Hawksbill Crag and Glory Hole Falls

After leaving Petit Jean State Park we continued north into the heart of the Ozarks. We started our journey at the iconic Hawksbill Crag Trail (also known as Whitaker Point) which features one of the most recognizable overlooks in Arkansas. This 3-mile roundtrip hike was an easy one, much of it through forest until you cross a small stream. From there we followed the bluff line out to the point. Though I of course took photos of the “hawksbill” I would say I most enjoyed the ½ mile stretch along the bluff for the variety of rock formations and the views framed by pines.

We followed up the bluff vistas of Hawksbill Crag with a 2-mile out and back to Glory Hole Falls, a unique 30-foot drop through a hole in the top of a cave. The first stretch of trail is along a forest road but soon enough we turned onto a singletrack into the woods. The remainder of the trail roughly follows the stream and there are numerous small waterfalls along the way to Glory Hole. Allie and I scrambled down to get a better look at a few of these, delighted by the unique formations the watercourse had carved in the limestone (me) and the availability of drinking water (Allie). The main event is impossible to miss however; we knew we were in the right place when we could hear the crash of the falls below. Before picking our way to the bottom of the falls and exploring the inside of the cave we thoroughly inspected the funneling of the creek into the hole in the cave roof from above. My photo of this top view is pretty crappy but it’ll give you an idea. And again, if you’re reading this for trail information purposes, I recommend visiting my friend Paige’s blog fortheloveofwanderlust.com for much better information and trail description. Anyway, we did make it down to access the under hang and see the falls up close as they poured through the circular skylight now above us; it was a perfect way to end the afternoon.