A Woolly Hollow and a Mossy Bluff

The Huckleberry Trail at Woolly Hollow State Park stood as the primary objective for the morning.  It promised to be a rather hot day, so an early start on the 5 km trek seemed the most reasonable thing to do.  In spite of recent rains, the cascade trickled more than anything else and most of the wildflowers that had been poking through earlier in the spring were mostly absent.  After sweating it through that minor wilderness, a dip in the cool waters of Lake Bennett put things back in the proper perspective.  A stroke of luck found the fee waived due to a lack of lifeguards.

Obtaining sustenance at Cafe Klaser, the other half of the party headed out to a wild and unruly evening at the local bingo hall.  This afforded the opportunity to do a little late afternoon exploring of Jim Kress Wildlife Management Area.  There is no telling why this region has not been explored more, as many occasions have been available to do so.  

Dry Fork was found to be equal to its name, though one of the myriad of old logging roads that shoot off of Warren Mountain Road offered up peaceful surroundings and astounding late afternoon views of the surrounding mountains.  That silence was broken by a load of folks in a pickup that just happening down the same round, seemingly out of nowhere.

The remainder of the evening offered little hope for any other activity beyond another hike.  Returning to the quiet solitude of Mossy Bluff back in Heber, at a slower pace than usual enabled reflection on the day.  A return to Jim Kress Wildlife Management Area is definitely on the horizon.  There are so many things left to explore in that little corner of North Central Arkansas that many folks would probably just ignore.

. . .

Further Reading

Huckleberry Trail - Woolly Hollow State Park

Arkansas State Parks

Jim Kress Wildlife Management Area

Arkansas Game & Fish Commission

Along the Mossy Bluff

Mossy Bluff National Nature Trail in Arkansas

jusTodd on Medium