There is nothing like the drama and beauty of a waterfall at flood stage!

Back on April 4, 2026, following a period of heavy rain, I headed up to northwest Crawford County, Arkansas, to check out Natural Dam Falls. This stunning 187-foot-wide natural rock wall spans the entirety of Mountain Fork Creek.

Typically, like here, you’ll just see some flow at just a few sections of the rock wall.

Not on this morning.

The recent downpours had caused the creek to be roaring! In fact, the volume of water completely covered the low-water bridge on Natural Dam Road just south of the falls.

 Since the road to get across was impassable in that area, I just stayed on the east side (closer to Highway 59).

These are some of the shots I got that morning.

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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

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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.

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

The post Glory Hole Falls Trail (Ozark Forest) in Winter appeared first on Arklahoma Hiker.

There are two unique loop hikes in the Pedestal Rocks Scenic Area in the Ozark National Forest (north Pope County). One of these is the 1.8-mile Kings Bluff Loop Trail.

This trail features great rock formations and spectacular overlooks. And during the wet season, you can see the 114-foot King Bluff Falls, one of the tallest in Arkansas.

Getting to Pedestal Rocks Scenic Area

To get to Pedestal Rocks Scenic Area, take Highway 7 to the community of Pelsor (28 miles north of Dover, and 28 miles south of Jasper). Turn east (left if coming from the north) onto Highway 16.

Stay on Highway 16 for 6 miles. Watch for the Pedestal Rocks Scenic Area sign on your right.

There is parking there and a pit toilet.

Kings Bluff Loop Trail

The trail heads out just behind the pit toilet and crosses a small bridge. Very quickly the trail splits. To the right is the Kings Bluff Loop, to the left is the return of the Kings Bluff Loop or the start of the Pedestal Rocks Loop. Take a right for Kings Bluff Loop.

The trail starts off into the wooded area and is on the level for a bit. Then eventually it starts to descend.

The trail winds through several switchbacks until eventually, at about .8 miles, it comes to a large (and I do mean large) rock bluff. This is Kings Bluff.

There is definitely more to see here than just the bluff, but be sure to check out the bluff for a while.

To the right is a creek that when the water is flowing well forms the spectacular Kings Bluff Falls off the bluff.

Note of caution: Be very careful around the numerous bluffs on the trail. A fall could be fatal or result in serious injury. 

There is a small fence here on the bluff, but it is more of a visual barrier than something that would prevent you from falling.

The view from here is pretty amazing — particularly during October when the leaves are turning.

From here, the trail takes continues to the left. It curls around the edge of the bluff and then turns to the right.

As you make the turn, there is an unofficial path that heads to the bottom of the bluff that you can follow if the water is really flowing and you want to see the waterfalls from below. If the water is flowing well, there are 2 smaller waterfalls that can be seen below in addition to Kings Bluff Falls. We didn’t head down there on our most recent trip because there was very little water.

Eventually the trail splits. The branch to the left heads straight back into the woods. The one to the right continues along the bluff line. The right one is a much more scenic path, but  be very careful around the bluffs.

Along this stretch, there are a lot of cool rock formations and more great views.

Enjoy. Soak it in.

After following the bluff a little further, the trail will start to curl back into the woods and start to gradually head back up the hill.

At around 1.7 miles, the trail reaches a 4-way juncture. Taking a right or going straight will put you on the Pedestal Rocks Loop Trail.

Take a left to complete the Kings Bluff Loop Trail. The parking area is just another .1 miles from here.

Final Notes

As far as trail difficulty, I rate this one as moderate (3 of 5). The elevation change on the trail is nearly 300 feet.

Tim Ernst profiles this trail in his Arkansas Hiking Trails guidebook.

As for footwear, I recommend trail shoes or hiking boots.

The photos are from my hikes on December 2, 2013 and October 23, 2017, except for the waterfall pics which Mike Newman took on May 13, 2017.

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Map

[A version of this post was first published on December 21, 2013  on the blog “Exploring Northwest Arkansas.”]
Last revised: 9-21-2019.

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