While the endless distractions available in Branson no doubt hold their own
special level of intrigue, more interesting things lay ahead for the second
half of this road adventure. In very little time, two lanes unfolded to
a calmer, quieter and inarguably, more scenic view from the road.
The western portion of the Buffalo National River complex hosts more
waterfalls and cascades you can shake a stick at. Most are generally
inaccessible without some measure, often considerable, effort towards
bushwhacking. Those located within Broadwater Hollow demand very little
beyond traversing 3 km of occasionally rough gravel and dirt road, and less
than a half kilometer hike along a well-traveled path. Paige Falls kick
off this sequence of cascades, of which a detailed investigation could easily
consume an entire day. That will need to wait for a more dedicated inquiry
though. Mid-afternoon was not the time. Covering a half kilometer or so
of the situation and taking some out time to chat with other visitors, the
mission quickly turned back to the next planned objective.
Skirting along the edge of Ponca Wilderness enabled opportunity to make a deal
at the JB Trading Post, exchange paper for ice cream and gatorade, then
pausing again for a quick inquiry towards the status of the elk at the Ponca
Nature Center. None were readily available for viewing, so we pushed on,
arriving at the trailhead for Hammerschmidt falls in no time. Almost no
time. It took a moment, and a detour down into Dewey Cove, to figure out
that the trailhead was actually just across the street from "parking."
Once that became apparent, the half-kilometer trail flowed easily through more
of the most beautiful spring scenery in the country and other junk.
These waterfalls likely offer quite a spectacular plunge 13 meters over the
edge of the rock cliff, in wetter times. The flow proved mostly
insignificant on this date. While those in Broadwater Hollow seemed to
flow easily enough with ample hydration, continuing dry times across much of
the northern tier of the Ozark plateau has forced many waterfalls to simply
cut back or completely turn off the tap.
... Further Reading ...
National Park Service
Arkansas Game & Fish Commission
National Integrated Drought Information System - NOAA
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