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Buckeye Trail-Caney Creek Trail The Buckeye and Caney Creek Trails are located in the Caney Creek Wilderness of Southwest Arkansas. The Caney Creek Trail is 9.5 miles from the Cossotot River to FR 38. The Buckeye is 4.3 miles from FR 38 to the middle of the Caney Creek Trail near Katy Falls. Many people combine the Buckeye, east Caney Creek and FR 38 to make it a 9.3 mile loop. The Map: Nominal 1:24,000 based on USGS 7.5 minute quadrangle topographic maps. Printed in color on 11x17, "Rite in the Rain” all weather paper. Trails are red and were mapped with a WAAS enabled GPS. Forest roads are gray. Other features include trailheads, segment mileage, general directions, waypoints and waypoint coordinates. An inset map of the same scale is used to fit the entire Caney Creek Trail on one map. Lines show where the two maps overlap. |
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Buckeye-Caney Creek Video: Click here to watch the video from our 2006 trip. The Caney Creek Trail Hike:The Caney Creek Wilderness is remote and scenic. Except for all the creek crossings, the trail is very easy, but very pretty. This narrative will start at the west trailhead off County 81/FR 31 near the Cossotot River and follow the 9.5 trail east to the FR 38 Trailhead. The west trailhead is at the end of quarter mile access road on the south side of CO81/FR31. Leave the gravel parking lot at the southwest corner and head into the woods following the path (the trail is not blazed). At 0.4 miles you will be at the bottom of a hill at river level in an open forest ideal for camping. The river in this area is highlighted by white outcrops of Arkansas Novaculite. While this is awfully close to the trailhead for a normal campsite, it is well situated for a late arrival. The Cossotot River crossing is at 0.5 miles. Unless its in the middle of a drought, expect the crossing to be wet. When you drive to the trail head from the north, you will cross three low water bridges where you can gauge the river level. Needless to say, if you have problems with those crossings, you can expect more troubles here (it’s down stream). Also keep in mind there is one more major tributary after the last low water bridge to add to the volume of water. Coming out of the river you will head up a small flat valley following and crossing a little creek. The valley narrows a little as it climbs about 100 feet to the divide that marks the edge of the Caney Creek watershed (1.5 miles). The trail drops into a shallow open hollow, crosses a picturesque rivulet and then climbs up a little hill. After a 0.2 miles, the trail drops off the hill bears left (east) and finally comes to the first Caney Creek crossing (2.2 miles). As with all the numerous crossings, this is a simple boulder hop under all but high water conditions. Caney Creek is flowing westward and the trail will head up stream. Check out the clarity of the water; crystal clear because of the novaculite rock. Including the first crossing at 2.2 miles, you will cross it 10 times before the Buckeye intersection. The crossings are at 2.4 miles, 2.5 miles, 2.8 miles, 3.0 miles, 3.3 miles, 3.5 miles, 3.9 miles, 4.1 miles and 5.1 miles. The trail itself is usually easy to follow. It runs along the creek, below bluffs, above the creek on the natural terrace and in bottomlands. The latter, around mile 3.2 is the only place where the trail was a little elusive. At 5.2 miles, the trail heads up along the hillside north of the creek, passes the spur trail to the designated campsite (5.5 miles) and intersects the Buckeye Trail (5.6 miles). The spur trail is a little over 0.1 miles down hill and across Caney Creek. The campsite is large and marked with a small sign (1st picture). The easiest way to get to Katy Falls (2nd picture) is up the Buckeye Trail (see Buckeye Trail description). After the Buckeye junction, the trail drops into Katy Creek and then pops up to a wooded terrace for 0.2 miles. Then the trail moves to the hillside until it crosses Caney Creek the 11th time at 6.6 miles. At 6.8 miles, the trail passes a scenic spot with a bluff and little cascade on the far side of the creek (see 3rd and 4th pictures). There is a big flat rock in the water inviting you to take a break . The trail runs along the south side of the creek for 0.7 miles and crosses the 12th and last time (7.5 miles). Then it is up the side of a ridge for about 0.8 miles until is drops back down to creek level, turns north and goes through a water gap of the first tributary of Caney Creek. Past the gap the trail crosses the tributary and begins an eastward climb of 150 feet out of the Caney Creek drainage. Across the divide, the trail descends into the drainage of eastward flowing Blaylock Creek. Last time I was out there (December 2006) I made a point of looking for potential campsites on this end of the trail that could be used for late arrival and I didn’t see anything. At 9.5 miles, the trail crosses Blaylock Creek and ends at the FR38 parking lot. The Buckeye Trail Hike: Coming soon! Info: USGS 7.5 minute quadrangle topographic map: Nichols Mt. and Eagle Mt. (trails not shown). Contact the Ouachita National Forest, Mena Ranger District (479) 394-2382. An 8.5” x 11” sketch map of the trails is available through the forest service. Directions to West Caney Creek Trailhead: Take State Hwy 375 southeast from Mena AR to Shady. Follow County 81 south for 5 mile (this is the only sign for the turnoff). Turn left at sign for trailhead access. Directions to Buckeye and East Caney Creek Trailhead: Take State Hwy 375 southeast from Mena AR to Shady where it becomes County 64/Forest Road 25. After 4.6 miles, Co 64 splits from FR 25 and joins FR 38. Go south on Co 64/FR 38 for 3.8 miles to the Buckeye Trailhead or 4.9 to the East Caney Creek Trailhead. The roads from Hwy 375 are gravel but driveable in a normal car. The turns are well marked with signs to Shady Lake , which is south on FR 38. Both trailheads are marked. To Buy Map: This map is available at Backwoods in Tulsa ($5) and by emailing charliewilliams@cleanairaction.com ($5 plus S&H). |
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