End of Chimney Rock Trail
Arkansas Ozarks--Buffalo National River. There is a trail ("Big Bluff" or "Goat Trail") I've completed several times that leads to near the top of some of the highest bluffs overlooking the Buffalo River. It is by far my favorite trail that I've taken anywhere in the Ozarks and I have several photos in my stream taken of the views to be had at the end of that rail. There is a spur off of the trail that I've wondered about, but never taken, called "Chimney Rock." I had actually hiked down a portion of it before, leaving so late in the afternoon I knew I would be able to complete it, but just hiked for the fun of being alone in a beautiful forest. This trip, I decided to finally complete the thing, and did so. Yeah me! :-) It turned out to be a much more strenuous trail than my favorite . . . and longer than advertised. I was told at the info booth in Ponca that it was about 2.7 miles, but it turned out to be about a mile further. The trail was pretty rugged as well--very rocky much of the way, and pretty steep in places. So, it turned out I didn't allow enough time--especially in light of the fact that I tend to tarry when I've reached my destination. I've never been one to look and leave (anyone remember Chevy Chase in "Vacation?"--where after sort-of-kind-of robbing a motel of some cash, he runs out to collect his family who are admiring the Grand Canyon (they know nothing of his recent turn to crime), and tells them they have leave. His wife reasonably asks him if he doesn't want to look at the canyon, so he does, for about 3 seconds, nods in a peculiarly Chevy Chase way, and then says, "Okay, gotta go!"--but I digress).
so, after hanging out for about an hour at the bottom (see above), I began the trek back. Not being a youth anymore (as of a few weeks ago :-), I soon got plum tuckered. And dusk soon enveloped me, the forest, and the trail. I brought a flashlight, but it still became fairly rough going in semi-moving-to-full-darkness. But about halfway, the trail parallels a highway, so I left the trail and hiked the rest of the way back on the road. Cheating, I know, but it was fairly steep as well, so the only thing gained was secure footing. It was pitch black by the time I got back, but on the road that was no problem, My wind, however, WAS a problem. But I survived. I must say that though the view at the end was nice, it was not as glorious as the view on the Big Bluff Trail. And this type of view can be had at the Steel Creek campground which you can drive to. Actually, the views there are better as well. Not to denigrate the experience completely, as certainly the immersion into nature was nice, and view at the end wasn't bad (like the Big Bluff Trail, however, except at the very beginning, there are no vistas to experience until the very end other than simply the forest itself). If you decide to take it, however, don't follow my example-leave before 2 PM. Oh! And one other disappointing thing about the trail--as far as I could see, there was no "chimney rock"--no rock formation of note at all except for the rock walls you see here (which you'd have to have ingested some funny mushroom to think it resembled a chimney), so I have no idea why it's called that.
End of Chimney Rock Trail
Arkansas Ozarks--Buffalo National River. There is a trail ("Big Bluff" or "Goat Trail") I've completed several times that leads to near the top of some of the highest bluffs overlooking the Buffalo River. It is by far my favorite trail that I've taken anywhere in the Ozarks and I have several photos in my stream taken of the views to be had at the end of that rail. There is a spur off of the trail that I've wondered about, but never taken, called "Chimney Rock." I had actually hiked down a portion of it before, leaving so late in the afternoon I knew I would be able to complete it, but just hiked for the fun of being alone in a beautiful forest. This trip, I decided to finally complete the thing, and did so. Yeah me! :-) It turned out to be a much more strenuous trail than my favorite . . . and longer than advertised. I was told at the info booth in Ponca that it was about 2.7 miles, but it turned out to be about a mile further. The trail was pretty rugged as well--very rocky much of the way, and pretty steep in places. So, it turned out I didn't allow enough time--especially in light of the fact that I tend to tarry when I've reached my destination. I've never been one to look and leave (anyone remember Chevy Chase in "Vacation?"--where after sort-of-kind-of robbing a motel of some cash, he runs out to collect his family who are admiring the Grand Canyon (they know nothing of his recent turn to crime), and tells them they have leave. His wife reasonably asks him if he doesn't want to look at the canyon, so he does, for about 3 seconds, nods in a peculiarly Chevy Chase way, and then says, "Okay, gotta go!"--but I digress).
so, after hanging out for about an hour at the bottom (see above), I began the trek back. Not being a youth anymore (as of a few weeks ago :-), I soon got plum tuckered. And dusk soon enveloped me, the forest, and the trail. I brought a flashlight, but it still became fairly rough going in semi-moving-to-full-darkness. But about halfway, the trail parallels a highway, so I left the trail and hiked the rest of the way back on the road. Cheating, I know, but it was fairly steep as well, so the only thing gained was secure footing. It was pitch black by the time I got back, but on the road that was no problem, My wind, however, WAS a problem. But I survived. I must say that though the view at the end was nice, it was not as glorious as the view on the Big Bluff Trail. And this type of view can be had at the Steel Creek campground which you can drive to. Actually, the views there are better as well. Not to denigrate the experience completely, as certainly the immersion into nature was nice, and view at the end wasn't bad (like the Big Bluff Trail, however, except at the very beginning, there are no vistas to experience until the very end other than simply the forest itself). If you decide to take it, however, don't follow my example-leave before 2 PM. Oh! And one other disappointing thing about the trail--as far as I could see, there was no "chimney rock"--no rock formation of note at all except for the rock walls you see here (which you'd have to have ingested some funny mushroom to think it resembled a chimney), so I have no idea why it's called that.