The Rush Mine Level Trail (2.8 miles as out-and-back) in the lower district of the Buffalo National River (Marion County) is an enjoyable mildly challenging hike through a former mining area.

Rush is a former mining community that existed along the Buffalo River that was originally established for the mining of zinc ore in the mountains there. Now it is an old ghost town with no current residents. However, many historic sites remain with structures dating back to the 1880’s.

To get to the Mine Level Trail, you first need to go to the Morning Star Interpretive Loop, a short loop trail which can give you a feel for the history of this area.

At the top of the loop is the start of the Rush Mine Level Trail. (There may not be any signage here.) This trail is a mostly level stretch that takes you by several of the old zinc mine entrances.

Getting to the Rush Morning Star Trailhead

To get to the Rush Historic District, take Highway 14 south from Yellville. After about 10 miles, there will be a sign that clearly marks the left-hand turn to Rush. Turn here, and follow the paved road all the way down the hill to the river area.

The Morning Star Trailhead will be on your left, just after a row of abandoned old buildings.

The Hike

The Rush Mine Level Trail (also considered part of the Rush Mountain Loop Trail) starts at about the midway point (and the high point) of the Morning Star Loop, and it heads straight uphill. (There may be no signage at this junction.) This is a pretty steep climb, but it is definitely worth the effort.

After about a one-fifth-mile climb, the trail levels out. Stay on the well-traveled main trail which turns right. (Don’t take the small, unmarked path to the left. It is a primitive unofficial trail section that completes the loop back from the Monte Christo area.)

From here, the trail is mostly pretty level with a few ups and downs, but it is easy to follow. There are at least seven old mine sites along the trail. They are remnants of the former Rush zinc ore mining industry. (For safety reasons, the mines are all closed to public access by fencing and grates.)

As you pass the last of the mines on this trail, the trail will follow an old road bed down the hill. At one point, the main trail heads left off the old road trace. Take the trail to the left, and it will head off into the woods (straight will take you to the main entrance road).

At around 1.3 miles, the trail hits an intersection. Turn to the right here to head to the Rush Landing parking area. There is a pit toilet here with a river access nearby. (If you went left, you would go to the  Monte Cristo Trail which can loop you back to the starting point, but please read my overview of that trail before doing so).

From the Rush Landing area, you can head back to the starting point via the trail making it about a 2.8-mile hike. Or for an easier walk, you can simply take the main road back to the Morningstar Trailhead area.

Final Notes

I rate the difficulty of the trail as mildly challenging (2 of 5).

The difference between the maximum and minimum elevation points is only about 180 feet.

For footwear, I recommend trail runners or tennis shoes.

Tim Ernst discusses this trail in his book, Buffalo River Hiking Trails. His profile discusses the entire Rush Mountain Loop Trail.

The posted photos are from our hike on October 23, 2011. (The photos by Mike Newman were taken on May 30, 2021.)

Photo Gallery

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Maps

[A version of this post was originally published on December 21, 2011 on the blog “Exploring Northwest Arkansas.”]

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The Morning Star Interpretive Loop is an easy .2-mile loop in the Rush Historic District of the Buffalo National River Lower District (Marion County, Arkansas).

It has numerous remnants of the area’s mining town history.

Getting to the Rush Morning Star Trailhead

To get to the Rush Historic District, take Highway 14 south from Yellville. After about 10 miles, there will be a sign that clearly marks the left-hand turn to Rush. Turn here, and follow the paved road all the way down the hill to the river area.

The Morning Star Interpretive Loop trailhead will be on your left, just after a row of abandoned old buildings.

Morning Star Interpretive Loop

Park at the Morning Star Trailhead. It is the first parking area on the road. It is on the left, just past the row of old buildings on the right.

The Morning Star Interpretive Loop starts to the left. It first passes an old smelter that dates back to 1886. It is the oldest structure in Rush.

Next up the trail are the remains of an old livery barn that was built in the 1890’s. The trail then passes an old blacksmith shop and the remains of the Morning Star processing mill, and several other old ruins.

After about 400 feet in, when you are in the higher part of the loop, you will notice a trail that takes off to the right going uphill. Keep straight to complete the loop. Going to your right would take you to the Mine Level Trail.

Further on the loop, there is a great view through the trees of the old ghost-town houses and general store that are on the other side of the road.

Final Notes

This little loop has a lot of history and reading. It is worth taking the time to read the plaques to learn about the history of the area.

The elevation change on this short path is only about 40 feet.

The posted photos are from our hike on October 23, 2011. (The photos by Mike Newman were taken on May 30, 2021.)

Photo Gallery

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Map

[A version of post was originally published on December 21, 2011 on the blog “Exploring Northwest Arkansas.”]

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Glory Hole Falls is one of the most unique waterfalls in the Ozarks. The waterfall is formed by a stream that flows through the ceiling of an overhang cave.

When the water is really flowing, the hike to this unique adds to the spectacular appeal of this short trail.

Getting to Glory Hole Falls Trail

The Glory Hole Falls trail is in Newton County in the Big Piney District of the Ozark National Forest.

This is a well-maintained trail, much of it following along old jeep roads. However, there is no official trailhead and no official parking area.

The trailhead is off of Highway 16, about 5.7 miles east of Fallsville. The trailhead is about .5 miles east of a red barn on the north side of the road with a large white “E” on its side. The trail is on the right (south) side of the road.

You should notice a large dirt/gravel area on the side of the road which is used as a parking area.

There is now some good signage here that indicates an official trail head for the “Glory Hole” which has made access more visible and added to the popularity of this trail. V

The Trail

The trail starts off down an old road for a stretch and then hits a trail intersection. Take the road to the right, which then curves to the right and drops down a pretty steep slope. (It won’t feel like much going down, but you’ll definitely notice it more coming back!) Eventually, you cross the stream that leads to the falls. If the stream is really moving here, you’re in for a real treat at the falls.

The main trail stays up high from the creek, but there is a place where you can venture down and follow along the main creek to the falls itself. This pathway is a bit rougher than the maintained trail above, but there are some gorgeous smaller waterfalls and cascades along this stretch that themselves would be worth hiking to.

After about a mile, you get to the top of Glory Hole Falls.  You can get pretty close to the hole itself, but the rocks around the area are very slick. Be very careful here. Falling in this area could result in serious injury.

After taking a few pictures from the top of the falls, you can loop around and venture down to the bottom of the falls.

When the water is high, there is also a nice little waterfall here. (The sixth picture on this page is of my wife Michelle, squatting down next to the top of that waterfall.)

As you loop back around to the right, you get to the base of the Glory Hole Falls and can see the water pouring through the hole above.

This really is one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the area. Its height is about 30 feet and the uniqueness of it flowing through a hole literally burrowed through rock is very impressive!

Plan to spend a little time in the area. We usually like to pack a picnic lunch and hang out here for a bit before heading back up the hill to the car.

The hike out is tougher (and more uphill) than the hike down, but it’s not too bad. Seeing this amazing and unique waterfall area is well worth the 2-mile round trip.

Final Notes

The day I took most of these pictures in May 2011 we had high water after a previous day of rain.

I would strongly recommend checking out this area during the rainy season (winter and spring) for the best water flow.

As for footware, I recommend trail shoes or hiking boots, although tennis shoes would be fine.

Below are some pics of the trail that Mike took in June 2014 and December 2020.

You can read more about this falls in Tim Ernst’s Arkansas Waterfalls.

Check out these posts for more photos (and video):

• Glory Hole Trail (Ozark Forest) in Winter
• Glory Hole Falls Trail (Ozark Forest) Summer Pics
• Glory Hole Falls Trail (Ozark Forest) Winter Pics
• Glory Hole Falls (Ozark Forest) Video Winter

Photo Gallery

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Map

A version of this post was originally published on June 16, 2011 on the blog “Exploring Northwest Arkansas.”

The post Glory Hole Falls Trail (Ozark Forest) – 2 mi (o&b) appeared first on Arklahoma Hiker.

One of the interesting things about spending a lot of time in Northwest Arkansas is that we get to do some of our favorite hikes multiple times. Each season brings a different perspective on the hikes, and that makes them special in their own unique ways.

Spring brings high water and gushing waterfalls, summer brings a host of wildflowers, autumn brings the beautiful fall foliage, and winter brings great views with the leaves not being on the trees and blocking views. So things like bluff lines and the river that are often not able to be seen from trails are viewable.

The combination of great views, snowfall, and ice make winter one of our favorite times to hike in the Ozarks.

These are some winter pics we took in December 2012 of the Glory Hole Falls Trail (Newton County, Ozark National Forest). There was a light dusting of snowfall.

The trail profile for this hike with map and directions is here.

Photo Gallery

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A version of this post was originally published on March 19, 2013 on the blog “Exploring Northwest Arkansas.”

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