Outdoor Adventure Abounds Between These Two Tiny Towns In Arkansas
By Carol Ann Carson|Published March 04, 2021
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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.
There are only eight miles between Ponca and Compton but well over a week’s worth of outdoor adventures! Discover waterfalls, trails, and more between these two tiny towns in Arkansas. Any nature lover can easily plot out the perfect trip whether it’s focused more on waterfall chasing, camping, backpacking, or photography! By no means are these the only adventures in the area but let’s go the long way around and take a look at some of the must-sees between the towns:
If you just going from Ponca to Compton, the drive is only 12 minutes. However, most folks in Arkansas know to appreciate the long way around.
We're usually more interested in the backroads and sightseeing than the actual destination. This meandering trip lengthens the point to point from about 8 miles to over 60! Of course, that's with adding in a couple of extra stops, so let's start exploring. For a map of today's journey open this tab.
We'll begin north of Compton at two-for-one waterfall hike.
This short sidetrack trail is only .7-miles out-and-back from the highway. We consider the trail more of a medium-easy than full-blown moderate. Download your trail map right here and follow the red nail tree markings to reach the falls. You'll find the 8-ft. tall Paige Falls, 21-ft. Broadwater Hollow Falls, and numerous unnamed cascades! Take the quick out-and-back or explore the area for a while.
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Now we'll add another mile or so for our next hiking stop.
Near Hideout Hollow is another historical stop, Cecil Cove. This loop is a 7.4-mile long trek that includes creek-crossing and even a cemetery! Many settlers used to live in this area and their old homesites are still visible. For more details and pictures of this trail, read our full article right here.
We won't be able to stop but it is worth noting one more treasure along this route.
Before rounding the tour to head south, we'll cross through Dogpatch. It's unfortunate the theme park of the 60s is no longer open but you can learn about the history while driving through right here. Do you have any Dogpatch memories to reminisce about?
The next nature retreat is a breezy stroll in the forest, an experimental forest that is!
You could stop and spend the night (or a whole other weekend) in Jasper since it is Arkansas' tiny town full of adventures. However, we'll keep going west to reach Twin Falls.
Indian Creek Trail is difficult but so worth the effort. We highly recommend skipping this one if you're not used to the rugged trails of the Ozarks. However, feel free to take a visual tour of the 5-mile trail here. Your next stop will be Ponca but there's one more place you could head before calling your trip complete.
Our last big adventure before completing our scenic loop is one of the most beautiful places in all of Arkansas.
These are only the highlights between the towns, there’s still more to discover! What’s your favorite outdoor attraction around these parts? Share with us in the comments below and feel free to add your photos to 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.
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