Cove Creek From Tom Thumb To Long Pool
At The Ford Below Tom Thumb Cemetery
It was a beautiful winter day, sun shining, a few wispy clouds in the sky, and warm. I wanted to get out and exercise my knee a bit and thought a hike along Cove Creek to Long Pool would be a pleasant afternoon.
On a whim we turned down the road to the old Tom Thumb Cemetery. I had not been up this way in quite a few years. In the old days we used to be able to park at the cemetery and walk to Fitton Cave, located in the Buffalo River National Park, on an old county road that ran through the property up there. When the hippies bought the Tom Thumb Spring property in the late 70's they tried to close that road, but the locals forced them to keep it open. Once the local folks owned that property, they closed the road to public access with no problem whatsoever. Quite a double standard.
On a whim we turned down the road to the old Tom Thumb Cemetery. I had not been up this way in quite a few years. In the old days we used to be able to park at the cemetery and walk to Fitton Cave, located in the Buffalo River National Park, on an old county road that ran through the property up there. When the hippies bought the Tom Thumb Spring property in the late 70's they tried to close that road, but the locals forced them to keep it open. Once the local folks owned that property, they closed the road to public access with no problem whatsoever. Quite a double standard.
Tom Thumb Cemetery sits just below Newberry Point. It is an old cemetery but has been well looked after, at first by the land owners and then later on by the cemetery association to whom they gifted the property. The oldest gravestone that we could still read was buried in 1873 almost 150 years ago. When I see old graves I often try and imagine what they saw when they were alive and here in the mountains. The first growth trees, unspoiled rivers, wild game. No roads. No Walmart!
After leaving the cemetery we drove back down the road, crossing the creek at the ford and then back up the road on the next mountainside over. Cove Creek is fed by many springs, some quite large, so the water is always moving, if only a little bit.
Years ago we used to be able to drive to Long Pool and camp there. It is a beautiful spot with a very nice swimming hole. If my memory serves correct then the vehicle access was closed in the early 90's. We parked and slipped into the field and then over to the creek. Most of the time we try and walk as close to the water as possible. When it got a bit thick we went back up into the field and continued on, following the creek till we got to Long Pool. In the field we could see where wild hogs had rooted around and we saw a elk skull.
Once we finished soaking up the scenery and reminiscing about good times long past..we walked back to the truck through the field and we got another great view of Newberry Point as a final gift from Mother Nature. The Ozark Mountains of Northwest Arkansas provides an endless variety of beautiful places to visit. Some you you can drive to, some you have to walk to get there. But even for an old gimp like myself, it sure is a lot of fun!