Waterfalls in Arkansas

Overview of waterfalls in Arkansas

Hemmed-in Hollow Falls on the Buffalo National River is the tallest we cover. The NPS says it "cascades nearly 210 feet" and flows only after considerable rain.

Cedar Falls is a 90-foot falls in Petit Jean State Park near Morrilton, on a 2-mile round-trip trail from Mather Lodge. Glory Hole Falls in Ozark National Forest pours through a hole in the roof of a bluff shelter. Little Missouri Falls has a no-fee picnic area and overlook trail in the Ouachita National Forest, north of Langley. Near Hot Springs, the seasonal Falls Creek Falls sits on the Falls Branch Trail at Lake Catherine State Park.

Up gravel Forest Service Road 1205 near Ben Hur, Falling Water Falls can be viewed from the road. Twin Falls lies beyond it in the Richland Creek Wilderness, with no developed trail.

All seven were open, as far as we can tell, from our checks of Nov 8 to Nov 13, 2026. Rain matters most at Hemmed-in Hollow and the Glory Hole, so read the flow notes below before you drive. For a city view, see waterfalls near Hot Springs.

Arkansas waterfalls at a glance

Heights and trails come from each falls page and its official source.

Hemmed-in Hollow Falls (Buffalo National River)

Hemmed-in Hollow Falls is in the Ponca Wilderness of the Buffalo National River. The NPS says the trail from Compton Trailhead is about 2.5 miles each way, with about 1,400 feet of climbing on the way back.

The NPS calls it "an extremely steep and strenuous trail" and says the average hiker takes 4 to 6 hours. It does not recommend the hike for children under 12.

The NPS says "Buffalo National River does not charge an entry fee or day use fee." Pets are not allowed on trails in the Ponca Wilderness; service animals are permitted.

The NPS lists the season as year round, but says the falls only flow after a considerable amount of rain. Hemmed-in Hollow is open, as far as we can tell: on Nov 8, 2026, the NPS alerts page showed no alert for it or Compton Trailhead.

Cedar Falls (Petit Jean State Park)

Cedar Falls is in Petit Jean State Park near Morrilton. Arkansas State Parks calls it "one of the tallest continuously flowing waterfalls in the state." The Cedar Falls Trail, a National Recreation Trail, starts behind the breezeway at Mather Lodge.

The park lists the trail as 2 miles round trip, 1 1/2 to 2 hours, and rates it both Moderate and Strenuous. It follows Cedar Creek into Cedar Creek Canyon, with orange blazes.

No entry fee is listed on the park or trail pages we read. On Nov 8, 2026, the park notice listed closures only on parts of the Boy Scout Trail and the CCC Hike and Bike Trail. The Cedar Falls Trail was not among them, so it is open, as far as we can tell.

Glory Hole Falls (Ozark National Forest)

Glory Hole Falls is in the Dismal Creek Special Interest Area of Ozark National Forest. An archived 2016 USFS page says a vortex is believed to have drilled into the roof of a bluff shelter. The water now plummets to its floor.

That page puts the falls about 12 miles west of Deer, off Hwy 16/21. The path is about two miles round trip, and the last part is user-created and not marked. The current USFS site has no Glory Hole page, so details may have changed.

Glory Hole Falls is open, as far as we can tell: no Ozark-St. Francis alert named Glory Hole, Dismal Creek or Hwy 16 on Nov 8, 2026. The USFS text we read lists no fee.

Little Missouri Falls (Ouachita National Forest)

Little Missouri Falls is on the Little Missouri River, which the Forest Service calls a designated wild and scenic river. The Forest Service describes a forested picnic area with a trail to a waterfall overlook.

Its directions start on Highway 84 west of Glenwood, then run north on Highway 369 at Langley. Forest Service Roads 73, 43 and 25 lead to Road 539, where the directions end. The trailhead page lists no fee, and the 2026 fee schedule lists no charge.

The site is open all year for day use, with no water or electricity. It is open, as far as we can tell. On Nov 11, 2026, the Forest Service listed it as "Site Open," and no Ouachita alert named it.

Falls Creek Falls (Lake Catherine State Park)

Falls Creek Falls is the seasonal waterfall at Lake Catherine State Park, 8.8 straight-line miles from Hot Springs by our math. Arkansas State Parks calls it "a seasonal scenic waterfall on Falls Creek."

The Falls Branch Trail, a National Recreation Trail, is 2 miles, moderate, taking 1 1/2 to 2 hours. It crosses Little Canyon Creek several times. No entrance fee is listed on the park pages we read.

As far as we can tell (Nov 13, 2026), the park and trail pages listed no closure or alert.

Falling Water Falls and Twin Falls (Forest Service Road 1205)

Falling Water Falls sits beside gravel FR 1205 near Ben Hur, in Pope County. Arkansas Tourism gives it a 10-foot drop and says it can be viewed from the road. It is not the Falling Water Falls in Tennessee.

Twin Falls is in the Richland Creek Wilderness, reached from Richland Creek Campground 9 miles up FR 1205. The Forest Service says the wilderness has no developed trails, only old logging roads.

The Forest Service lists the campground at $10 for 2026, with no day-use fee. Its wilderness page, last updated March 28, 2025, warns that the road from Falling Water Falls is prone to landslides.

As far as we can tell (Nov 13, 2026), no Ozark-St. Francis alert named either falls or FR 1205.

When to see Arkansas waterfalls: rain matters at several

Two of the seven falls depend on rain, by their official sources' own accounts. The NPS says Hemmed-in Hollow flows only after considerable rain.

The archived USFS page says the best time for the Glory Hole is spring and early summer, when the ground is saturated. Any rain that produces runoff also works. Arkansas State Parks calls Cedar Falls one of the state's tallest continuously flowing falls, and it publishes no best season. No official page names a best season for Little Missouri Falls.

Wet weather brings its own risks. The USFS warns of fast moving water at the Glory Hole drainage crossing, and high rock ledges with slippery footing at the falls. The Forest Service also warns that high water is dangerous after rain storms at Little Missouri Trail stream crossings. Our waterfall safety guide has more general tips.

Arkansas State Parks also calls the Lake Catherine falls seasonal, without giving flow months.

Fees and dogs at Arkansas waterfalls

None of the seven falls has a listed entry fee. The NPS states that Buffalo National River charges no entry or day use fee, and the Forest Service lists no fee at Little Missouri Falls. For Cedar Falls and the Glory Hole, the official pages we read list no fee, so confirm with the agency.

Dogs: pets are not allowed on Ponca Wilderness trails, which include the Hemmed-in Hollow route (NPS). We found no dog rule on the Petit Jean, Glory Hole or Little Missouri pages we read; see each falls page for who to call. At Little Missouri Falls, federal rules for developed Forest Service sites, if they apply there, require pets to be leashed (6 feet maximum) or otherwise controlled.

We found no official dog rule for Falls Creek, Falling Water or Twin Falls.

Arkansas waterfalls FAQ