Arkansas is a beautiful state to seek out waterfalls and is a destination we frequent a few times each year. A four hour drive from Kansas City sits the town of Jasper which is surrounded by some of the most scenic landscapes in the midwest, if not the country. Hiking trails are plentiful in the area and they offer a variety of landscapes including interesting rock formations, high bluffs, peaceful waterfalls, gorgeous rivers and a bounty of hardwood forests.

In the spring, we like to focus our hiking activities on waterfalls. This is the time of year rainfall occurs more frequently and in heavier amounts than other times of the year. Spring is peak season for finding and appreciating all the waterfalls Arkansas has to offer. 

Lost Valley State Park

The 3.5 mile moderate hike in the Lost Valley area is one of our favorite places in Newton county. Located south of the Ponca Wilderness area, the trailhead is on the west side of Highway 43. The trailhead starts at the Lost Valley Campground.

The fun thing about the Lost Valley hike is you can see a natural bridge, two waterfalls and a cave all in the same hike.

Up the trail from the Natural bridge and waterfall is a cave called Cobb Cave. It’s a natural overhang or cavern that we walked into but did not spend much time in as we are not cave dwellers in general. However, if you do like caves, I am told you can walk deeper and crawl through a space that opens up into a large room with another 35-foot waterfall. If you’re up for that adventure, be sure to take a flashlight with you so you can see where you’re going or don’t get turned around or lost.

#arkansas #waterfallhikes #hiking #lostvalley