendly.
Tim's advice in the book is for adults to visit the waterfall first, then decide if it's suitable to take the kids along.
Seeing waterfalls involves at least a little bit of hiking. The trail will likely be wet and muddy. Waterproof shoes are a good idea. Or pack an extra pair of shoes to wear on the drive home, unless you like wet feet.
Let's say you live in Benton or Washington counties and we've had that toad strangler rain, maybe three or four inches. How do you know if it's rained like that out east or down south where most of the waterfalls flow?
One way is to check the websites for Buffalo Outdoor Center at Ponca and Turner Bend Store near Cass on the Mulberry River. Both sites have a river level gauge. If the gauges say the rivers are high, or too high to float, you know the waterfalls are rocking.
Eden Falls at Lost Valley is a good starter waterfall. It's easy to find, between Boxley and Ponca near the Buffalo. Look for the road that leads north from the main highway to Lost Valley. You might even see some elk while you're there.
It's an easy, mostly level one-mile hike back to a three-tiered waterfall that is just gorgeous. The entire hike through Lost Valley reveals beauty with every footfall. It packs more bang for your hiking buck that most of our trails.
Sitting near a waterfall is peaceful, relaxing. One can almost feel any stress melt away surrounded by wilderness and falling water. Once people get their feet wet on the cascade trail, they'll want to head out on safari for waterfalls every time it rains.
Sports on 01/22/2019