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Sunrises2sunsets
wander.
explore nature.
create
memories.
live life.
Updated: April 2024
I’m a hiking enthusiast, always on the hunt for the next epic trail and hidden waterfall. For this hike, I used the AllTrails app and found the Kings River Falls. Here’s how + where…
The draw of this hike- it isn’t too long or strenuous, has a river to hike along and explore, and has a waterfall at the end. For a quick overview of what to expect on the Kings River Falls hike…
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To reach the Kings River Falls Natural Area, you have to travel down a dirt road. My car easily managed the road, at a slow pace.
There is a decent amount of parking and we easily found a spot on an early Saturday afternoon. The trailhead is well-marked and can’t be missed.
The hiking trail is well-marked, traveling mainly along the Kings River. It is a flat dirt trail, with areas of smooth rock, and many points that lead you right into the river should you choose to stop and play.
For a more adventurous hike, we chose to hike along and in the river bed.
A word of caution with this choice, as with any river hiking, beware of the wildlife (especially snakes) at this time of the year. We came across a few!
The snakes didn’t seem phased by us and we were easily able to defend ourselves (redirect them) with rocks thrown nearby when needed.
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Hiking the river bed in mid-summer is not a hard task since the water is low. However, there was always water to play in (mostly at ankle level, at times mid-calf height).
Hiking Sandals
My hiking shoes: Teva Women’s Original Universal Metallic Sandal
Read more about hiking in Teva Sandals –>
We had the river bed to ourselves for the hike but were able to hear others occasionally hiking the trail that ran beside the river.
We never felt we were too far from the hiking trail or too far off course. And, obviously, we knew the river would eventually lead us to the falls at the end.
We knew the falls would be low since the prior month’s rainfall totals had been low, but we took that chance. We were not disappointed at the end when we found enough of a waterfall to give us a great view.
A few people chose to swim in the shallow swimming hole at the bottom of the falls. Even with water levels low, kids were able to jump off the lower-level rocks and swim.
However, there wasn’t much room for more than one family with a few kids to enjoy the water.
The hike back was an easy 30-minute walk since we chose to stay on the hiking trail (versus the couple of hours it took to reach the falls by slowly exploring the riverbed).
Hiking Kings River Falls is a leisurely, enjoyable hike that is appropriate for hikers of all levels.
The drive back to the highway was odd for us since we apparently missed a turn on the dirt road and went out a different exit. But we still made it out safe and sound!
Hot tip: Be sure to let someone know your location ahead of time (I didn’t have any cell phone reception on this trail).
All the details you need to plan a stress-free hike to see the most photographed spot in Arkansas: Whitaker Point (aka Hawksbill Crag).
Comments are closed.
Looks and sounds like an amazing hike (except the snakes!). Waterfalls are so calming.
Kings River Falls sounds like a great place to explore. Awesome tip to let someone know your location since cell phone service may not work!
What a beautiful hike!
I love the waterfalls. It seems like a great place to hike.
I LOVE HIKING+WATERFALLS. Thanks for sharing this location. 😍
Love hiking + waterfalls. Thanks for sharing this location.
I adore hiking, but have an aversion to snakes. However, the photos of your hike are lovely and I might even brave the snakes to try it!
This looks like quite the hike to take. They certainly are pretty. But with my ankle issues, I would not be overly eager to take some of these trails. That snake was definitely slow!
This hike is fairly easy if you stick to the main trail. But with ankle issues, you would still have to be cautious of where you step (with the rocks)
Interesting place. Great for hiking.