Scenic USA - Arkansas Lost Valley |
Photos by Ben Prepelka Ben Prepelka Photography |
Lost Valley, one of the smaller recreation sites along the 135 mile long Buffalo National River, still offers a list of worthy sights. The Buffalo River is well known for its canoeing and kayaking, and in the Lost Valley-Clark Creek area there is also an opportunity for a little spelunking.
Park signs give a cooks tour of what to expect in the hollow and suggest that the valley is neither lost, nor is it an actually valley. Clark Creek, like most tributaries to the Buffalo River, is fairly seasonal. Clark Creek flows for only three miles through Lost Valley, but in this short run the waters have created an array of surprising geological shapes. The creek occasionally disappears through holes in the limestone, and at times, depending on the amount of rainfall, it vanishes altogether.
The Lost Valley trail follows the hollow along Clark Creek, showing visitors the effects caused by the awesome power of a swollen stream. First, hikers on the route will encounter the Jigsaw Blocks, where massive stone boulders were dislodged from surrounding bluffs. Second, a natural bridge was carved through 50 feet of limestone. Cob Cave, up next, is a name given to a bluff shelter when prehistoric corn-cob remnants were discovered. Eden Falls, a series of four waterfalls, tumbles 170 feet down a rocky bluff. Unfortunate for some visitors, these falls are seasonal. Near the trails end, a steep climb leads to Eden Falls Cave where the forces of water sliced through the deep rock. A 35 foot waterfall, 200 feet inside the cave, is still at work creating another natural bridge.
Lost Valley is now a day-use area, and due to flash flood dangers (recognized in 2011) campers are directed to Steel Creek or Kyle's Landing. The Lost Valley trailhead is located at the end of the parking lot. The hike may take a few hours and is just over two miles for the round-trip.
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