Most People Don't Know There's A Natural Castle Hiding In Arkansas
By Carol Ann Carson|Published August 10, 2018
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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.
The Richland Creek Wilderness is a fantastic smorgasbord of beautiful sights and waterfalls but many folks don’t know about another adventure in the area. Extend your hike along Twin Falls Trail in the Wilderness to reach a fascinating sandstone castle. Let’s take on this trail and explore the sandstone castle’s caves.
The Richland Creek Wilderness outside of Witts Springs may be Arkansas' most beautiful area. Twin Falls Trail is just one of the gorgeous waterfall hikes in Richland but today we'll be exploring it a bit further.
The hike is best taken after the leaves have fallen in autumn so the trail is at its most discernible. Our excursion begins at the Twin Falls. Head up the bluff surrounding the falls to follow the rest of Richland Creek.
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There's an excellent area for camping atop of the Twin Falls bluffs. After a break, stick to the left side of the creek.
Remember this is a Wilderness Area, so although you cannot bring anything mechanical (including mountain bikes) you can camp and build a campfire. Just be sure to always leave no trace and completely put out fires.
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Continuing on from the top of the Twin Falls, stick to the left side of the trail to cross the Big Devil's Fork creek.
From there continue northwest along the rising ridge line between the two creeks. Before you get to the last incline to the castle you'll see Big Devil's Falls. To see our journey, use these coordinates. This is from Twin Falls, to the Big Devil's Falls and then to the sandstone castle.
The Castle is a series of caves cut into the rock of the bluff at the top of the ridge overlooking Big Devil's Fork, high above where they flow into the Twin Falls. The benefit of using the Twin Falls trail to reach the Sandstone Castle is that the way back is downhill.
The legend goes that lawbreakers used the Castle as a hide out.
After you figure out where it is the first time, it's much easier to find the second time around. Always take necessary precautions and a GPS but have fun taking new friends to this hidden natural castle.
We highly recommend reviewing the trail through AllTrails or by reading Rick’s Hiking Blog before heading out.
Have you ventured to the sandstone castle yet? We’d love to see your pictures of it in 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.
