There's No Better Time To Take This Waterfall Cave Hike In Arkansas Than Right Now
By Carol Ann Carson|Published February 04, 2019
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Carol Ann Carson
Author
Arkansas native, Carol Ann Carson, has written for OnlyInYourState for three years now. She resides in Western Arkansas' Mountain Frontier but calls NWA home as well. The graduate of University of Arkansas - Fort Smith, Carol Ann earned her B.A. in English and will soon be pursing her M.A. in Library Science. She loves exploring the trails around the Buffalo National River and has yet to find a waterfall that wasn't her favorite.
Although we haven’t had a completely mild winter, it seems the rest of the season will be fairly enjoyable. The cold snap has waned and groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, has predicted an early end to winter altogether. It’s hard to resist waiting until spring for taking a trail or two but this rather mild winter is the perfect time to take the Big Creek Cave Falls hike. Let’s pack a jacket and camera before heading out to this unbelievably unique area.
There's no doubt that the Ozark National Forest has some of the prettiest spots in the world, today's hike is no exception.
The biggest of these factors is the recent rainfall. This trail crosses the Right Fork of Big Creek and the water can easily be calf-high after a rain (we would like to remind you at this time to never cross water that's hip-deep or if you can't see the bottom of it). Unlike most Arkansas waterfalls, the Big Creek Cave Falls stays consistently flowing so there's no need to wait until the rains. Another factor is the season. This hike is considerably easier when taken during winter while the leaves are off the trees. Taking these factors into account can make the roughly 3-mile out-and-back hike quite a bit easier.
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After you've crossed the creek follow the tree markings until you've reached the caves.
Immediately after you've crossed the Right Fork, head to the left to cross the open field. From here you'll turn right to head uphill. Although there isn't an official trail, the taped trees do lead the way to the cave. It's also helpful to plug in these coordinates into your GPS. These are the coordinates for Big Creek Cave Falls.
It's a few hundred yards from the first cave. The 29-ft. falls is fantastic in photos but absolutely jaw-dropping in person. The cave it flows out of is off-limits though. We certainly wouldn't want to disturb the bats (or get fined for that matter) so just be sure to take plenty of photos of the waterfall before heading back.
Between the multiple waterfalls, cool caves, and breathtaking scenery, this may just be the best place in all of Arkansas.
Every bit of effort along this hike will quickly be rewarded. We do recommend researching this trail further before you head out, Rick’s Hiking Blog gives excellent turn-by-turn directions.
We’d love to see your photos of Big Creek Cave Falls in our Facebook Group, Arkansas Nature Lovers. You should join for your chance to be featured and to discover why there’s nothing better than Arkansas’ stunning nature.
If you miss Arkansas’ chillier winters, then you’ll love reminiscing with these beautifully frozen waterfalls from truly frigid past seasons.
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