Arkansas, Lost Valley

We finally took a little break from our house! We all needed to see something different for a while and maybe escape the heat for a bit. NW Arkansas fit the bill in that it was about as far as we could go in one day's drive, gave us some hilly scenery, and looked to be about 10 degrees cooler! The last hour of the drive was through some twisty mountain roads, and O needed to roll down the windows for some fresh air to keep the queasiness away.

We got to our cabin just in time for dinner. The cabin had just about everything we needed, except a dishwasher. Good thing we brought a couple with us!

The cabin had two bedrooms, but the kids were pretty excited to sleep in the loft bed. I think they thought they'd be able to spy on Mom and Dad after bed time that way, but we all ended up going to bed pretty early. At least the cabin was roomy, and you can see the copious woodwork everywhere.

We really lucked out with the weather for our stay. Highs were forecast for the upper 70s and low 80s, which I think is unusual, but it was perfect for us! We were staying on the west end of the Buffalo National River, so we wanted to do some hiking since it wasn't too hot. We ventured just 15 minutes down the road in the morning to Lost Valley trailhead. This was a short, easy hike, but it was supposed to be beautiful with caves and waterfalls, following a creek. We even packed jackets and flashlights because there was supposed to be a waterfall in a cave!

The trail was cool and shady. It followed a creek, but because we were near the end of summer, the creek bed was dry. It was also very rocky, so it was more fun for some to follow the trail from the creek.

It was a charming mix of rocks and trees, building to some big rock features like caves and bluffs. The scenery reminded us of Ohio's Hocking Hills.

We thought this was one of the caves, but it was actually called Natural Bridge. See the water trickling down and the daylight showing through just above the water? 

That daylight is coming through this opening in the rocks, which we found when we walked around to the back side. The hole and water go all the way through the rock!

Further up the creek was Cob Cave, which is a huge opening at the bottom of the bluff. It's so named because apparently Native Americans left behind old corn cobs here. It is 200-ft long, so there was lots of room to explore.

Just next to Cob Cave was Eden Falls. They were nearly dry, but were still dripping a little. The highlight of this trail is probably the end where the creek continues into another cave with a 25-ft waterfall inside. Unfortunately, that cave was closed due to COVID concerns, so we carried our jackets and flashlights for nothing. It was especially disappointing, since we nearly had the trail to ourselves. It seems like we could have handled social distancing in the cave. 

After a picnic lunch near the trailhead, we decided to find the Buffalo River and see what the big deal was. Luckily, it was just another five minutes down the road. We brought our water shoes and waded around a bit. The water was very cold, clear, and refreshing. The scenic bluffs are further down the river, but you can see some of them on the far right under the bridge.

This little area was dubbed the "Secret Cove" and was tucked away from the rest of the river. It was a little awkward walking around on the slippery rocks, so we decided to come back later with our swim suits, especially after H fell and got soaked for the ride back to the cabin. 

Once we got back to the cabin, we all relaxed. Books were read, hammocks were hung, and porch rockers were occupied. (Btw, kids are on their third time through reading the Harry Potter series this summer!) The three-sided porch was a fantastic place to unwind with a drink and snacks in the cool breeze. I brought a brand new hammock with us for the trip and was a little nervous that we might not have a place to hang it, but the trees out front were perfect. And this was just Day 1!