Buffalo River Hiking

Whether it’s walking through the woods, or a navigating a challenging trail with breathtaking views of the mountains and river, the Buffalo National River in northwest Arkansas is a must-see for anyone who enjoys hiking.

Established in 1972 as America’s first national river, there are many types of trails within the park area. On our visits there, we focused on the Ponca Wilderness Trails on the west side of the park, and hiked the following trails: Centerpoint, Goat Trail on Big Bluff, and Whitaker Point (Hawksbill Crag).

Before our hikes, we stopped at the Buffalo Outdoor Center in Ponca. There, they have information about outdoor activities in the area (hiking, canoeing, camping, etc.), and they also sell food and drinks. And they have really, really nice restrooms, too.

CENTERPOINT TRAIL

Three miles north of the city of Ponca, there is a parking lot at the trail head of Centerpoint Trail. This became our starting point, as the Goat Trail is actually a spur trail from Centerpoint.

I’d slathered on sunscreen before the hike, but it wasn’t really needed on this heavily-wooded trail. There were some breaks in the trees near the top of the trail which offered some picturesque views.

Centerpoint Trail is actually an old wagon road that descends about 1300 feet to the Buffalo River, so the beginning of the hike is downhill. I’d categorize this trail as moderate (although there were some times I was really huffing and puffing on the return ascent).

The trail is also shared by horses, and they sure like to leave “presents” so watch your step!

There were some places where the trail is very rocky and uneven, and some parts are muddy from what appears to be the constant flow of a natural spring near the trail.

We saw a few lizards and snakes on Centerpoint, as well as variety of wildflowers.

The hike was peaceful, with little change of scenery. Some people might get bored by this, but my husband and I enjoyed the opportunity to talk without the constant interruptions of kids, and schedules, and the hectic pace of our daily life.

After about an hour we reached a large, ringlike flat area. Centerpoint Trail continues straight ahead and eventually reaches the river; to the right is the spur trail that leads to Big Bluff.

GOAT TRAIL

When we were planning this hike, I read an article about the Goat Trail which said that the trail was not for children, nor for people with vertigo or a fear of heights. I’m a very cautious person (my husband’s the risk-taker), so I wanted to determine just how scary this trail would be. From the photo in the article, the trail appeared to be wide – like the width of three people. That seemed acceptable to me.

The beginning of the Goat Trail looks like this.

Easy! We weren’t anywhere near the edge of the bluff.

Yet.

Then we reached our first bluff shelter, which was like a semi-cave with a little “window” in the limestone wall.

Considering we were 500 feet above the river on the highest bluff face between the Appalachians and Rocky Mountains, this made for a great photo spot.

Look at the view of the river from here – the water is so clear!

Once we passed the bluff shelter, the trail narrowed noticeably, and I made the mistake of looking down.

Straight down.

See the edge of the trail right next to the drop-off?

By the time we reached the next ledge, I felt a bit nauseous. While my enthusiastic husband took pictures from the edge, I scooted back against the bluff and reminded myself to breathe deeply.

Then he suggested that we eat our lunch there. I told him that I didn’t have the least bit of desire to eat, and that I wouldn’t even feel comfortable breathing until we were back on the wider part of the trail.

I had reached my threshold for excitement.

Yet, I knew I had to retrace my steps in order to get back to my “comfort zone.”

Some words of advice: When navigating a narrow bluff trail do NOT clutch rocks on a bluff with a death grip – this will throw your body weight to one side, compromise your balance, and increase the chances that your feet might slip out from under you. Just take some deep breaths and remain upright.

In my head, I knew what I had to do but that didn’t stop me from clutching at rocks like I was Spiderman.

Amazingly, we made it back to the bluff shelter with the window in it – a place where I felt comfortable.

Here I am coming down from my adrenaline high.

Was it worth it? Heck, yes!

Would I do it again? Yes – but not all of it. I know my limits.

WHITAKER POINT TRAIL (HAWKSBILL CRAG)

Whitaker Point Trail leads to one of the most photographed places in Arkansas: Hawksbill Crag, which is a ragged rock formation that juts out from the bluffline and resembles a hawk’s bill.

While hiking the trail was fairly easy, finding the trailhead was not. In fact, we made several wrong turns when trying to find the unmarked road that leads up the mountain. Here’s the best way to get there.

From Ponca, take HWY 43 south. At the intersection of HWY 43/HWY 21, go south (left) on HWY 43. After about a mile, you will see the old white wooden Boxley Church on your right, which you will pass. Then, immediately before a bridge that crosses the Buffalo River, turn right on Cave Mountain Road (this is NOT marked).

This gravel road immediately becomes steep, and we were glad we were brought our truck with four-wheel drive. The road then levels off for several miles. During this part of the drive, I thought we might have missed the trailhead because it seemed to take a long time.

While this part seemed long, it was not boring because we were able to see several wild animals.

Cave Mountain Church and Cemetery is located at 5.4 miles on Cave Mountain Road, and when we saw it I we were nearing the trailhead.

At 6.0 miles, there is a parking lot (and port-a-potty) on the right side and a sign that says “Wilderness Access.” The trailhead is on the left side of the road.

The trail is 3.0 miles round-trip, and it’s mostly in the woods. At the beginning of the trail, there are several switchbacks as the path descends. At around one mile into the hike, there is a small waterfall on the right (Haley Falls). Since it lies below the path, we had to peek over the rock ledge to see it.

Right after the falls, the path splits: the left side continues through the woods and the right side follows the edge of the bluff. At the time, we didn’t realize that both paths lead to the crag, and we chose to go left.

On this part of the trail, we passed several huge boulders and unique rock formations, each time wondering if we had reached the crag. However, we knew the crag once we saw it because it looks like (surprise!) a hawk’s bill.

The crag itself is nice and wide before it tapers to a point. I felt very safe standing on it (much more so than I did on Goat Trail). In fact, located in the wide part of the rock, there’s a smooth, low spot that feels like a chair and this is where I sat. I felt like a baby safely snuggled in a cradle.

Looking out from the crag, all we could see was wilderness. This area is the Whitaker Creek Valley, however we never saw the creek.

 Peace.

My husband and I took turns photographing each other on the crag. In order to get a good view, we hiked back on the path a little bit to another point on the bluff. To me, this was the most frightening part of the hike because this was where I was closest to the edge.

Whitaker Creek Trail ends at the crag and the land beyond it is private property, so you must return the way you came.

Having the chance to take photos of this unique rock formation and being able to enjoy the breathtaking scenery while standing on top of the crag make this hike a must-do when visiting the Buffalo River area.

Photos by Travis Smith.

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Living Life to The Fullest!

I love seeking out new experiences and finding places off the beaten path. I started Joplin MO Life in August 2013 as a way to share my discoveries with others in the Joplin community so that they can learn about the resources that exist right in their own backyards.

I have worked in education and event planning, and have always loved to write. I hold a master's degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma and a bachelor's degree in marketing from Tulane University.