Glory Hole Fall Trail - Arkansas

“How lovely the silence of growing things.”

Darrell and I did a lot of research before leaving for a three day weekend in the Ozarks last spring. We ended up with a long list of waterfalls to see and Glory Hole Falls trail was at the top. 

This trail appealed to me for several different reasons, the biggest one being that it wasn't rated as difficult or too long. We'd get to spend the morning hiking and still have enough time and energy to see some of the other things on our list.

The trail started right off highway 21. There isn't a sign on the road to mark the spot, just a wide shoulder area for parking, and if we hadn't been looking for it we wouldn't have noticed it. There were a few cars already parked but we only passed a handful of people and one very friendly dog on the trail. 

Once we were in the trees the noise from the road disappeared and everything was wrapped in green silence. It was incredibly beautiful and very peaceful. As we moved downhill the sound of running water gradually grew louder and eventually we crossed a stream, crossing it again farther down, before coming to the spot where the water had worn a hole through the rock. 

The trail curved around to the right and down to the shallow cave with the falls coming through. The walls covered in pale muddy hand prints, proof of past hikers, and it's easy to pick your way inside. At the base of the falls you can look up, into rushing water and sunlight, deafened by the roaring water.

The Ozarks are beautiful and this spot is one of the loveliest places despite the unfortunate name. If you're going to see the waterfall though go when there's been a lot of rain. We were really lucky that we saw this spot after some of the heaviest rain of the season. It's truly spectacular. But without a lot water it wouldn't be the same. It's worth waiting for the perfect conditions.