Hike of the Week: Hawksbill Crag, Upper Buffalo Wilderness, AR

Score an aerie overlooking the Buffalo River Valley to yourself when you visit Whitaker Point in the offseason.

See Hawksbill Crag on a 3-mile out-and-back from the Whitaker Point trailhead south of Ponca. photos: Tim Ernst

Trail Facts

• Distance: 2.8 miles (out and back)
• Time: 1 hour
• Difficulty: 1 out of 5

Summary

An easy cruiser of a hike lands you arguably the best view in the whole state: From the Whitaker Point trailhead (35.8984, -93.4579), tiptoe along the bluffs north of the Lower Fork Buffalo River to the rocky beak known as “Hawksbill Crag,” 1.4 miles away.

It’s a popular spot, so go in winter (now) or hold out until budding season in early spring. The valley erupts into a color show of foliage in autumn—which is worth the wait—but it brings leaf peepers and shutter bugs. 

https://caltopo.com/m/9TQK

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https://www.backpacker.com/trips/hawksbill-crag Backpacker