The most majestic corner of the Ozarks
We had been bouncing around and between two National Forests in Arkansas: Ouachita National Forest and Ozark-St. Francis National Forest. We can't explain the feeling of getting back into mountains and highlands. The mountains are where we belong, and even though we were thousands of miles away from our beloved White Mountains, we saw familiar landscapes that felt like home.
I've mentioned a few times that I've always been an avid trip planner. Before we purchased our RV, we took lots of trips, many of which were road trips. Lots of them were planned, but we never actually got around to taking them. One in particular was my "Southern Foliage" road trip. The idea was to fly down to the Smokies, travel through Tennessee and Arkansas, and then head up through Missouri, flying back from St. Louis. We would do this in the fall so we could see the leaves changing color. This was in 2017, when we instead chose to travel Iceland's Golden Circle. However, I kept the itinerary tucked in a folder on my computer, and as we commenced our RV travels, I referenced it many times, taking inspiration for various attractions and restaurants we might want to visit.
It's always fun to look back at old itineraries. This one had us doing lots of hikes in the Smokies – most of which we didn't do while we were there in 2022. More reason to return! The itinerary had us doing a hop-on, hop-off tour of Nashville, which we did do this year. Apparently we missed a couple restaurants that have "great grits," though. I didn't consult my past self enough.
Then we'd drive through Memphis and make our way into Arkansas. The plan? "Blanchard Springs Caverns, Dripstone Trail." "Hike Mirror Lake Trail."
Sometimes Nicole of 7 years ago added things to her itinerary that were appealing then, but less so now. After all, we now travel differently, choosing our adventures carefully as to not get overwhelmed. Gone are the days of cramming every activity possible into a short period of time. However, the appeal of Blanchard Springs Caverns persisted. The reviews were stellar. We decided that a journey over to the eastern Ozarks would be worthwhile, and so after Branson, we crossed the border back into Arkansas and made our way over to Mountain View, on the southern end of this portion of the National Forest.
We booked Dripstone Trail tour tickets on rec.gov ahead of time. This early in the season, it's the only tour available because the bats are still hibernating, and tours that go further down in the cave would disturb them. However, Dripstone goes into the Cathedral Room, which is the mecca of formations and the greatest sight to behold. The tours were only running at the end of each week, and so we booked ours for Saturday, our last full day in Mountain View. We planned our Mirror Lake Falls hike for earlier in the week.
The hike is easy and short, less than a mile out and back. This trail would take us along the eastern side of Mirror Lake and then down to the falls. There are also options to hike less. A pull-off on one of the forest roads allows a bird's eye view of the falls, or you can park in the Falls parking lot and walk a short, accessible boardwalk on the western side of the lake. We thought we might piece a few shorter hikes together, but first we wanted to start with the lake trail.
When we arrived to the trailhead, we were quickly surrounded by butterflies. They fluttered around the parking lot, landing on the pavement before taking off and flying over near the creek. The water flowed beneath a canopy of lush green leaves, and a packed gravel walkway weaved its way through the wilderness.
We were enthralled. So much so, that we totally forgot that the trail we were supposed to take was dirt, not gravel. We began walking the path along the creek, with a butterfly serving as our guide.
Then suddenly, we rounded a curve and came to the most serene oasis. A powerful cascade emerged from rock walls and splashed into the creek. We read the sign and discovered that this water was outpouring from the cave! Blanchard Springs Caverns is a living cave, meaning water continues to drip into it, creating various formations and shaping it over time. After the water drips down to the lower levels of the cave, it eventually pours out, creating the spring. How incredible, that we inadvertently took a trail that led us right to Blanchard Spring.
We sat for a while, taking in the sights and sounds. I set up my camera to film the spring for a Harpscape, and as we sat in stillness, several bats flew out of the cave and circled around our heads. I caught a few on video. These were likely some of the first bats that had awoken from hibernation. The experience was surreal, seeing them popping in and out of the darkness. I used the bats as inspiration for my music, capturing the mysterious, sublime energy of the spring. It turned out to be one of my favorite Harpscapes I've created in a while, which is a testament to the beauty of this place.
As if the spring wasn't alluring enough, we found a second waterfall on the hill behind us, this one taller and skinnier and creating the most peaceful sound as it flowed down the rocks. It was like the real-life version of those motorized tabletop fountains.
Thankful for our wrong turn, we headed back to the parking lot to search for the Mirror Lake trailhead. It was located across the parking lot and was a lot less prominent, with only a narrow opening and a small sign that said "hiking trail." We walked the short distance to the lake. The trail was muddy, so we needed to be careful to not sink or slip. Along the way, we spotted various flowers and even a snake!
Mirror Lake was a lot bluer than we expected and was absolutely lovely. Across the lake was the westside boardwalk, where a few people were trout fishing.
The falls are created by a masonry dam. By taking the Mirror Lake Trail, we were able to get views of both the upper and lower falls. They too, were powerful but serene – certainly keeping with the idyllic theme of our adventures in the forest.
If you look closely in one of the photos above, you will see the ruins of an old mill. Here lie the remnants of Mitchell's Mill, an old corn and cotton mill. Once owned by John Blanchard, a Civil War Veteran and namesake of this region of the forest, the mill was later purchased by a man named Steve Mitchell after Blanchard's death. Mitchell continued operations until his death in 1928. At this point, the mill was constructed of wood, but in the 1940s the Civilian Conservation Corps began overlaying it with stone, hoping to restore it to an operational condition. The project was never completed due to the onset of World War II.
We walked back to the trailhead, and at one point, I became victim to the slipperiness. Why do I seem to only fall on the easy trails?!
Nothing could keep me from exploring the other side of the lake, though. We went back to the parking lot, where we noted the gorgeous rock layers basking in the late afternoon sun. We simply could not turn in any direction without being wowed.
We drove to the falls trailhead and took the boardwalk toward the west side of the lake. We got to see the mill ruins from above and the falls and lake from a different vantage point.
We also stumbled upon a butterfly breeding ground on the shore of the lake.
We hiked 1.86 miles in total on all 3 trails. The fact that they are varying terrain but all quick and easy means that at least one trail will be suitable for all ages and abilities. Just be careful if you go in the wet season! Each trail also offers incredible scenery. We were impressed. The Blanchard Springs area exceeded our expectations, and we couldn't wait to go inside the cavern.
Dripstone Trail tour tickets were $15 for adults, and the tour lasts 1 hour. We arrived early as per the instructions, but we had time to spare, so we went into the cave exhibit and browsed the gift shop. Then we gathered in a hallway that leads to elevators, and we awaited our guides to take us down.
We have visited quite a few caves over the years, especially since we began RVing, but walking into the Cathedral Room, our jaws dropped. It was so huge, we couldn't even see from one end to the other. We saw all types of formations, including stalagmites, stalactites, columns, cave coral, and cave curtains. We learned that the room is about 400 yards in length, and its large dome-shaped roof is an indicator of structural soundness. Our guide Alice told the story of the discovery of the Cathedral Room, made by those exploring the lower levels of the cave. The US Forest Service, operated under the Department of Agriculture, owns the cave because it already owned the land above it.
After our introduction to the cave and its history, Alice led us along the walkways, pointing out various formations. We occasionally came to an area where water dripped from the ceiling and splashed into little puddles below.
The man who created the lighting for this cave had a favorite feature, one that reminded him of old opera houses and theaters. Can you see the balconies and the spectators?
We left the Cathedral Room and entered the Coral Room, named for all the cave coral along the ceiling, also often referred to as cave popcorn.
At the end of the tour, we were taken out to a bus that brought us back to the Visitor Center.
Our time in the Ozarks was coming to a close, as was our month spent in Arkansas. Our journey was certainly one of ups and downs, but we were happy to end on a high note. With a month left before we were due for rig repairs at ATC, we had plenty of time to make our way through the Midwest...and we had some ideas up our sleeve.