Chase A Waterfall Or Three On Your Way To Hawksbill Crag In Arkansas
By Carol Ann Carson|Published December 21, 2019
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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.
One of the most photographed spots in Arkansas, Hawksbill Crag (also called Whitaker Point), is known by all. However, unless you’ve taken time to explore the trail you may not know about all the other fantastic spots along the way. As with most trails in our state, the journey is just as gorgeous as the destination so let’s take a moment to explore this beloved area.
Even if you haven't personally taken the trail, most folks can instantly recognize Hawksbill Crag.
The iconic spot has earned titles like the best place to be proposed to, the best place to be kissed, the most romantic spot, and the most beautiful place in Arkansas. The crag was even featured in the opening scenes of the Disney film Tuck Everlasting.
The overlook is certainly the featured point of the trail but it's not the only thing to look forward to during your hike.
This area has multiple waterfalls to chase along the way. The trail loop begins at the Whitaker Point Trailhead but instead of taking the left fork to reach the incline to the crag we want to go right and follow the creek. This path will lead to our first waterfall - the Upper Haley Falls.
Each waterfall has a unique look but are both best after recent rains. The Lower Haley Falls is more than double the size of its sister at 45 feet and 17 feet.
The falls were named in honor of a little girl named Haley. During her family's trip to the crag, the six-year-old lost her way which lead to the state's biggest search and rescue mission to date. She was found after three days, a little ragged, but safe!
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Continue to follow the bluff line to reach Mule Trail Falls.
Mule Trail Falls is part of an old mule trail that used to run between the start of Whitaker Creek on the Buffalo up to top of Cave Mountain Road. The waterfall is 31-feet high and can be explored from every angle.
There's even one more waterfall nearby if you're up for the journey! Follow the bluff about another mile and a half to reach Thousand Kisses Falls. It's the tallest of these falls at 48 feet. To make your way back head to the top of Mule Falls Trail and follow it upstream to return to the main trail.
This entire area is stunning so be sure you don't miss every gem along the way.
For turn by turn directions to reach all of these falls we recommend this site. As always, reach your hike before you take that first step!
Have you taken a moment to enjoy the waterfalls around this area? We’d love to hear about your Hawksbill adventures in the comments below! You can also add your trail 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.
If you’re up for another adventure after this hike be sure to take this waterfall trail nearby!
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