Top Waterfall Hikes in the Ozark Mountains

April showers not only bring May flowers; they also bring cascading waterfalls that are sure to delight hikers and outdoor photographers. Jim Warnock, author of Five-Star Trails: The Ozarks, shares these hikes to try this spring.

Watch for Five-Star Trails: The Ozarks, available in October, and follow Jim’s adventures at OzarkMountainHiker.com.

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Take two parts water. Add three or more parts rock, along with a little gravity, and you have the perfect prescription sure to lift your spirits. Waterfalls tend to put many into a reflective state. Still others, tired from the pressures of modern life, simply enjoy the relaxing sights and sounds that waterfalls offer. Either way, they seem to work their magic on just about everybody, and Arkansas has some beauties.

Hiking distances to the waterfalls shown here are no more than a 2-mile round trip, but you’ll probably do some climbing. You can view three of these waterfalls from your car. The following waterfalls are arranged by distance from Fort Smith and range from 20 minutes to 2 hours. Wear shoes that grip slippery rock, and plan on getting muddy. Pack your camera, water, and some snacks, and then hit the road!

McWater Falls at Lake Alma

GPS at the trailhead: N35° 29.818′ W94° 13.073′

Driving directions: Take the 20-minute drive north on I-49, then east on I-40. Take Exit 13 and drive north to the first traffic light. Turn right onto Collum Lane East. Drive 0.2 mile and then turn left on Mountain Grove Road. Drive north on Mount Grove Road for 0.3 mile and take a left just past the two green water tanks. Drive down to the picnic area parking. The Lake Alma Trailhead is at the opening in the parking guardrail. A volunteer found this waterfall while working on the Lake Alma Trail.

Walking directions: Follow the round yellow trail markers (called blazes). Walk north with Lake Alma down to your left for 0.5 mile to the stone McWater Falls sign. Turn right and walk 1/10 of a mile, following orange blazes to the waterfall.

Crack-in-the-Rock Falls

GPS at the trailhead: N35° 29.376′ W94° 24.570′

Driving directions: From I-40 in Van Buren, take Exit 5 and drive north on AR 59 for 1 mile, then turn left onto Old Uniontown Road and go 1.6 miles. Turn left onto Pine Hollow Road and drive 2 miles. Turn left onto Gelly Drive and drive 0.8 mile to the trailhead.

Walking directions: Take Crack-in-the Rock Trail and follow the blue blazes. Cross under a power line at 0.3 mile and look for the Crack-in-the-Rock Loop to your right. Take the left side of the loop that leads you on the right side of the creek, following it upstream. At 0.5 mile you’ll arrive at a junction where a trail leads to the left and down to creek level. Pass some bus-sized boulders and quickly come to a drain where you scramble up to the right, arriving at the wet season Crack-in-the-Rock Falls at 0.6 mile. Backtrack the way you came to complete this 1.2-mile hike.

Natural Dam

GPS at the waterfall: N35° 38.989′ W94° 23.862′

Driving directions: From I-40, take Exit 5, then turn left onto AR 59 North/Fayetteville Road. Continue north for 14.4 miles. Turn left onto Natural Dam Road and watch for the waterfall on the right (north) side of the road. You may view this waterfall from your car or walk around Natural Dam Falls and upstream alongside Mountain Fork Creek.

Shepherd Springs Falls

GPS at the trailhead: N35° 41.735′ W94° 07.108′

Driving directions: From I-49, take Exit 29 at Mountainburg and go east on AR 282 for 1.8 mile to US 71, and then drive north on US 71 for 7.5 miles to Shepherd Springs Road. Turn east on Shepherd Springs Road and go 2 miles to the park.

Walking directions: Begin on the left side of the visitor center. You’ll walk the first mile of the 180-mile Ozark Highlands Trail to reach Shepherd Springs Falls. Watch for white blazes that mark the Ozark Highlands Trail. At 0.9 mile, you’ll arrive at this wet season waterfall and cascade. Backtrack the way you came.

Devil’s Den Twin Falls

GPS at the trailhead: N35° 46.802′ W94° 14.961′

Driving directions: From I-49, take the Winslow Exit 45 and turn left on AR 74. From the turn-off, it’s 6.8 miles to the Devil’s Den Trailhead. At 4.5 miles, you’ll pass the Devil’s Den State Park sign on the right. Continue down the steep switchbacks until you reach the 6.8 miles and watch for the parking area on the left. The trailhead is on the right side of AR 74. Watch for traffic when you cross the highway to enter the trail.

Walking directions: Begin at the Devil’s Den Trail located next to the visitor center. Hike past Devil’s Den Cave and Devil’s Icebox before arriving at Twin Falls at 0.6 mile. Backtrack the way you came, or continue on the loop if you’ve picked up a map from the visitor center.

Highway 23 Pig Trail Falls

GPS at the waterfall: N35° 38.757′ W93° 50.365′

Driving directions: From I-40 in Ozark, take Exit 35 and turn left onto AR 23 North. Drive 9.9 miles and look for the pull-off on the right side of the road just before a sharp right curve. The waterfall is on the left (west) side of the highway. Be sure you have a designated driver to avoid running off the road while gawking at the falls.

Turner Bend Falls

GPS at the waterfall: N35° 40.034′ W93° 49.683′

Driving directions: From I-40 in Ozark, take Exit 35 and take AR 23 north. Drive 11.7 miles to Turner Bend Store. The waterfall is on the right side of the highway just south of the store. Be sure to stop in for a piled-high deli sandwich. Tell them to “throw the garden on it” and you’re in for a crunchy treat! They also serve up current trail and river info.

Glory Hole Falls

GPS at the trailhead: N35° 49.702′ W93° 23.427′

Driving directions: From the town of Ponca, drive southeast on AR 43 South for 4.8 miles. Continue onto AR 21 South and drive 11.2 miles. Take a slight right onto AR 16 West/AR 21 South and drive for 2.3 miles. Just before arriving at the trailhead, the road makes a sweeping turn to the left and Cassville Church is on the right. Begin watching on the left (south) side of the road for a small parking area and a small white sign that says Glory Hole. If you pass a barn on your right with a large E, you’ve gone too far. The total distance from Ponca to the Glory Hole Trailhead is about 18 miles.

Walking directions: Take the trail on the south side of AR 16. Follow an old roadbed for a short distance before heading downhill and across a seasonal creek. Follow the stream down to where the water disappears through a hole in an overhanging ledge. Backtrack to the highway to complete this 2-mile hike. Visit this waterfall early in the morning to avoid the crowds.

Cedar Falls

GPS at the trailhead: N35° 07.005′ W92° 56.334′

Driving directions: To get to Petit Jean State Park from I-40, take Exit 108 for AR 9 South toward Morrilton. After 7.5 miles, turn right onto AR 154 West and drive 11 miles to Petit Jean State Park and past the Visitor Center on your right. Drive 1.5 miles past the Visitor Center to Mather Lodge. The Cedar Falls Trailhead is at the overlook behind the Mather Lodge breezeway.

Walking directions: Follow the 2-mile out-and-back Cedar Falls Trail down switchbacks and across Cedar Creek. Turn right after the creek and follow it upstream to Cedar Falls. When the water is flowing, Cedar Falls is spectacular. The trail is a visual feast every step of the way.

Be aware that it’s easy to become addicted to the serene feelings generated by waterfalls. You might even find yourself getting excited when weather predictions call for rain. Some hardcore enthusiasts become waterfall collectors, seeking to visit as many waterfalls as their hiking legs will allow. The most important thing is to find your special waterfall and sit next to the flow, “where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul” (John Muir).