Magic on the Upper Buffalo River

The Buffalo River is quietly celebrated as one of the most magical places in America.  I say quietly, because there seems to be a conflict among those who know how to get there: share with the world in awestruck wonder, or keep it all to themselves? With minimal pain or fuss, the amateur explorer can access lush forests, dramatic rocky bluffs & delicate waterfalls all within an afternoon.  And then there's the herd of 700+ elk roaming placidly through the valley, undisturbed by the frantic attention of tourists and nature lovers who travel from all over to see them. 

Taking advantage of an office slow-down, and following maps found in one of Tim Ernst's many Buffalo River guide books, we've been venturing out in the past few weeks to this section of the river, for hiking, caving and elk-watching. If you want to duplicate any of these activities? Now's the time. 

Freshly turning leaves and painfully blue skies had me compulsively snapping pictures - take a look and give us a call so we can help you plan your trip to the Upper Buffalo! Click the titles for trail maps!

PONCA, AR
Home to a herd of 700+ Rocky Mountain Elk.

Two Bull Elk lazily grazing. 

The best time to see full herds like this is either early morning or sundown.

Usually you don't even have to look for elk-
just keep your eyes peeled for rows of stopped cars...

HAWKSBILL CRAG / WHITTAKER POINT HIKE
For all its fame as one of the most recognizable landmarks in Arkansas, you have to drive 6 miles (yes, six) on an unmarked gravel road just to reach the trailhead. I was sure my non-4-wheel-drive sedan was about to plummet off a bluff at every turn.

Hawksbill Crag is one of the most photographed locations in Arkansas. 

The most romantic place in Arkansas? Ask the dozens and dozens
of couples who've gotten engaged here over the years.

If you come in the spring, you can see waterfalls along the trail to the bluff. 

The trail claims to be 3 miles roundtrip. While we had no trouble getting out there. we DID  struggle to find the return loop and wound up well into the National Forest facing a sign that read
"You are hiking the wrong way". 

LOST VALLEY TRAIL
Home to the most popular hiking trail in the state of Arkansas- and for good reason.

I exited Lost Valley asking-
"Can you believe all that is back there?"

Rocky bluffs rising right out of the
hardwood American Beech forest. 

Inside the unnamed underground cave at the end of the trail-
in the spring this cave houses an accessible waterfall some 50 feet back.
 It's a tight squeeze. Bring flashlights. 

At the base of Eden Falls.

Outside the mouth of "Cobb Cave" a large bluff shelter
similar to the Indian Rockhouse on the Lower Buffalo. 

Clark Creek, mostly dry in October, flows out through Eden Valley Cave
in a loop on the middle of the trail.

WILDFLOWERS, SWAN, & ELK

This report yesterday from Michael Dougherty of the Buffalo River Chamber of Commerce:

Wonderful elk viewing weather. 4 elk herds remain visible in Boxley Valley with the best viewing in the Ponca fields and just south of Moore Creek. I saw a couple of hunting coyotes this morning by the Moore Creek herd. It is interesting to see the elk square off on the coyotes to protect the herd. 

We are now back to two swans, after seeing only one for a while. 

The wildflowers are up and going strong again after all the cold. The top flower are the white trout lilies. My Lost Valley visit this morning confirmed the bloom is back on, should be better tomorrow, and the lead edge of the peak bloom is on for white trout lilies.  

White trout lilies are not a long blooming species. The best place to see them now is in Lost Valley just over the bridge and to the left. There is a moss covered rock field next to Clark Creek. You will find the lilies around the edges and among the rocks. 

Update on the Elk & Fall Color Events

The National Park Service is now conducting tours of the old mill in Boxley Valley in the mid-day. Visiting the old mill is a great complement to morning elk viewing, or plan your viewing for the late afternoon and tour the mill beforehand.

I also recommend a visit to the award winning Ponca Elk Education Center. It is open 7 days a week during October. Remember the annual Color Fest at the Ponca Elk Education Center will be held the 26 & 27th.

PEAK OF THE RUT!

Every October I try to get away from the confines of the office and get outside to enjoy the beautiful weather, the fall colors, and all that the Ozarks has to offer during this glorious season!  One thing I highly recommend to all our guests is a day trip to Boxley Valley or Lost Valley to view the elk herds.  This week they are in the peak of the rutting season and for those of you that don't know what that means- it involves determining which male elk gets to mate with the female elks- SO there is a lot of noise & wild fighting going on!
If you can manage to get away from YOUR office- there is a very handy guide put out by the Buffalo River Chamber of Commerce which shows up-to-date locations of the herds and info to ensure you get a good look and the best photo ops.

Today's Elk Report and a video to share

This from Michael Daugherty of the Buffalo River Chamber of Commerce:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4Pb_s1SG1o

Mandy took this video of a REAL bull fight on Saturday. It should be of interest to your customers. This was her first time trying to video anything. I feel like the bass pro that takes his wife fishing and she catches the state record. These fights don't come alongvery often -- I see maybe 2 a year, some years I don't see any.

September Elk Viewing Report

This year so far the very best elk viewing has been in the south end of Boxley Valley in the field north of Smith Creek.

I continue to update the viewing map (every day so far). You can access my daily reports on Blogger:

http://arkansaswildlifephotography.blogger.com

One of Those Magical Fall Days

I just got word that the 2011 Elk Rut has officially begun. The news coincided with a much longed-for change in the weather from "hellish hot" to "almost chilly".
It brings to mind one of those magical fall days from 2 years ago when we loaded everybody in the car and drove away from the resort on a quest to FIND THE ELK.
We'd heard about it; but needed to see for ourselves.
Armed with that day's information on where the elk were located and where we could easily view them and photograph them (courtesy of Michael Dougherty's ArkansasWildlifePhotography.com website) we vowed this would NOT be a wild goose chase.
After lunching on the Square in Jasper at the Ozark Cafe we continued on some of the most scenic routes paralleling the Buffalo River toward our intended destination. If you have never seen these magnificent creatures with your own eyes you simply must make plans to do so- add it to your "bucket list" for sure. This is an easy day trip from the resort and the color change rivals anything out east.