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.”

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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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The 2.2-mile stretch of the Buffalo River Trail (BRT) from the Ponca low water bridge to Steel Creek Campground is a very scenic and enjoyable half-day hike. It is 4.4 miles as an out-and-back hike.

This stretch features some nice overlook vistas with river views, seasonal waterfalls, and wonderful bluffs and rock formations.

This is a small part of the Ponca-Kyles Landing section of the BRT. The entire section is about 9.9 miles.

Getting to the Ponca Low Water Bridge Trailhead

To get to the trail, park at the Ponca low-water bridge and then walk out across the low-water bridge to the small parking area on the other side. Just past that parking area, the BRT heads off to the left and the right. The route to the right will take you to Boxley (11 miles).

To go toward Steel Creek, take the route downstream to the left.

The Hike

The trail starts off right along the Buffalo River and after a short stretch goes under the new highway bridge that crosses the river. Right at the spot where you cross under the highway bridge there is a little trail that leads down to an overlook on the river — a very nice little view.

Back on the main trail, it continues along the river for a while. There is another spur off to the left that again heads down to the river. I usually take these spurs just as a method of exploring.

As you continue up the hill a bit, you will get to yet another overlook. This is a great view with the river making two turns in front of you and a bluff in the background.

This is also a challenging stretch of the river for canoeists. (Michelle and I had an epic wipeout at this turn a while back.) So when the water is up and canoeists are on the upper Buffalo, it’s fun to watch people go through here and share in their joy as they make the corner.

As you continue on the trail, it eventually turns to the right a little and heads up the hill. There is about a 200-foot elevation change here, so it’s a pretty significant trek up. (The cumulative elevation gain on this 2.2-mile stretch is a little over 600 feet.)

There are also a few small streams to cross over here. None are challenging or wet crossings, but they make some interesting water features during high water. There is one water flow that we are looking forward to checking out after a hard rain.

As you head out across the higher part of the trail, you are inward from the bluff line a bit– high above the Buffalo River. During leaf-off, there are some spectacular views from up here. During late spring and summer, the leaves will block most of the great views.

Eventually, you’ll head back down the hill again through some really nice rock bluffs and features.

As you get to the bottom of the hill, you are near the Steel Creek Campground. At one point, there is a short spur off to the left. It goes to the campground and the campground bathroom (and running water).

Continue straight ahead for a few hundred yards, and you will eventually cross the paved road that heads from the highway to Steel Creek.

At this point, you’re at 2.2 miles. You can continue across the road to head to Kyles Landing, or walk down to Steel Creek and check out the valley and Roark Bluff. (It’s right in front of you. You can’t miss it.)  

Steel Creek Campground is a great area along the river that is heavily travelled and includes a horse trailer parking area.

When you’re done here, you can turn around and head back the way you came. It’s another 2.2 miles back (and another 600 feet of elevation gain). (The net elevation change between the low and high points is about 320 feet.) Note: the initial climb out of Steel Creek on the way back is easily the steepest and most challenging of the hike.

Final Notes

I rate the difficulty of this hike as moderate (3 of 5). For footwear on this hike, I recommend trail runners or hiking boots.

Although the Buffalo River area is beautiful year around, I think the most scenic time is during high water from November to April.

Most of these photos are from our hike on March 17, 2012.

Photo Gallery

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Map

[This post was originally published on May 2, 2012 on the blog “Exploring Northwest Arkansas.”]

Last revised: 5-12-2021.

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The Buffalo River Trail (currently) is an approximately 40-mile trail running from Boxley to Pruitt along the Buffalo National River in Newton County.  There are several additional sections along the middle part of the Buffalo that do not connect with these initial 40 miles on the upper Buffalo.

Additional parts of the trail are under construction, and it will eventually span nearly the entire length of the river.

While I have never hiked a portion of the Buffalo River Trail that wasn’t thoroughly amazing, the short hike from the Steel Creek trailhead to the Steel Creek overlook is among my favorites. It’s a great hike to an amazing view of the river.

Getting to the Steel Creek Trailhead

The trailhead is near the Steel Creek Campground, a few miles east of Ponca.

To get there from the west, take Highway 74 east from Ponca for about two miles. The road curves up a steep, windy hill. At a very sharp u-curve, the campground entrance is on your left. There are signs, and it is well marked.

Take the paved road down the hill toward the campground. When you get to the bottom of the hill, the pavement ends. To the right is a horse camp and river access. To the left is the campground.  Find a place to park here at the intersection.

Walk back up the paved road about 100 feet to where the Buffalo River Trail crosses the road. Turn left and start the trail here, heading east toward Kyles Landing.

(Taking the trail to the right (west) would take you to Ponca. My post about that hike is here.)

The Trail

The trail is nicely maintained and heads into the woods and starts to gradually go up some stairs. You will be able to see the horse camp to your left, and a steep hill and some nice, small bluffs off on your right.

The trail continues for a while, pretty high above the horse camp and the ranger station. The trail then swings right and heads back into a drainage area.

There are a lot of large rocks back in this area that make for some nice scenery.

Past the drainage, the trail heads back down the hill.

At about .5, the trail gets low into the Steel Creek Valley. (Steel Creek flows into the Buffalo River just downstream — the area is a popular swimming hole in the summer) The trail swings sharply to the right upstream on Steel Creek and away from the river. The trail goes past a fire pit and through an open area (with a couple of power lines that go to the ranger station) and then back into the woods again, past a another primitive campsite.

This would definitely make a great place to spend the night!

At .6, the trail turns left and crosses Steel Creek. When we hiked this in early July 2014, we were able to rock-hop across the creek here without getting wet, but I can definitely see how during the very rainy season this would be a wet crossing — so be prepared for that.

After crossing Steel Creek, the trail heads up the hill and to the right, continuing upstream. This begins the 400-foot climb to the overlook.

The trail continues up, fairly steeply, and then makes a complete turn to the left. At this point, during high water, there is the makings of a very nice, large waterfall just down the hill in front of you. There is no trail to it, and it could be pretty steep, but on a wet day it’s probably worth checking out.

Continuing on the trail as it curves to the left, it continues heading uphill. The trail eventually cuts through a series of very large rocks. This is a great stretch of trail that we really enjoyed.

Then, at 1.4 miles, you get to the overlook. And it is amazing.

At roughly 450 feet above the river, there is a great view of the Steel Creek Campground area, as well as some fantastic views of the Buffalo River as it continues downstream and winds through the valleys among a series of large bluffs.

I highly recommend spending some time and enjoying the view. They don’t come much better than this.

Note of caution: Always exercise extreme care around bluff areas. A fall could result in serious injury or death.

After enjoying the view, you can turn around and make your way back west to where you started at Steel Creek Campground.

If you continued east, it is another 6.5 miles to Kyles Landing.

Final Notes

This is a really great hike to one of the best views in the Buffalo River area. It would probably be much more popular if it were a stand-alone trail rather than a section of the Buffalo River Trail.

As for footwear, I recommend trail shoes or hiking boots. During the wet season, be prepared for a wet stream crossing.

You can get more info about the trail in Tim Ernst’s Buffalo River Hiking Trails.

Shelley’s post about the Ponca to Kyles Landing hike is here.

These photos are all from our hikes on July 3, 2014 and October 29, 2018.

Photo Gallery

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Map

[A version of this post was first published on October 17, 2014 on the blog “Exploring Northwest Arkansas.”]

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