hawksbill crag

Anytime of year is a good time to go here. Turn on the dirt road at the Boxley bridge just west of the Boxley baptist church and take the dirt road for a few miles past another small church on your right side. Keep going into the creepy woods till you come upon a parking area then it is a short hike down and with multiple other paths. Stay on the trail and head towards the bluff face. You will certainly know when you get there.

The trail down to Hawksbill Crag is relatively easy. There are sheer cliffs so any young children need to be watched carefully. The views of the tree tops & valleys are stunning once you reach the cliff area. The crag itself is nice to sit on & take in the views. This is not a hike for anyone scared of heights as you will be near edges at times.

This was my second time hiking Whitaker Point. We started early and were the second group on the trail. Perfect weather and loved that it wasn't crowded!

Keep driving, you'll get there. I know when we were driving we kept saying "where is it??" Well, there are no signs and we thought for sure we must have passed the trailhead once on the road leading to the top. Once on the road up to the top (my 2003 Camry made it easily....) we found the start of the trail after about 35 minutes of driving. You will think you've driven too far probably, like we did. Well, the trailhead is to the left (East) where there is a large rock just offside of the road. We thought we would get lost or miss it, but you can't. We were shocked over the lack of signage. Port-a-potty to the right and rock to the right. Trail was easy and I would say children could accomplish it easily if they're above the age of 6. I think it took up about 30 minutes of steady walking to make it to the crag. Will be back next year! Do yourself a favor and visit the Low Gap Cafe once your done!!

After hiking through the woods on a well marked trail, you're rewarded with stunning views of the valley below. I went in time to watch the sun set over the ridge from Whitaker Point/ Hawksbill Crag. This trail is well worth the drive.

I think Arkansas wants to keep its treasures secret. The road to this hike is unmarked, no signs. You can find directions on line, but it's about a 6 mile steep uphill climb on a more or less one lane dirt road. I was about ready to give up when my husband said I see a bunch of cars ahead. This time of year, there were 20 or 30 cars, so lots of people on the trail. The path is a moderate, well traveled trail with a small waterfall near the crag. Worthwhile hike, beautiful views, and great photo op. Oct 25 the leaves were just starting to change. No bathroom facilities.

Hawksbill Crag is a lovely site and it feels great to sit out on the edge of the landmark. However I liked Lost Valley Trail better. It has several waterfalls, an excellent trail (moderate to hard), and 2 caves to explore. Do take care exploring these rugged caves as they have no ropes, steps, or assistance to enter or leave the caves.

Some friends and I decided to make the trek down to this trail from Springfield, MO. The drive down was about 2 hours, so it wasn't too awful...until we got to the turnoff to the trailhead. What followed was 6 miles of a narrow, loose-gravel, uphill climb. It was pretty treacherous in the Civic. A truck would handle it much better, but there are times where there is not room for two cars to pass each other. A small car did come in handy those times! When you get up the the parking area, you'll likely find that there are no spots, which means you will have to park along the side of this narrow road. I honestly don't know what we would have done if we'd had to leave while others were trying to come up that section of the road. There just wouldn't have been room for two cars to meet. Anyway, after that drive, everything else was smooth sailing. The hike is not particularly challenging, but definitely is not just a gentle walk. It is very rocky, and there are some significant climbs on the way out. The views, however, make it worth it. It's mostly shaded, which I'm sure is a blessing on a summer day. Overall, I would recommend this trail, but I probably won't return. There are plenty of other trails in the area that I'd still like to try.

Absolutely fantastic hike for the family. Short hike off the road. Beautiful scenery! Google Tim Ernst for trail descriptions and best times to go.

This beautiful hike is found by taking highway 21 South (from Boxley) and traveling the short distance toward the beautiful old Boxley Church and cemetery (on your right) which is also worth a stop. Keep going a little farther and you will almost be to the bridge that crosses the BUFFALO River. Right BEFORE the bridge that crosses the river, you will see a gravel road on you rRIGHT. Finding this gravel road has been the hardest part of getting to the trail for some folks as it was known as the Cave Mountain Road, but had no sign. Here is the great part.....There is now a numbered COUNTY ROAD SIGN NOW -- AND IT IS 9560. There will be no other signs directing you. Just follow this road up the long hill the beginning and keep going for about 6 miles. Just watch for the large potholes and all will be fine. When you have gone the six miles or so, you will probably see other cars parked on the right or on the edge of the road. There is a fairly large rock or two on the left side which should help in locating the trail. If you see all of the cars parked in the off-road dirt area on the right, know that the trail is directly across the road. There will be no signs directing you to the trail, but the path is well worn and should be spotted easily!The trail is one way, and is about 1 1/2 mile but it is not too difficult. It crosses some wet or damp areas, but there are flat rocks that make it easy to go across. Not really a difficult trail even for older folks in decent health (we are nearly 63). The trail is well worn, so there is very small chance to get lost. Near your final destination, there are some amazingly large rocks and many chances to get good views. If there are children, please keep them close by as this is a wilderness area and there are no rails.....it is a long way down, and would have devastating results. Before you get to the actual "Hawksbill Crag" or "Whitaker Point" as some call it, there will be wonderful opportunities to have pictures and see the rock from a distance which is a wonderful sight. Sorry for the long detailed description, but I hope it helps you enjoy your time when you get there! We spent approximately 2 1/2 - 3 hrs counting the picture-taking time! Unless you are comfortable about taking a bathroom break in the woods with plenty of folks nearby, you probably want to go to the restroom before starting the hike at a place in town!

the road to this place is steep and gravelly. we had no trouble in our gmc terrain. the trailhead was easy to find. it is 1.5 miles in and 1.5 out. it wasn't a strenuous hike-not much elevations change. we, of course , had to take the picture everyone takes. it is a glorious view.you reallly feel small, when visiting these huge rock formations.as i said, this is one of the less strenuous hikes.i had to make it hard- i stopped, just as we were leaving the crag, to adjust my hiking boot. i laid my small nikon down. i didn't realize i didn't have it, until we were almost back to the vehicle.so, i did the trail 2 times!plan on staying awhile. you will want to take alot of pictures!

Do not miss going here!!!!The road to get there scared the daylights out of me in my little Honda, but I made it. Once you get to the trailhead get ready to be amazed. You will have a bit of a hike but once you get to the point you will be able to see a breathtaking scene. Also to the right of the trail there are some waterfalls but they are not easy to get to and rather dangerous. Please be careful as it is not unheard of from people to fall to their death being careless. However this is not something you should be concerned with, just practice caution.

This hike and view is one of the major reasons we wanted to visit the Buffalo River Area of the Ozark Forest. And we weren't disappointed! It was a bit hard to find the road to turn onto, but the helpful and friendly people at the Buffalo Outdoor Center (BOC) told us exactly where to go. Definitely stop there first! Get all your directions and ask all your questions before you go, b/c there is no cell service in the park. Also, clean bathrooms and food. Its a 6 miles steep dirt road drive up to the top of the hill where the trail head starts. Bigger cars are better. There is little parking, so most people park along the road at the top. Its about a 3 mile round trip hike to the crag and back. Easy trail. Goes up and down a bit. Nice views and rocks along the way. But for the most part we just powered out there. When we got to the crag, that's where everyone was. There were people everywhere. And most people seemed to understand not to just stand on the crag while people are trying to take pictures on it or from the vantage point a ways back. There was one particularly annoying family of like 10 that didn't get that, and they hogged the crag and its views for a while. So this was annoying. Please be respectful of other people taking pictures and they'll be respectful of yours. Also, be respectful of the crag. BE CAREFUL. DON'T GET TOO CLOSE TO THE EDGE! Most people seemed to err on the safe side but its definitely not worth taking any chances. But the views and just the beauty of it are just breathtaking. Really cool. Just awesome.On the way back we found a mini crag of sorts, and stopped there and were all by ourselves taking pictures for a while. Great hike. Great experience.

It was one of the most picturesque adventures I have ever done. We woke up early before dawn to get there before sunrise for the best lighting for our pictorial. The dirt road before the trail start is not that bad, it even rained the day before we hiked. We went there in the fall Oct. 2013. We started hiking even before the daybreak started, we used flashlights to light our way, and because it was still dark, it's quite scary, but we did find our way, just don't miss the marks on the trees on certain turns. When we got there we had a blast, the colors are spectacular. My sister and I are passionate photo hobbyist so we took a lot of pictures which I can just brag about how wonderful this world is.

We were driving to Fayetteville on our 6 day road trip and decided at the last minute that we should try to find this spot. Took us a lot of country roads to get here but worth it. That drive up the mountain was fun and entertaining in it's own right. The hike itself was not that difficult, but nice to be in the woods after so much time spent in a car on this trip. And the end point is very worth it, a beautiful scenic place, and so very quiet.