Spend The Day Exploring This Drop Dead Gorgeous Canyon In Arkansas
By Carol Ann Carson|Published January 10, 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.
Between the stunning bluffs, unique trails, and peaceful waterfalls, there’s no end to the adventures you can have in Arkansas. Outside of Dover resides a beautiful area that’s perfect for a day of exploration. Let’s have an adventure around the gorgeous falls of Graves Creek Canyon.
We don’t recommend this hike for families with young children but here’s a different waterfall trail to take your tiny Arkansans.
The Ozark National Forest is filled with stunning beauty but not all of areas are as well known as the Richland Creek Wilderness or Haw Creek Falls.
The Graves Creek Canyon is one of those more underrated places but just because you haven't heard of it doesn't mean it isn't gorgeous. The canyon is about 15 miles northeast of Hagarville, for directions to the parking area use these coordinates.
Graves Creek doesn't have a specified trail but the area is perfect for a day of exploration.
After you've parked along Graves Creek Road, you can continue on foot to reach Graves Creek or take a quick right and follow a small drainage. The drainage path is a bushwhack but leads to the most gorgeous waterfalls.
Many of the falls are unnamed but are certainly Instagrammable. Others, like Deadpool Falls (pictured), Forever Falls, and the Upper and Lower Graves Creek Falls are simply serene.
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The creek eventually joins Big Piney Creek, one of the state's most beloved kayak adventures.
You could easily add this day trip into your Big Piney weekend getaway. If you'd like to learn more about whitewater rafting on Big Piney, read this article.
This hike may not be for everyone but this is one Arkansas adventure that undoubtedly has some beautiful payoffs.
To research more about hiking in this area we highly recommend reading Rick’s Hiking Blog and bringing your copy of Tim Ernst's waterfall guidebook.
If you’d like to see more of this area, watch this video:
Have you visited this area before? We’d love to see your photos 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.
Another interesting place to explore is this experimental forest. It’s quite a unique “living laboratory.”
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