Waterfalls in Arkansas: 10 falls worth the trip

Cedar Falls

A 95-foot waterfall at the end of a roughly 2-mile round-trip trail from Mather Lodge, descending steeply into Cedar Creek Canyon past sandstone overhangs and boulders. Like every Arkansas state park, Petit Jean charges no day-use fee; camping and lodge stays cost separately. The trail is rated moderate, and the descent means the return climb is the harder half of the hike.

Hemmed-in-Hollow Falls

At 209 feet, this is the tallest waterfall between the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachians, dropping into a hollow enclosed on three sides by 200-foot bluffs. The Compton and Centerpoint trailheads off Highway 43 both reach it, a roughly 3-mile hike one way with about 1,400 feet of elevation change, and it only runs full after a good stretch of rain (National Park Service, hike to Hemmed-in-Hollow). No fee to enter the Buffalo National River. Hemmed-in-Hollow has the most search-and-rescue calls of any single location in the park, per NPS's own preventative safety guidance, so treat the steep, rocky descent seriously even before you reach the falls. Full details are on the dedicated Hemmed-in-Hollow Falls page.

Eden Falls (Lost Valley)

A 53-foot falls at the end of the Lost Valley Trail, an easy-to-moderate 2.3-mile round trip past a natural bridge and a 200-foot bluff shelter called Cob Cave. Beyond the falls, Eden Falls Cave lets visitors crawl about 200 feet into an underground room with its own waterfall, a wild cave with no lights or pathways, not something to attempt without multiple light sources (National Park Service, hike the Lost Valley Trail). No fee. Lost Valley is one of the park's most frequent search-and-rescue locations too, mostly slips on wet rock rather than anything more serious. Full details are on the dedicated Eden Falls page.

Glory Hole Falls

Water drops through a round hole worn in a rock ledge rather than over a straight edge, the source of the name. The roughly 2-mile round-trip trail northeast of Fallsville is all downhill on the way in, with no official trailhead or parking area, just an informal pulloff on AR-16/21. There's no fee, and the falls show best after rain or during spring and late fall when flow is reliable. More on the dedicated Glory Hole Falls page.

Twin Falls of Richland Creek

A pair of falls reached from the Richland Creek Recreation Area campground inside the Richland Creek Wilderness, alongside the smaller Richland Falls on the same stretch of trail. This is a wet-weather system: flow depends heavily on recent rain, and the unpaved forest road to the trailhead has washed out and closed in the past after landslides. Free, primitive wilderness access with no facilities beyond the campground.

Falling Water Falls

A 10-foot drop on Falling Water Creek, visible directly from Forest Road 1205 near Ben Hur, with a swimmable pool at the base that's popular with families in summer. No hiking required to see it, and no charge: it's part of the free Falling Water Falls day-use area in the Ozark National Forest. Full details are on the dedicated Falling Water Falls page.

Haw Creek Falls

A modest falls next to the free, 9-site Haw Creek Falls Campground, reachable on a short walk from the campsites. Camping and day use are both free here, with vault toilets and pack-in, pack-out policy, no potable water on site (Ozark-St. Francis National Forests, 2026 recreation fee schedule). First-come, first-served, no reservations. More on the dedicated Haw Creek Falls page.

Natural Dam Falls

Almost 200 feet wide, spanning the entire width of Mountain Fork Creek, and despite the name it's a natural rock formation, not a built dam. You can park beside it and walk a few feet to the water, no trail at all, making it one of the most accessible falls on this list. Free, day use only, and the site closes at dark with no camping allowed. Full details are on the dedicated Natural Dam Falls page.

Kings River Falls

An easy 1.8-mile round-trip, blue-blazed trail through the Kings River Falls Natural Area, managed by the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission to protect the surrounding forest and river corridor. Free to visit, well-marked and generally easy to follow, which makes it one of the more family-friendly hikes on this list. More on the dedicated Kings River Falls page.

High Bank Twin Falls

Two side-by-side falls, each about 70 feet, dropping into a shared canyon pool near the High Bank Canoe Access on Highway 215, in the Mulberry River corridor of the Ozark National Forest. The trail is a short 0.5-mile round trip, but the creek runs low in summer, so a rainy fall or spring visit gives the better show. No fee.

This guide was compiled from public land-manager sources (Arkansas State Parks, the U.S. Forest Service for the Ozark National Forest, the National Park Service for Buffalo National River, and the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission), federal datasets (USGS GNIS) and published trail reports. We haven't visited these sites ourselves. Fees, access rules and conditions change, and several falls on this list depend on recent rainfall to run at all; every listing links to its primary source, last checked August 2026. Verify with the land manager before you go.