Information[-][--][++]

We are going to take a moderate (some sites say strenuous) 4-5 mile hike in the Arkansas Ozarks to 3 different waterfalls. It will take 6-7 hours to drive to Richland Creek Campground and the hike itself is only 4-5 miles. We will camp two nights, Friday and Saturday night in the Ozarks. There may or may not be a trail and there will most likely be a lot of bushwhacking. We do have a GPS and we have mapped out the area well. This will probably be a leisurely hike with plenty of stops/fishing at each fall, 5 miles is easy todo in 2 days. If 5 miles is not enough we can always take any detours we want since we have the GPS.

I believe late October will be perfect for this hike since the leaves will be turning, should look something like this pic of Twin Falls
Twin-Falls-of-Devils-Fork.jpg

Waterfalls

We will drive to Richland Creek Campground, County Road 150,, Witts Springs, AR 72686
388 miles 6 hours 47 minutes from Dallas

All online resources say this is a challenge to get to. I bet your phone won't work up there so either use the Goole maps caching labs plugin and download the tiles ahead of time or use a real map/directions.

Richland Creek Recreation Area & Campground (B-4)

  • Campsites: 11 RV/Tent with no hookups
  • Location: 10 miles east of Ben Hur near Ark.. 16 and Forest Road 1205 (Buffalo Ranger District, Jasper, AR 72641. PHONE: 870-446-5122). At the junction of Scenic 7 Byway and Ark. 16 at Pelsor, turn east on Ark. 16 to Ben Hur, then go south about 1.5-miles until you reach Forest Service Road 1205. Turn east on this road and remain on it for approximately 3 to 4 miles. You'll be following Falling Water Creek and will come upon the falls to your right. They are easily visible from your vehicle. If you continue on this road another 6-8 miles, you'll come to Richland Creek Campground, a trailhead for trips back to Richland Falls and Twin Falls.
  • Attractions: Clear mountain stream, adjacent Richland Creek Wilderness Area (Richland Creek Wild & Scenic River), fishing, swimming, hiking, picnicking.

pt_map_float_richland.gif

Basic Plan

  • Leave Friday after work (~6pm), others may leave earlier
  • Arrive 12-1am, hopefully others will get there first and have a camp ground picked out before nightfall
  • Sleep at Richland Creek Campground Friday night
  • Hike to waterfalls all day Saturday, sleep at one of the falls
    • This is a simple 4-5 mile hike to three waterfalls. We can take our time at each falls and fish/relax. Not sure exactly how long a 4-5 mile bushwhack will take but it should be easy todo in one day.
  • Hike back to Richland Creek Campground Sunday.
  • 6-7 hour drive home, work Monday Sad

Hiking Routes[-][--][++]

Hiking GPS Route
http://mreschke.com/files/319/Richland+Creek.pdf

Location and Coordinates (you can enter these right into google maps)

  • Richland Creek Campground N35 47.803 W92 56.067
    • Not sure of the best driving directions to get here - drivers will have to plan their own route on google maps.
  • Richland Falls N35 48.051, W92 57.609
  • Twin Falls of Richland Creek N35 48.349, W92 57.844
  • Hamilton Falls N35 48.713, W92 57.838

Individual Gear[-][--][++]

Everyone should be responsible for bringing the following suggestions. We are not going to leave our camp and hike, we're taking our camp with us up to the falls so pack small and light.

  • 2 day hiking pack
  • 40 degree or below sleeping bag
    • It will be around 35 at night. If you don't have a 40 degree or lower bag then you should bring thermal underwear. Remember that layers don't work when sleeping, it's best if you wear your birthday suit or tight thermals.
  • Sleeping mat, the ground is hard, super hard with your 30
  • Small pillow (remember needs to fit in your pack all day)
  • Tent. Small one-man is best, should be able to hike with it in/on your pack all day
  • Water. You don't need to take a bunch, I have a water filter pump and there is a stream the entire route, we have plenty of water. Camelback/osprey bladders in your pack are best.
  • Flashlight (headlamps are ideal and lanterns are great for tent light)
  • Camera
  • Batteries for all your gear
  • Rain gear. Light weight waterproof windbreaker suits are the best, rain gear is always a good idea this season.
  • Warm jacket, probably not a huge coat. Should be 60 all day, hiking keeps you warm though we will be sitting around fishing...and it will get cold at night.
  • Personal toiletries, have fun with that one
  • Earplugs if you don't sleep well in the wild, they may help
  • Drugs, lots of drugs, you may be very sore and it's hard to sleep, bring Advil or whatever you need to subdue the pain, remember the ground is very hard.
  • Gas stove for boiling water or cooking your food. BACON!!!!
  • Cookware (again lightweight in pack), don't forget your coffee maker, whatever that may be. I have a french press and stove top espresso maker.
    • Most lightweight camp cookware cannot be used on an open fire, fires are too hot. Bring the right cookware for your stove or for the fire. We will have a few stoves between us, if you don't want to buy one at least buy a few cans of the proper gas and you can barrow the stoves. We have two of the Primus stoves (http://www.rei.com/product/636832/primus-yellowstone-classic-trail-stove), gas is $5 at REI. The small 4oz Primus Isobutane Propane canisters last 30-40 minutes, so...
  • Food for entire trip, breakfast, dinners plus day snacks. Don't forget BACON!!! and coffee...whatever you want
    • From experience, after a long day in the hills, a hearty dinner over the fire never tasted so good, bring something amazing.
  • Fishing gear. I don't know what the fishing is like yet, so you guys can figure it out and bring your own gear. Don't forget an Arkansas fishing license.
  • This area has the largest population of Black Bear in Arkansas, Im bringing my KA-BAR, bring whatever you need to feel safe, and there will be zombies.
  • Lighter/matches. Don't forget ziplock bags to keep things dry.
  • Binoculars

Shared Gear[-][--][++]

I have the following items, we only need one of each, no need to bring your own.

  • I have a Garmin GPSMap62s with topos of Arkansas loaded and the Richland Creek route (pdf above) uploaded, we won't get lost
  • I have an REI water filter pump, makes fresh mountain water out of a puddle, one should be enough for everyone.

I do NOT have these items. We only need one for all of us, if you have one let us know

  • First aid kit, probably a level 2 in case one of us gets mauled by a bear, ha
  • A small foldable hand saw would be great for cutting firewood.

References[-][--][++]