This week the rainbow of autumn is blooming. Last weekend I explored some fantastic places to view the colors of autumn. The leaves were very vibrant but a lot of green remained. This coming weekend the leaves should be peaking. So get outside and see it!
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| Yellow Rock in Autumn |
Yellow Rock at Devils Den state park will have to be my first choice. Certainly there are more amazing places to visit, but for all of you that live in or near the Northwest Arkansas urban area this is a short and accessible yet remote and quiet place to get away. Devil's Den is easy to find, just take the exit 53 off I540 and follow the signs. It might take 30 minutes or more to make it into the park from the freeway, but drive slow and admire the leaves. The turn off to the Yellow Rock trail is the first (sharp) left as your enter the park area. It is a few miles before you drop down to the river, camping, and main picnic area so watch for it and take it slow. The trail is a mile and a half each way if you stay on track but there is not a lot of change in elevation (300 feet). There are two turn offs in the main trail. Both go to lovely places, but to walk straight to Yellow Rock stay to the right if you see the first trail and then at the T, switchback to your left. When you arrive at the overlook you will know it. The beautiful yellow rock juts out of the high Ozark canopy and below you can see up and down Lee Creek. If you haven't been there take the time in the next two weeks before the leaves begin to fall.
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| Kings River Overlook is an Amazing View |
If a three mile hike with hills seems a little too long to hike, and a drive sounds nice, the Kings River Overlook is an amazing sight to see. It is located on highway 23 about nine miles north of 412 and four miles south of highway 12. Look for brown signs to the Madision County Wildlife Management Area. Follow the main road and look for brown signs that say Kings River Overlook. From the parking lot, the trail is not much more than a mile round-trip and had no significant hills. The trail is very smooth and wide to walk abreast with a friend or two. The view is no only of the Kings River but also of the rolling hills all around it. After the leaves drop, the Bald Eagles and Golden Eagles migrate into the area. These magnificant birds spend all winter fishing in the Kings River and this is a great place to watch them flying. So this is a great winter hike as well, but be sure to bring binoculars!
Newton County is lovely this time of year. The bugs are subsiding and the leaves are falling. Wildlife is abundant and easy to view as animals scurry to find food and shelter before winter hits. Boxely Valley is always a glorious place to visit in every season. The towering bluffs, crystal clear Buffalo River, and old growth forest make it one of my favorite places on earth. It is over an hour from the city of Fayetteville, but well worth the drive. The fastest way to get there is to drive on 412 to highway 23 but taking highway 16 to 21 is more scenic. If you want to take a splendid drive, then swerve along the curves of highway 16 all the way to Jasper. There are many places to stop and look around. There is even a tower to climb and get a panoramic view as you near the tiny town of Jasper.
If your busy life will not allow you to leave the city, you can still find quite nooks and crannies inside the city limits. I am not familiar with the parks and trails of most of Northwest Arkansas. However, I know Fayetteville well. Sequoia Mountain and the historic district is always a lovely place to go because there are many old trees that remain there. But my favorite little hideaway is the confederate cemetery at the end of Rock Street (downtown, near to old courthouse). The fallen soldiers lie beneath some of the grandest old maple trees in town.
No matter where you choose to go, I recommend going, before the leaves all drop and winter set in!
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| Sweet Gum Leaves In October |
