After a great day of climbing at Horseshoe Canyon Ranch (HCR) on Thursday we awoke in the cabin on Friday morning to an icy mixture of freezing rain and sleet, which meant climbing was out of the question for the day. The majority of the morning and early afternoon was spent eating an "All American Breakfast", watching Top Gun, The Masters, and hot tubbing.
The Airbnb had several printouts of trails in the area with information on what to expect courtesy of nearby JB Trading Co, which we stopped at a few times for supplies. After a bit of deliberation we decided on the Lost Valley Trail due to its proclaimed high quality, relatively short distance of 2.3mi round trip, and close proximity. We all enjoyed the trail and would definitely recommend this to anyone in the area whether it be for vacation, climbing at HCR, canoeing on the Buffalo River, or any of the activities the Ozarks have to offer!
One of the best surprises of this area is the abundance of wild elk that that call the area around Ponca, AR and Boxley Valley just south of the community on HWY 43. There is a large field on the east side of the road that can't be missed. Drive slow as elk were crossing the road as we went through on our way to the trailhead and several cars were stopped; as well, be sure to look into the forest on the west side as we saw several elk there including four standing strong on the top of a rock formation. Several website say the best time to spot the elk is in the fall, which it may be; however, plenty were still roaming around in April.
Soon after the traffic stop we arrived at the Lost Valley Trailhead, loaded the Deuter Child Carriers, stopped at the restroom just passed the parking lot, and we were ready to begin the hike. The forest was tranquil and we leisurely walked along the trail until we reached the first stop at a nice waterfall underneath the natural bridge.
From this point, the trail got a bit steeper as we approached Cobb Cave, which we stopped and explored on the way back down. The cave is special as it was previously used as a shelter by Native Americans roughly 2,000 years ago. The cave got it's name when archeologists (Amaris' dream job when he was 7) from the University of Arkansas discovered corn cobbs in the cave during an expedition in 1931.After Cobb Cave the trail goes into stair mode with a steep drop off on the right so be sure everyone in the party is paying attention to themselves and their surroundings.
Eden Falls is visible from Cobb Cave and along the path towards the top of the trail where it dead ends into Eden Falls Cave. This stunning cave is worth going into for the brave of heart. Make sure you have a headlamp, preferably hiking boots as they may get a little wet, and a calm attitude as you venture into the darkness. Nothing in the cave is too difficult to pass but there are a few tight areas before reaching the stream that ultimately leads into a large room with a roughly thirty foot water fall. Seeing a waterfall in a cave like this is truly a unique experience and should not be skipped if possible!
Once we had taken turns going through the cave as a few separate groups it was time to head back to the parking lot and home to dinner. The walk out was just as enjoyable and relaxing as the walk in and everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Once again on the way back to the cabin we encountered Elk with one bull and several does laying down in the open field.
The Natural State truly does have several hidden gems that do not disappoint!
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