Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Water, woods, wonderful
Hike through Smith Creek Preserve shows best of spring.
Birds aren’t the only forest dwellers that warble a cheerful song at Smith Creek Preserve. Hikers sing the praises of wildflowers, greening trees and a free-flowing stream that await at the spacious tract south of Boxley.
A loop trail helps woodland wanderers explore the preserve. The 1,316-acre wonderland is administered by The Nature Conservancy and is open for all to enjoy. Bird-watching, nature photography and hiking are frequent activities at the preserve.
Smith Creek and its boulder gardens create a meringue of rapids as the stream winds its way through the preserve.
Elise Falls, a cascade of 21 feet, spills down the fissure of a cliff deep in the valley of Smith Creek.
The first full day of spring on March 20 cried out for a waterfall hike after a heavy rain two days earlier. A gaggle of four hikers answered the call and enjoyed the scenic drive to Smith Creek Preserve.
Theirs was the only car in the small parking lot at the preserve entrance, located three miles south of Boxley Baptist Church on Arkansas 21. The trailhead and is on the left side of the road as the highway winds uphill.
The 9 a.m. start was anything but springlike. Fog and mist shrouded the preserve’s hills and ridges. A temperature of 40 degrees called for winter coats and hats.
An information kiosk at the gate has a map of the trail and a wealth of information
about the wildlife, plant life and aquatic life at the preserve.
Small waterfalls greeted the hikers on the downhill walk from the gate. Cascades in miniature poured lively over rocks and roots about every 100 yards along the way. The morning’s quest was to reach Elise Falls, a cascade that only one in the group had seen before.
At a trail intersection, a small sign directs hikers toward Elise Falls and Smith Creek. Chilly as it was, small wildflowers were in bloom most of the downhill to the stream.
Walking through the forest, hikers heard Smith Creek long before they saw it. Rain had the creek rocking, flowing loud and proud through the preserve. The stream is a tributary of the Buffalo National River and joins the Buffalo not long after it leaves the preserve.
Seeing Elise Falls on the route we chose requires wading across Smith Creek at least once to see the cascade. Sometimes “turn around, don’t drown” applies to stream crossings on foot as well as driving. Or at least “turn around, don’t frown” from getting soaking wet or worse attempting to cross the swift, thigh-deep water and slick rocks.
Debate was quick, and the group voted against the precarious stream crossing.
Tom Mowry of Nob Hill was one who’d seen Elise Falls
before. It’s pretty, he said, but not worth the risk of a swim on a 40-degree morning. Gazing at Elise Falls could wait for another visit. There is plenty to see up and down the creek.
The trek from the trailhead to the creek and back is about two miles.
The Nature Conservancy was able to purchase the tract in 2004 thanks to a generous discount from the landowners. The conservancy and Buffalo River Foundation partner as stewards of Smith Creek Preserve.
A cave on the preserve, Sherfield Cave, shelters Arkansas’ largest colony of Indiana bats, according to The Nature Conservancy website. It’s one of the longest caves in Arkansas.
Tim Snell, with the conservancy’s office in Fayetteville, said Smith Creek Preserve is open though trails at nearby Buffalo National River are closed. As a result the preserve has seen increased visitation this spring, he said.
The parking area is small, he noted. If it’s full, hikers have no choice but to visit another time. Drivers are asked not to park along Arkansas 21.
Ginny Porter, communications manager at The Nature Conservancy Office in Little Rock, said there are no plans to temporarily close Smith Creek Preserve during the pandemic.
May is a popular month to visit, she said, mainly to see the panorama of wild blossoms.
“All we ask is that people not park along the highway.” Flip Putthoff can be reached at fputthoff@nwadg.com or on Twitter @NWAFlip.