Hiking the Big Bluff Goat Trail from the Centerpoint Trailhead is about a 6 mile hike. You can find more info about where dogs are allowed at the Buffalo National River here. Its nice to look at, but dont try to walk across it. Great hiking. Once you hit this spot, youre SO close to Big Bluff! These trees growing along the bluff are junipers and some of them have been dated back to over 800 years! We were there in the fall and the river was almost dry. It is best to get here around sunrise or close to sunset to have the best chance to see some elk. Never been to Arkansas but would love to visit this trail. From the very start of the Goat Bluff section though had AMAZING views and was so much fun. Check out our other articles related to hiking and camping in Arkansas: Feel free to leave us a comment below if you have any questions. The Centerpoint to Goat Trail is one of the most popular trails in Buffalo National River. But the best part is that its all located on a great property with a store for your adventure needs and access to tons of activities, like kayaking, ziplining, mountain biking, and close proximity to hikes! Hotels near Fort Smith Municipal Airport (FSM), Motels near Fort Smith Municipal Airport (FSM), Things to do near Big Bluff & The Goat Trail, Wilderness Rider Buffalo Ranch & Adventure Park, Budapest Small-Group Day Trip from Vienna, Half Day Zanzibar Mnemba Atoll Marine Reserve Snorkeling Tour, Small-Group Dallas and Fort Worth City Sightseeing Tour, Venice City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Tour, 3 Days Desert Tour from Fes to Marrakech via Merzouga, Make Your Own Pizza in Rome - Pizza Making with a local Chef, Amber Cove & Taino Bay Shore Excursion, Private Charter on Blue Sky Catamaran, *NEW* BUFFALO RIVER VALLEY VIEWS-5MIN FROM PONCA! 4699 AR 43 Hwy All Rights Reserved. There are no permits required or day-use fees. This trail is quickly becoming one of the most popular in the state, & for good reason. Stay warm up there! There are already a lot of great resources out there to help provide you with . Come along with us as we start at the Buffalo Outdoor Center Cabins, wake up early to take on the Center Point Trial to the Goat Trail eventually reaching the site of interest, Big Bluff, and give you our takeaways from the hike.What is the most sketchy hike you have ever done? SUBSCRIBE TO NOMADIC WEEKENDERS ON YOUTUBE https://www.youtube.com/c/NomadicWeekenders?sub_confirmation=1Shoot location listed below: Buffalo National River, Arkansas, USA Ozark National Forest, Arkansas, USA Center Point Trail, Arkansas, USA Goat Trail, Arkansas, USA Big Bluff, Arkansas, USAEquipment and software used to make this video listed below: DJI Mavic Air Canon Rebel T6i iPhone XS GoPro Hero 7 Black Adobe Premiere Pro CC 2017Get to know the Nomadic Weekenders:Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nomadicweekenders/ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NomadWeekenders Like our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/NomadicWeekenders/ Check out our blog: https://www.nomadicweekenders.com/ After about 10 minutes or so, youll reach a cool rocky outcropping that has a hole in it. Although there are several ways to . Be sure to continue on past the rock formation with the eyehole to access the Goat Trail. ALLTRAILS and the AllTrails Mountain Design are registered trademarks of AllTrails, LLC in the United States as well as certain other jurisdictions. Small gravel parking lot. Like 900 ft. Go down the goat trail to enjoo ok y one of the best views in the Ozarks. Finally I found two people who were riding a horse and were heading towards the place and I followed them. Goat Trail to Big Bluff Trail Stats The Goat Trail to Big Bluff is 5.9 miles roundtrip and has an elevation change of 1,076 feet. the hike in is nothing spectacular but man the destination cant be beat! Its also home to waterfalls, rocky hikes, mountain views, valleys, the states only herd of elk, and so much more! Its truly something to marvel at. Four months ago, Eric and I took a weekend trip to Eureka Springs, Arkansas for one last hurrah just before his knee surgery. We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location. Overall a great trail despite the death of the last huge incline going out. We camped at the base of the Hemmed in Hollow trail, by the river. It takes 4 to 5 hours to complete the round-trip hike, most of which is along the Centerpoint Trail, the trailhead for which is located 3 miles north of Ponca on Hwy 43. Its very steep, and very dangerous. Techno-Tainment Combo in Branson, Dublin's Irish Tenors and The Celtic Ladies, Great Woodsman Zipline Canopy Tour Branson. Service animals permitted. The payoff is the bluffs, which are beautiful. And for goodness sake, please dont drink and boat. Id love to visit this place twice so itll be hard to choose even when to go once. On paper it might seem that way, but in action it's just a gorgeous adventure you have to be a bit more careful at parts. Luckily, we started early, but definitely be cautious of the heat + humidity that hits the Ozarks in the summer. Wow! : Jake Thomas Gardipee, 5 The ledge at the end is wide enough for two people to walk side by side without being too close to the edge. From the trailhead 3 miles north of Ponca, AR, it's about a 6 mile hike and about 900 feet down to the Goat Trail and is one of Arkansas' must see locations.. We wanted to share a few things to consider before your trekking journey to stay safe. The campground does not have showers. Our response to COVID-19: Our team is committed to providing a safe and memorable experience for guests and staff. This is not a place for folks with vertigo or a dislike of heights. When researching this hike we saw this hike called a variety of names. The best reason for going in the spring, though, is the sheer beauty of springtime in the Ozarks. As of last count, Beaver Lake had claimed 120 lives. Super tight view all the same. Looking for a good home base to explore the Buffalo National River and hike the Goat Trail to Big Bluff? As long as youre cautious, youll be totally fine! On a journey to Alaska in @brisketthevan It can be easy to miss. highly encourage everyone to see this. My papa bear on the trail to the right, and Matt is barely visible to the right. Wed suggest starting the hike early so you can enjoy the bluff without a lot of people, which will make it feel safer and more enjoyable.Although, we will agree, if you do not like heights, you may not love Big Bluff. Some scrambling might be required, depending on how far across the bluffs you want to go. Taking in a panoramic view while gettingsome shade! Trail maps say big bluff is just .8 miles long before it abruptly ends, but this is far from the truth. Follow along on her adventures - big and small - across this beautiful world. And the highlight of our time there was hiking the Goat Trail to Big Bluff (watch our experience)! Consequently, plan extra time on the hike out as it's all uphill. Just dont fall off. We absolutely loved it! Although you are way above the river on the bluffs, I felt like the bluffs were wide enough to feel safe and it was not slippery at all. A rugged, strenuous hike through the Ponca Wilderness to one of Buffalo National River's most expansive vistas. Looks like such a lovely hike!! Sharing our experiences in the wilderness and what we learn along the way. The hike from Centerpoint Trailhead to Big Bluff is approximately 6 miles round-trip. Thankfully, between working on an eastern time schedule and both of us being fairly fast hikers, we've been able to get in some solid trail time after work. The hike down to Big Bluff is relatively easy, though rocky. If you stay the night, be very careful when moving along . Super safe trail until after you get past the eye and then it starts to feel a bit sketchy but worth it. I searched the Big Bluff Goat Trail in Google and it took me to a place where many people were bathing in the river but zero signs of a hike. Thanks for sharing. It sure looks like it was worth it for those stunning views though. Since this is a little over 6-mile hike, that makes it a more pleasant experience. Parking lot is at a crossroads and the trail is clearly marked. For our first trip to Northwest Arkansas, we only had the opportunity to hike one trail. Although there is a perspective from the far eastern side of the Goat Trail (behind where the hiker in the photograph is walking) that is better suited for morning photography as its a west-facing shot. We hope yall have a blast! Dogs are not allowed on the Goat Trail to Big Bluff, as well as on many of the trails nearby. The Buffalo National River and Ozark Mountains are incredibly scenic and reminded us a bit of driving around West Virginia. You can see a list of the sites, as well as their season dates, amenities, and other details here! The trailhead is located on the right at 3.5 miles. 6.5 miles sounds like the perfect distance for a day trip , Had no idea you could see such beauty in Arkansas. It is important to note that Goat Trail is not a place for those afraid of heights. The Goat Trail is the narrow ledge trail that spurs off of the Centerpoint Trail and takes you out onto Big Bluff. It is considered the tallest along the Buffalo at over 500 ft. tall. We live in Tulsa and cant wait to check it out. The payout at the end of the strenuous hike is a wide open view of the Buffalo National River, plus a geological wonder. Found out about this hike while doing my research for our trip to the Buffalo National River area. I would love to get to Arkansas . Thats not a joke. Required fields are marked *. Then the trail dips down for the next 1.5 miles or so and then comes back up. On the way back, the hike is all uphill, which makes it a bit harder, but minus a couple pretty steep sections, which had us huffing and puffing a bit, its not too difficult. Keep your footing. Each is a beautiful and unique experience. The hardest part of the trail looks like an old gravel bed with a lot of loose rocks. This allows us to continue publishing free travel and gear guides. Buffalo Outdoor Center is literally right across the highway. Ponca, AR 72670, 1 (870) 861-5514 You could likely squeeze through this hole, but wed suggest going down below it on the more traditional trail to get around it. Theres another small section though the trees and then you start to notice the trees to your right start to thin out and on your right, you start to see a bluff rise above you and then it opens up. Were Adam, Kathryn, and Kona, an adventurous married couple (+ pup!) Thats the downside of being from a tropical country haha.. never getting to see changes of season at home. forms: { It is open year-round. The Goat Trail to Big Bluff is 5.9 miles roundtrip and has an elevation change of 1,076 feet. Same song, different spillway. hike out is a bit steep in places. If you turn right, youll see a sign on a tree that simply says Goat Trail and you follow it to Big Bluff. It is also not a place for older kids or adults, for that matter, with a penchant for risk taking or horseplay. This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher. After getting b, Our beautiful home in Mrida! When you look out, you can see the gorgeous Ozark Mountains and then further down to the Buffalo River and this is the spot where it makes a perfect horseshoe bend. All Rights Reserved. Unfortunately, after checking the radar, it seemed the storm would be raging for a while once it started, so we and the others started to high-tail it out of there. There are about 800 Rocky Mountain elk, which were brought to the area to replace the Eastern elk that had gone extinct. There's a spur off the Centerpoint Trail called Goat Trail, which leads to Big Bluff, a bluff over 500 ft tall and considered the tallest bluff along the Buffalo River. Only reason for the 4 stars is the return was all uphill the whole way and that snow and ice on the trail was much more an issue. Located just 6 minutes from the trailhead, JB Trading Co is a great spot to call home in the Buffalo National River. To get to the Goat Trail, start the hike from Centerpoint Trailhead. Loved the hike back up. Attractions & Museums from $12.77 per adult WhoDunnit Hoedown: Murder Mystery Dinner Show in Branson 112 Dinner and Show Tickets from $50.19 per adult The area Hwy 43 Firetower Road junction Buffalo National River, Compton, AR 72624 Full view Best nearby Attractions 6 within 6 miles Buffalo National River Park 292 1.5 miNational Parks