When it is warm weather, as it was the afternoon of my hike getting into the 80’s, the wet crossings can be quite enjoyable. There is a new owner of this spot that WILL have your car towed. It goes from the west trailhead to the Buckeye Trail junction. Dogs are also able to use this trail. I assume you have looked at the map? Lots of fallen trees, but you are able to go over/under them or there are paths around them. Ran upon 3 men, looked to be in their 20's, with what looked like a 357 Magnum + a big bottle of whiskey. Mitch, thanks for the kind comments! (Note: there is no warranty for any information on this site.) This is a two day hike in the Caney Creek Wilderness in southwest Arkansas, March 2018. From the east Caney Creek trailhead, fill up water bottles at Blaylock Creek (the only water source until Katy Falls at mile 5.6) and head north on the trail paralleling Forest Road 42. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. The more water running, the prettier it is, but also the more difficult. No copyright claimed on government created materials. Mostly clear with some downfall and lots of deep puddles when raining. We had planned on doing the Buckeye trail and completing the loop, but people we passed kept telling us it was very difficult to complete due to fallen trees and ticks infesting the area. You need to cross the creek at several points. The trail is fairly well marked, well-worn and obvious. Trail was well marked the entire way through. I loved it. This trail is not blazed. Buckeye trail is significantly more difficult and challenging than Caney Creek. When the water is flowing well as when I had my April hike, it is a beautiful trail. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The Caney Creek Trail is a 9.6-mile one-way trail that follows the Caney Creek valley. That wasn’t an option on my hike in April. There are quite a few moderately steep climbs but generally pretty easy hike. As I mentioned, there are 22 wet crossings on this hike (11 each way). East Caney Creek Trail is a 13.5 kilometer moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Umpire, Arkansas that features a waterfall and is rated as moderate. Caney Creek Falls Trail is a waterfall trail that's located within North Alabama's William B. Bankhead National Forest. The Buckeye Trail begins on the eastern edge, climbs atop Buckeye Mountain, and then eventually drops down to join the Caney Creek Trail. The trail crosses Blaylock Creek, Caney Creek, Katy Creek and the Cossatot River for a total of 13 stream crossings which are subject to flash flooding during heavy rain. Exploring Cane Creek Lake Trail by foot or mountain bike, you will traverse a maze of small creeks that etch their way along deep draws between the steeply sloping ridges of a thick forest interspersed with dogwoods. Ouachita Trail 03: Queen Wilhelmina to Hwy 88 (51.6 to 54.1) Pics, Robbers Cave: Cattail Pond/Rough Canyon Trail Loop – 4 mi, Billy Creek Trail South Loop Fall Pics (Ouachita Forest), Hobbs: Hidden Diversity – Dutton Hollow Loop – 4 mi, Buckeye Trail – Caney Creek Trail Loop (Ouachita Forest) – 9 mi, Black Fork Mountain Trail (Ouachita Forest) – 11 mi (o&b), Tall Peak Trail (Ouachita Forest) – 6 mi (o&b), Cossatot River: Harris Creek Trail – 3 mi, Caney Creek Wilderness, Ouachita National Forest, Polk County, Arkansas. We enjoyed this trail. TERMS OF SERVICE to which you agree by using this site. The trail was obvious to see, and I never even needed to check my map. (See this post.). (It is pictured at the top of this post. I saw no one on the trail the Saturday I did my hike. Location: 34.396145, -94.084854. Your email address will not be published. Although there are (officially) no blazes or signs on this wilderness trail, the junction with the Buckeye Trail isn’t difficult to see. What a spectacular trail. Not a problem for a truck, Jeep or SUV. The new trail is marked with orange flagging tape from this road. By and large, the trail was in very good condition and was easy to follow on my hike. Then hiked our way out to the Buckeye trail head. Trail Highlights: Caney Creek Trail generally follows the Caney Creek drainage. So you will have to walk a ways and there you will see a thing with maps and such. These photos and the gps data are all from my April 26 hike. this hike is nice, but with so many missing trails, washed out sections, it was not as much fun as it could have been. Its character is much different from the Cove creek trail - it's a bit rougher, but never very difficult. Hiked this with my wife, daughter and 2 dogs. But I’m sure avid hikers with well conditioned legs will find it rather easy. Has some small but pretty bluffs along the creek that zig zags along the trail. The Caney Creek Trail runs 9 miles from west to east, mostly following Caney Creek. Although this wasn’t one of the top rated trails, we were very happy with it. It is a hike of 11.4 miles (5.7 miles each way) and has 22 wet crossings (11 miles each way), but it is well worth the effort. The western part of the Caney Creek Trail is a wonderfully scenic hike through the Ouachita National Forests’s Caney Creek Wilderness. Essentially the whole trail is shaded. I lost the trail temporarily, but was very easy to find using the trail map with my blue location dot. First time here was a great trail, although when you get to the end of east trail where it comes across west trail and buckeye take buckeye. Google Maps Caney Creek Falls Trailhead or look at our map above! Caney Creek Trail - West (Ouachita Forest)LocationCaney Creek Wilderness, Ouachita National Forest, Polk County, ArkansasHike Length/Type11.4 mile out-and-back hike (5.7 mile each way from west trailhead to Buckeye Trail juncture). Buckeye Trail ends at the junction with Caney Creek Trail. Ran into a few Copperheads but again, breathtaking views. Saw quite a few deer, two chipmunks and more butterflies along the creeks than I have seen in a long time. Thinking about doing the Caney creek/buckeye loop by entering from the west. ), OUR PRIVACY POLICY. Hiked this July 21st. The OLD parking for the hike into Caney Creek Falls is on County Road 2 and shown in the picture below. We saw only 1 group of 4 college student hikers. Lots of small creek crossings with plenty of rocks to step on to avoid getting wet boots. Note: Google does not seem to know the final road to the trailhead. If you have a trail you’d like me to video, please let me know. We do tend to move along pretty quickly though. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round. The East Caney Creek trail is definitely the best section of the loop. It needs a little work. This section of the trail is fairly easy, as there is only one uphill portion. I hike to build endurance and get exercise this was just challenging enough to push me a little. See lots of artifacts. The creek was dried up the majority of the way when we went, but there were a few places that had a good amount of water. Also, don't miss a short spur to Kay Waterfall, located just off the trail about 0.1 miles before the Caney Creek Trail intersection. Other than its length and the wet crossings, this is not a difficult hike. Lots of water and camping spots. Got back in time before the rain hit. Wonderfully scenic Caney Creek Wilderness hike from west trailhead to Buckeye trail junction. There were a few small water crossings, nothing extreme. Filmed 2/7/20More videos of Alabama trails coming soon. Boots were full of water when we reached the car! Creek was low, so we didn't worry about getting wet and trail was very visible. The Caney Creek Trail runs 9 miles from west to east, mostly following Caney Creek. (Last revised: 5-19-2018.). Great hike. Once we arrived there were around 8 cars there. Once on the trail plan to cross water a handful of times. Fording a stream or river can be dangerous. I only saw two people on the trail. Lots of poison ivy along trail. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. There is paved frontage into the property on County Road 930, with good ranch roads and trails that give access throughout the rest of the acreage. Large campsite if you want to split the hike into 2 days. If you take this trail I recommend hiking Buckeye at the end (there’s a decent pile of rocks to the right of a camping area heading up the mountain and that’s Buckeye trail). Approximate Google Maps Directions to West Caney Creek Trailhead area. Fun times and beautiful area. I hiked the Buckeye and Caney Creek Loop today. You will hear the waterfall before you get to the trail. Beautiful scenery. Caney Creek ran along the creek which didn’t make it a very moderate hike, a lot of the time we were walking on the valley. Located in Cookeville’s own Cane Creek Park in the heart of Cookeville, this 2 mile trail is great for beginner and experienced riders. The difficulty rating is because of the numerous wet crossings, usually requiring waders. Access to the loop is much easier from the east side than the west side. You have to follow a long, winding gravel road to get to the trailhead. This 262-acre park also features BBQ/picnic shelters, trails, a playground & a lake for boating & fishing. The western part of the Caney Creek Trail is a wonderfully scenic hike through the Ouachita National Forests’s Caney Creek Wilderness. The trail is located at 34.40955701, -94.16476778 (latitude & longitude) in Arkansas, West-Central AR, Ouachita National Forest, Caney Creek Wilderness. Video of the cascade is here.). Make sure to continue North on the Buckeye trail at the intersection .10 to see the waterfall. Yes, it’s a lot of wet crossings, but the areas along the creek are very scenic. The difficulty rating is because of the numerous wet crossings. Great situation to get someone killed or injured. Really cool rock formations in some sections along the creek. north to see the mini waterfall. It is totally within the Caney Creek Wilderness area and is pretty at any time of year. The Cossatot River is pretty wide, but I was able to cross it along a path was not deep. There were no waterfalls here and the only water access was at the end of Buckeye. Crossed the creek at one point by using a large fallen tree as a bridge. The trail is 9.5 Miles (15.2 Kilometers) Singletrack in length with 3% Avg Grade (2°) and 11% Max Grade (6°). When I was there, the trail did not have any official blazes, but I did see a few places where someone had done some yellow blazes that had not yet been removed. The fork for the Buckeye Trail is at about 5.7 miles and is marked by a cairn (pile of rocks). Buckeye Mountain to Caney Creek Trail is a 11.1 mile lightly trafficked out and back trail located near Mena, Arkansas that features a waterfall and is rated as moderate. Description. The Caney Bottom trail does follow some old logging roads in places, but it's mostly custom-built tread. Buckeye Trail-Caney Creek Trail The Buckeye and Caney Creek Trails are located in the Caney Creek Wilderness of Southwest Arkansas. There are a few trees down about 2.5 to 3 miles in and you have to walk around them. 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