Breaking News: Rivers, Lakes and Waterfalls

By Jill M. Rohrbach, Ark. Dept. of Parks and Tourism

05-18-2009

Spring rains have made the already picturesque waterfalls in The Natural State even better photo opportunities. The 96-foot Cedar Falls, located at Petit Jean State Park, is cascading into Cedar Creek with a mighty roar, and the various falls around the Buffalo National River are just a few of the awesome results of recent rains in Arkansas.

Wally Scherry, Superintendent of Petit Jean State Park, stated that there have been 12 or more inches of rain in the area during the last several weeks. “There’s a lot of water going over [Cedar Falls]; it’s flowing steadily.”

When asked about the hiking around the Buffalo, Mike Mills noted, “The elements you see on the hike – a natural bridge, waterfalls, and Eden Falls Cave with the inside waterfall—combine to showcase the best of the Ozark Mountains, Mother Nature and the Buffalo River—all in one walk.”

Even with all the rain, Arkansas State Parks are faring well compared to past years. As of Thursday morning, only a few state parks are experiencing closings. Currently Moro Bay State Park is completely closed, Jacksonport State Park campgrounds and the Mary Woods II are not open, Millwood State Park campgrounds are closed, Jenkins’ Ferry State Park is closed, and DeGray Lake Resort State Park is closed only for precautionary measures.
Visitors are encouraged to visit arkanas.com or arkansasstateparks.com, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers websites for the latest information regarding closings.