Hike to Whittaker Point (Hawksbill Crag)
- Kathleen Stanley
- Feb 8, 2021
- 3 min read
Visit: August 2020
2.9 miles
Time: 1 hr | 30 min
Elevation Gain: 413 ft
Ozark National Forest
We woke up extra early to hike Thunder Canyon Falls through the Buffalo National River. As much as we try to plan, sometimes things just don't work out. We were stopped by high river waters blocking the road.
I thought we could make it but Brent was too tired to try. I knew the high waters were a possibility due to prior research and suggested the backup route but with no cell service and sketchy directions, we decided to cut our losses and head to the infamous Whittaker Point.
Buffalo Ranch
"I don't think your buggy will make it all the way to the top!"
We made a few wrong turns leading us to Wilderness Rider Buffalo Ranch & Adventure Park, a buffalo farm in Kingston, Arkansas. A long ways into a grassy field, we were met with the property owner- Oops! We explained our frustration of being lost and she kindly helped map the way, leaving us with, "I don't think your buggy will make it all the way to the top!" We had no idea what she was talking about so we just smiled big, thanked her and waved goodbye.
Gravel Road of Death
We finally made it to the gravel road. The hill did seem steep but Brent and I have have cruising up and down mountains for days on our Arizona Road trip (ART), so we both agreed this little guy was no match for our white-mini-semi.
SHE. WAS. NOT. KIDDING. Only a few minutes of driving straight up on this bumpy road and Brent hit his brakes. "We can't do this. We need to turn around."
"NO!! We already missed out on the first hike today! Don't hit the breaks- we gotta just GO!!"
Accelerator to the floor we jolted up the hill (what's the technical steepness of a mountain?!), a plummeting drop just beyond our left wheels. I'd like to meet the folks who decide it's a good idea to put a road that close to a cliff. Our tires skid and spun more often than I'd like to remember. I kept thinking about our kids back home... I kept my window down, ready to jump out to safety just in case we did start to tip. About half way up I started pleading with Brent to turn around but, unfortunately, turning around on a one-way gravel road with a 23ft box isn't an option.
The winding road continued with sharp turns, tire-sized ditches, and elevations so steep we couldn't see beyond them. We did hit a flatter portion at some point near the end where another car was journeying down. We stopped for a moment to admire another crazy human (who was grinning from ear to ear while witnessing our mini-semi crawl upwards). The 30 minute voyage finally ended with a gravel parking lot where Brent and laughed hysterically about how completely stupid we were!
Onto The Trail
We had high expectations of this trail- it needed to be more adventurous than the ride up, after all. It started on a descend through the picture-perfect park- which made us wonder why we had to drive so far up just to start hiking downward. Dirt paths and green towering trees, nature-made steps and just enough hikers to ensure we didn't get lost. The short, 3-mile hike was fairly easy despite some incline on the way back.
Boulders scattered the forest leaving obstacles where they lay. Just beyond the creek passing, openings in the trees offered sneak-peak views to tree canopies from the valley below.
With plenty of beautiful boulders lining the drop-off, you may think you've found the instagram-famous rock early on. Keep going. Trust us, you'll know you made it when you finally find it.
Whittaker Point
This was truly one of the most beautiful and exhilarating sights we've ever seen (besides our first time seeing Sedona). Though this lookout has been fatal for many, the peace found atop this mountain was unspeakable. As much as we wanted to capture the moment with a selfie (because how else would we do it?), the kind lady from Buffalo Ranch specifically told us that selfies on this rock often ended in tragedy. She already proved to be (almost) right about our "buggy" so we didn't want to take any chances.
We were a bit skeptical about this hike because of it's increasing popularity on social media but obviously those photo-chasers know beauty when they see it. A turtle-head boulder sweeping out 150 feet over a lush, green covered valley? Count us in. We wish we could have stayed forever.
Have you hiked to Whittaker Point? Were you brave enough to take a selfie?! Post your best pics in the comments!
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