A Week Of Full Color
Fall Colors In The Ozark Mountains
It was the last day of October and the weather forecast was for warm and sunny weather. We were expecting the fall colors to peak sometime in the following week or so. I called up my friend Bill and we decided to try and to capture the display. We headed out with no clear plan except to try and stay off the pavement. We knew it would be a good day when we saw the color along the road and across the fields, along with the sun shining. The temperature was in the mid 70's and it was shorts and a t-shirt weather.
A Sunny Day In Reflection
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As we made our way down the dirt roads that lead to the back entrance to the park, we continually stopped to take pictures of various familiar reference points and were constantly impressed with the amount of color change that had taken place in one week. As the road snaked around various familiar landmarks and finally Newberry Point, we entered the park by the north entrance. Once inside the park we stopped at the Cove Creek slab. The water was not rushing but it was moving. I wandered up and down the creek while Bill investigated the surrounding trees. What a splendid show of colors it was! Once done we stopped by a field where we sometimes see deer and then pulled into the Fitton Cave Caver's Camp.
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Nature's Stained Glass
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One of the really neat things about driving around on the dirt roads and in the park, is that for the most part, you can just pull over, get out of your vehicle and start walking or taking pictures or just admiring. No fees, just common sense rules to follow. Of course we like to do this when we are out and about. It's one of the undocumented features of exploring the Ozarks!
One Lane Road To Beauty
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We motored down the one lane road and stopped by an old access that was blocked by large rocks. This was the old road down to Seven Springs. I walked a short distance down the old road while Bill grabbed some pictures of the very vibrant trees. We then drove down to Cove Spring. This is one of my favorite spots on the Buffalo River. I have been coming here for 30 years and I have seen many changes. In the early years it was a hidden gem, needing a four wheel vehicle to get there. It was a pristine swimming hole but could never accommodate a large crowd of people. With the advent of GPS books about waterfalls and hikes and viewpoints these small areas have been overrun and are now just a shell of what they once were.
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Cove Spring
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Once we had finished visiting Cove Spring we decided we should probably head back to town. There were several options on how to go back and once we left the part we took an obscure dirt road back to the highway and Harrison.
The Ozark Mountains of Northwest Arkansas display a stunning and vibrant show of colors in the fall. This year was very nice and quite a bit better than the previous few years. Make plans now to come next year and see the show.
The Ozark Mountains of Northwest Arkansas display a stunning and vibrant show of colors in the fall. This year was very nice and quite a bit better than the previous few years. Make plans now to come next year and see the show.