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>> THE LITTLE MISSOURI FALLS
AREA AND THE WASH THAT NATIONAL
FOREST IN WEST ARKANSAS, ONE OF
MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE SPOTS I
LIKE TO KEEP COMING BACK YEAR
AFTER YEAR.
IN FACT, BACK IN THE '20s AND
EARLY '30s, THIS AREA ALMOST
BECAME A NATIONAL PARK.
IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE CALLED
WASH THAT NATIONAL PARK.
BUT THEN PRESIDENT CALVIN
COOLAGE DECIDED TO VETO THE
IDEA.
>>> ANYWAY, WE FIGURE THIS IS
THE PERFECT SPOT TO BEGIN THIS
WEEK'S SHOW.
♪♪
♪♪
QUITE SIMPLY PUT, THE LITTLE
MISSOURI FALLS AREA AND THE
OUACHITA NATIONAL FOREST IS
NATURE'S WILD COUNTRY.
CATCH IT WHEN THE WATER IS
RUNNING GOOD, AND YOU HAVE A
CASCADING PARADISE... NATURE'S
PLAYGROUND.
♪♪
IN 1985, THE ARKANSAS GENERAL
ASSEMBLY RECOGNIZED THE SCENE I
CAN BEAUTY OF THE LITTLE
MISSOURI RIVER BY PASSING
LEGISLATEV ASIAN TO INCLUDE IT
IN ARKANSAS'S NATURAL AND RIVER
SCENIC SYSTEM PRE-CIRQUESV IT
FOR YOU AND ME AND EVERYONE
ELSE TO ENJOY.
♪♪
♪♪
>> WE WERE JUST LOOKING AROUND
FOR PLACES TO GO, AND I THINK
WE WERE JUST LOOKING AT ONE OF
THOSE TOUR GUIDEBOOKS OR ONE OF
THE -- THOSE LITTLE GUIDEBOOKS
YOU GET FROM THE REST STOP AND
THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, WE JUST PRETTY MUCH HAD
DONE EVERYTHING IN OUR AREA,
SO, THAT WAS ON -- YOU KNOW,
THE CIRCUMFERENCE.
SO, WE JUST DROVE UP HERE AND
WE WERE SHOCKED.
IT WAS JUST BEAUTIFUL.
THE KIDS WENT CRAZY BECAUSE IT
WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF SUMMER.
IT WASN'T AS COLD AND IT WASN'T
AS FAST RUNNING, AND WE JUST
HUNG OUT HERE FOR HOURS.
IT WAS LIKE A WONDER LAND.
THE KIDS GOT IN THE LITTLE POOL
AND WE JUST SAT AROUND AND IT
WAS FULL OF PEOPLE.
SO -- AND WE JUST KEEP COMING
BACK BECAUSE THERE'S A LONG
TRAIL HERE, TOO, AND YOU CAN GO
ON AND ON AND ON.
IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE HERE
WITH A BUNCH OF PEOPLE YOU CAN
GO WAY DOWN THERE AND THERE ARE
SMALLER LITTLE RAPIDS DOWN
THERE.
YOU JUST PACK YOURSELF A LITTLE
BAG AND SOME WATER AND YOU CAN
KEEP WALKING PROBABLY FOR ABOUT
30, 40 MINUTES.
BUT WE HAVEN'T FIGURED A WAY TO
COME BACK AROUND -- YOU HAVE TO
WALK BACK THE SAME WAY AS FAR
AS I KNOW.
WARNING.
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♪♪
>> YES, IF YOU DO ENJOY A
LITTLE ELBOW ROOM WITH YOUR
WATER PLAY, THEN THE LITTLE
MISSOURI FALLS AREA SHOULD BE
ON YOUR DESTINATION LIST.
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♪♪
>> IN THE SUMMER, THOUGH,
PEOPLE THAT LIVE AROUND HERE
KNOW ABOUT IT.
THEY DO.
AND IT'S ALL ARKANSANS PRETTY
MUCH THAT LIVE IN THE AREA AND
THEY HANG OUT UP HERE AND HAVE
A GOOD TIME.
LOTS OF KIDS, LOTS OF KIDS,
WHICH IS WHAT WE ARE ALSO INTO
WITH THE FOUR OF THEM.
SO, IT'S BEAUTIFUL, THOUGH.
VERY PEACEFUL.
PEOPLE JUMP OFF HERE WHEN IT
DOESN'T GO SO FAST.
AND THERE ARE ACTUALLY -- I'M
NOT SURE IF IT'S BACK THIS WAY,
BUT IT'S IN THE PARK.
THERE ARE STILL POOLS THAT ARE
VERY DEEP AND PEOPLE WILL TROUT
FISH THEM WHEN IT'S COLDER, BUT
THEY'RE GOOD SWIMMING HOLES.
THEY'RE DEEP, DEEP BLUE
SWIMMING HOLES RIGHT CLOSE TO
HERE.
SO, WE TRIED THOSE OUT, TOO.
>> HEY, YOU NEED TO WORK FOR
PARKS AND TOURISM.
>> I DO NEED TO.
I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT IT.
YOU GET SO HAPPY WHEN YOU COME
OUT HERE.
I'VE NEVER BEEN DISAPPOINTED.
PUT IT LIKE THAT.
YOU NEVER COME OUT AND HAVE A
BAD DAY.
NEVER COME OUT AND HAVE BAD
WEATHER OR BAD PEOPLE, LIKE
RUDE PEOPLE OR CRAZY PEOPLE OR
NOTHING.
AND IT'S ALWAYS CLEAN,
BASICALLY PRETTY PICKED UP AND
CLEAN.
PEOPLE CARE ABOUT IT.
BUT I LOVE IT.
WE JUST LOVE IT.
WE USUALLY COME IN THE SUMMER.
I THINK THIS IS THE EARLIEST
IT'S BEEN IN THE YEAR, BUT IT'S
BEAUTIFUL LIKE THIS, TOO.
SO, WE'RE COMING -- WORTH
COMING ANY TIME OF YEAR, I
THINK.
♪♪
♪♪
>> A LITTLE OVER TWO MILES UP
FROM LITTLE MISSOURI FALLS
FOLLOWING CROOKED CREEK, ALONG
FOREST SERVICE ROAD 43, YOU'LL
COME UPON THIS SITE, CROOKED
CREEK FALLS.
WHEN LEAVING LITTLE MISSOURI
FALLS, JUST FOLLOW FOREST ROAD
25 FOR .7 MILES TO FOREST ROAD
43.
THEN GO 1.4 MILES AND CROOKED
CREEK FALLS WILL BE DOWN OFF TO
YOUR RIGHT, AND THERE IS A
SMALL PARKING AREA.
CROOKED CREEK IS NOT THAT TALL
OF A WATER FALL.
ONLY 16 FEET OR SO.
BUT IT DOES LOOK TALLER THAN
THAT.
AND WHEN THE WATER IS RUNNING
PERFECT, IT'S EVEN MORE
IMPRESSIVE.
♪♪
♪♪
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SO, THERE YOU GO.
TWO MAGNIFICENT FALLS WITHIN A
COUPLE OR SO MILES OF EACH
OTHER, LOCATED IN ONE OF THE
MOST SCENIC AREAS OF THE
NATURAL STATE.
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THE LORANCE CREEK NATURAL AREA
ABOUT 10 MILES OR SO SOUTH OF
LITTLE RACK IS ONE OF THOSE
PROTECTED AREAS UNDER THE
ARKANSAS NATIONAL HERITAGE
COMMISSION.
AND LIKE MANY OF THE OTHER
AREAS IT HAS A RICH DIVERSITY
IN PLANT AND ANIMAL SPECIES
SUCH AS THE BIRD-VOICED TREE
FROG.
AND ON A SOMEWHAT RAINY DAY
LIKE TODAY, WE MAY BE ABLE TO
PICK UP THEIR CALL IF WE'RE
LUCKY.
♪♪
♪♪
AND LUCKY WE DID GET, AFTER
WALKING ON THE TRAIL JUST A FEW
HUNDRED FEET, WE BEGAN HEARING
THAT FAMILIAR SOUND OF THE
BIRD-VOICED TREE FROG.
THE PATH THAT LEADS INTO THE
LORANCE CREEK NATURAL AREA
BEGINS WITH THE PAVED FOOT
TRAIL AND THEN EVENTUALLY TURNS
INTO A BOARDWALK THAT WILL LEAD
YOU THROUGH THE SWAMP THAT IS
ON BOTH SIDES OF LORANCE CREEK.
ENTIRE DISTANCE IS ONLY A
QUARTER OF A MILE.
HALF A MILE ROUND TRIP.
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INTERPRETIVE PANELS ALONG THE
WAY ENLIGHTEN VISITORS ON THE
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION ASPECTS
OF THIS NATURAL AREA.
THE LORANCE CREEK NATURAL AREA
WAS DESIGNATED AS SUCH DUE TO
THE FACT THAT THIS AREA OCCURS
AT THE TRANSITION WITH THE
COASTAL PLAIN TO THE
MISSISSIPPI ALLUVIAL PLAIN.
ALSO THIS NEARLY 300 ACRES IS A
DIVERSE MOSAIC OF OPEN WATER,
CYPRESS TUPELO GUM, BLACK GUM
AND BEAVER PALM ALL OF WHICH
ARE INTERCONNECTED BY A COMPLEX
NETWORK OF SMALL STREAMS AND
SEEPS SUPPORTING A RICH AQUATIC
FLORA.
ALL IN ALL, A VISIT TO THE
LORANCE CREEK NATURAL AREA IS
JUST A REALLY NEAT EXPERIENCE
OF VISITING A DEEP SWAMP
WITHOUT THE DRUDGERY OF HAVING
TO GO THROUGH THE GUNK.
EXPLORE IT FOR YOURSELF.
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FROM A SWAMP NATURAL AREA TO A
TALL GRASS, PRAIRIE NATURAL
AREA, THIS IS WHAT MUCH OF
EASTERN ARKANSAS LOOKED LIKE
BEFORE BEING PLOWED UP FOR
AGRICULTURE.
AS A VAST, TALL GRASS PRAIRIE
LAND.
WE'RE AT THE ROTH PRAIRIE
NATURAL AREA JUST SOUTH OF
STUTTGART.
THE ROTH PRAIRIE NATURAL AREA
REPRESENTS ONE OF THE LAST FEW
FRAGMENTS OF TALL GRASS PRAIRIE
LEFT IN THE GRAND PRAIRIE OF
EASTERN ARKANSAS.
IT'S ESTIMATED THAT BEFORE
BEING SETTLED, THE GRAND
PRAIRIE WAS COVERED WITH ABOUT
320,000 ACRES OF PRAIRIE LAND.
TODAY, LESS THAN 1% OF THAT
ORIGINAL PRAIRIE REMAINS.
THE 41-ACRE ROTH PRAIRIE
NATURAL AREA WAS FORMERLY
MANAGED FOR HAY PRODUCTION.
IT WAS ADDED AS A NATURAL AREA
1976 BY THE ARKANSAS NATURAL
HERITAGE COMMISSION.
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WHAT IS SO INTERESTING AND
UNIQUE ABOUT ROTH PRAIRIE ARE
THE SO-CALLED PRAIRIE MOUNDS,
SOME UP TO THREE FEET TALL.
THEY'RE NOT ACTUAL MOUNDS OF
SOIL, BUT THE PARTICULAR TALL
GRASSES THAT HAVE GROWN INTO
THE SHAPE OF MOUNDS.
AND THESE ARE GENERALLY
CONSIDERED TO BE AN INDICATION
THAT THE PRAIRIE HAS NEVER BEEN
PLOWED OR LEVELED.
OF COURSE, AN AREA SUCH AS THIS
IS CHOCKFUL OF WILD FLOWERS AND
WILDLIFE.
YOU'LL FIND PLENTY OF
RED-WINGED BLACK BIRDS ALL OVER
THIS PRAIRIE.
ALONG WITH LOTS OF SONG BIRDS.
SO, MAKE THE DRIVE TO THE ROTH
PRAIRIE NATURAL AREA JUST SOUTH
OF STUTTGART AND TREAT YOURSELF
TO WHAT THE GRAND PRAIRIE
LOOKED LIKE AND SOUNDED LIKE
BACK IN THE DAY.
♪♪
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CEDAR FALLS AT THE STATE PARK,
ARKANSAS'S FLAGSHIP STATE PARK,
AND USUALLY IT'S CONTINUOUSLY
FLOWING THE ENTIRE YEAR.
AND DEPENDING UPON THE
RAINFALL, IT CAN BE QUITE
AWESOME.
SO, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE YOU
ALONG WITH US TODAY AND LISTEN
TO THE STORY OF OTHER HIKERS
WHO FREQUENT THIS STATE PARK.
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♪♪
SINCE THE DIFFICULTY OF THIS
TRAIL IS RIGHT AT MODERATE TO
STRENUOUS, IT IS RECOMMENDED
THAT ONLY THOSE IN GOOD SHAPE
SHOULD ATTEMPT THIS HIKE.
IT'S ALSO RECOMMENDED TO WEAR
SHOES OR BOOTS THAT PROVIDE
DECENT ANKLE SUPPORT AND A FIRM
GRIP.
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO ACCOMPLISH
THIS HIKE WITH FLIP-FLOPS.
YOU'LL NOT ONLY BLOW THEM OUT,
BUT YOUR FEET AS WELL.
THE FIRST HALF MILE OF THE HIKE
DESCENDS MORE THAN 200 FEET
DOWN INTO CEDAR CREEK CANYON BY
WAY OF STEPS CUT FROM ROCKS BY
THE CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORE
MORE THAN 60 YEARS AGO.
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♪♪
>> WELL, AS WE WERE COMING
DOWN, WE WERE LOOKING AT THE --
FIRST OF ALL, THE WEATHER.
THE TEMPERATURE IS JUST RIGHT.
IT'S NOT TOO COOL.
AND I WAS TELLING MY WIFE ABOUT
HOW GREEN EVERYTHING IS.
WITH ALL THE RAIN AND IT'S
SPRINGTIME, SO, THAT WAS ALL
BEAUTIFUL.
AND THEN WE'VE GOT ALL THIS
WATER FROM THE RAIN.
SO, WE'RE GETTING ALL THE WAY
DOWN WE'RE GETTING THESE LITTLE
WATER FALLS AND THE SOUNDS OF
THE WATER AND THE BIRDS.
AND THE WATER FALL IS
INCREDIBLE.
SOME PEOPLE ARE SAYING IT'S THE
LARGEST THEY'VE SEEN IT AS FAR
AS THE FLOW.
SO, THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE IS
GREAT, LIKE PERFECT TO ME.
>> AFTER THE TRAIL GETS DOWN TO
CEDAR CREEK LEVEL, YOU'LL THEN
CROSS THE CREEK BY WAY OF A
FOOT BRIDGE.
THE TRAIL WILL THEN FOLLOW
ALONG SCENIC CEDAR CREEK FOR
THE REST OF THE HIKE.
HALF THE FUN OF ENJOYING THE
TRAIL IS SEEING THE SURROUNDING
ALL THE WAY.
HUGE BOULDERS ALONG THE WAY AND
ROCK FORMATIONS.
WITH THE CEDAR FALLS TRAIL
BEING LOCATED IN ONE OF
ARKANSAS'S MOST POPULAR STATE
PARKS, IT'S NO WONDER THAT
APPROXIMATELY 300,000 PEOPLE
TAKE THIS HIKE EVERY YEAR, WITH
A GOOD MAJORITY OF THEM BEING
FROM OUT OF STATE.
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>> I MOVED DOWN HERE THREE
WEEKS AGO FROM MINNESOTA.
AND RIGHT AWAY I SPENT THOSE
THREE WEEKS GOING TO AS MANY
STATE PARKS AS I COULD.
I VISITED MOUNT NEBO, MOUNT
MAGAZINE.
I'VE BEEN HERE A FEW WEEKS AGO
AND I ONLY DID THE WATER FALL
HIKE.
AND NOW THAT MY DAD IS DOWN FOR
A VISIT, WE'VE EXPLORED MORE OF
THE TRAILS AND THIS IS JUST
GORGEOUS.
I'VE BEEN UP TO GREER'S FERRY.
I'M DEFINITELY GOING TO GO
THERE AGAIN.
THAT'S VERY, VERY PRETTY.
YEAH, IT'S A LOT DIFFERENT THAN
MINNESOTA.
THE WEATHER IS A LOT NICER.
I LEFT WITH SNOW ON THE GROUND
AND THERE'S NONE OF THAT HERE.
>> YEAH, AND I CERTAINLY LIKE
THE WAY THEY HAVE LEFT IT
REALLY NATURAL AND ALLOWED THE
PUBLIC TO COME IN HERE FREE OF
CHARGE AND ACTUALLY HIKE AROUND
AND EXPLORE AREAS, AND LETS YOU
REALLY GET OUT AND LOOK AT
THINGS REAL CLOSE UP.
>> WE'VE BEEN OUT AT BEAR CAVE
AND ROCK CAVE AND SEVEN HOLLOW
TRAIL.
TODAY, THE LAST DAY BEFORE WE
HEAD BACK TO MILWAUKEE
TOMORROW, WE FIGURED WE'D DO
THE LONG HIKE DOWN THE HILL AND
BACK UP AGAIN TO THE WATER
FALL.
>> AND WHAT DO YOU THINK OF
THAT WATER FALL TODAY?
>> BEAUTIFUL WATER FALL TODAY.
WE WERE OUT HERE THREE YEARS
AGO AND THE WATER WASN'T QUITE
AS FULL AS IT IS NOW.
IT'S JUST GORGEOUS, ABSOLUTELY
GORGEOUS TODAY.
>> HAVING SOME FUN EXPLORING
THE NATURAL.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
OF ALL THE STATES I'VE BEEN IN,
THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE
PRETTIER PARKS I'VE BEEN IN.
GORGEOUS OUT HERE.
>> AND GORGEOUS OUT HERE IT IS.
YOU CAN TAKE THIS HIKE TIME AND
TIME AGAIN AND EACH OUTING WILL
BE A DIFFERENT ADVENTURE.
MANY OF THE GEOLOGICAL
FORMATIONS AND SCENIC BEAUTY
ARE PRESERVED ALMOST AS FRENCH
EXPLORERS FOUND THEM MORE THAN
300 YEARS AGO.
AFTER ABOUT ONE HOUR'S WORTH OF
HIKING YOU'LL REACH YOUR WELL
DESERVED REWARD.
ONE OF THE NATURAL STATE'S MOST
SPECTACULAR SIGHTS, CEDAR FALLS.
>> THEY'RE AWESOME.
THEY JUST COME DOWN.
IT'S LIKE, WOW, YEAH.
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>> AFTER SPENDING SOME TIME
HERE AND TAKING IT ALL IN, YOU
CAN EASILY UNDERSTAND WHY THIS
AREA WAS ADDED TO THE REGISTER
OF ARKANSAS NATURAL AREAS IN
1977.
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>> MY WIFE AND I HAVE BEEN
COMING TO THE STATE PARK HERE
FOR YEARS.
SO, THIS IS LIKE THE THIRD TIME
WE'VE BEEN HERE THIS YEAR.
WE CAME BECAUSE OF ALL THE
RAIN, THE WATER FALLS JUST
POURING.
THE CREEKS ARE BEAUTIFUL HERE.
THE ONE THAT FEEDS THE WATER
FALL BACK HERE IS BEAUTIFUL
RIGHT NOW, JUST ROARING DOWN
THE HOLLOW.
IT'S JUST ONE OF -- PROBABLY
ONE OF THE PRETTIEST SPOTS IN
THE STATE, PROBABLY ONE OF THE
EASIEST TO GET TO.
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>> ONE WORD OF ADVICE... PACE
YOURSELF ON THE RETURN HIKE
BECAUSE THE LAST QUARTER OF A
MILE OR SO BACK UP THE CANYON
IS DEFINITELY A DOOZIE.
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>> SO, EXPERIENCE AND EXPLORE
FOR YOURSELF ARKANSAS'S
PREMIERE WATER FALLS, CEDAR
FALLS HERE.
FOR MORE ON THIS DESTINATION
PLUS MANY OF OUR OTHERS OR
ORDER A COPY OF OUR EPISODE, GO
TO OUR WEBSITE,
AETN.ORG/EXPLORING ARKANSAS.
WE'LL SEE YOU ANOTHER TIME FOR
AN EXCITING ADVENTURE ON
EXPLORING ARKANSAS.
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