It was a day that cried out for a walk in the woods, so I settled on making my first trip to the legendary Hawksbill Crag. The elusive County Road 5 leading up to the trailhead is steep and narrow. A 4-wheel drive or all-wheel drive is recommended. As I finished my lunch on the crag, I met two enthusiastic, local hiking groups. Both shared a wealth of information on area trails, rivers and road bike opportunities. Be sure to visit my friends at www.takahik.com and the TrailBlazers at www.thcfs.com.
This is a popular trail and destination. Count on seeing a good number of people along the way. As always, I experienced hospitality and good trail manners from everyone I met. I am told one of the hikers with the TrailBlazers is 85 years young. That’s all the inspiration I need to stay active.
This crag, also know as Whitaker Point, extends hundreds of feet above a lush forest valley and offers a stunning view as well as a great spot to eat lunch, take photos and enjoy the weather anytime of year. Check your map and GPS before you leave. County Road 5 or Cave Mountain Road is your turnoff from Highway 21 just south of the Boxley Baptist Church. It is not marked. You’ll turn right on a narrow dirt road just before the Buffalo River Bridge.
There is no shortage of neighborly, outdoor enthusiasts in NW Arkansas. Thanks to a tip from a couple on Cave Mountain Road, I topped off the day with a stop at the Tim Ernst photo gallery and open house. Now, get out and hike!
Our group enjoyed getting to meet you yesterday at Hawksbill Crag. We appreciate your promotion of Arkansas and hope more folks will learn our secrets and get out and see what Arkansas has to offer.
Danny and Sherri, it was my pleasure meeting all of you. I hope to get out and hike in January and February too. See you all on the trail.
Glad to see you enjoyed one of our favorite places to hike. Please go back in the Fall for some of the most beautiful sea of color that you’ll find anywhere, it’s always on our schedule in the Fall but there’s not a bad time to be there in any season!
Ski (Trailblazers) thcfs.com
I’ve always wanted to get up there and have a look around. Its a long drive for me and so popular that I am almost afraid I would be waiting in line for my 2 minutes and then have to move out of the way so some more people could look around. Did you feel rushed with som many people there?
Brandon, I didn’t feel rushed at all. Although I did run into two sizable groups. I was able to eat my lunch solo on the crag between seeing the two groups. My best advice would be to get there early as I noticed more people toward the afternoon as the weather warmed up. Frankly, this would be a good time of year to get up there while folks are busy with the holidays. Hope you can make the trip.
Mike, great videos to view. need your help on where to go in late March or early April ? Around Buffalo river. Thanks
Thanks Patrick. I would start with the National Geographic Trails map of the Western Buffalo River Area. Also check in with the folks at the Buffalo Outdoor Center. They are extremely helpful. There are so many good places to hike in the area, it would be difficult to name just one. I would suggest any hike that takes you to the overlooks of the Buffalo and back down to river level. You seriously can’t go wrong.