Erbie Trail
Hiking
Erbie Trails
Length: There are a number of trails in this area which provide opportunities for a short stroll, a good day-long hike, or an overnight trip
Time: 3-5 Hours
Difficulty: Easy - Moderate
These trails are located in the old community of Erbie. There are several ways to get to this area. The easiest way is to travel west off Highway 7, approximately 5 miles north of Jasper, on the gravel Erbie campground access road; however, getting to the trails on the north side of the river will involve fording the Buffalo River on a low-water concrete crossing. During high water periods, the north side can be accessed from the Dogpatch-Erbie road west of Highway 7, or the Compton-Erbie road east off Highway 43 (Newton County Road 19).
The Erbie Trails provide excellent opportunities to visit historic farmsteads, quiet stream valleys, waterfalls, old farm fields, wooded mountainsides, and bluff-top vistas. There are several trails on the north side of the river which may be hiked individually or combined into a loop of approximately 7.5 miles.
The Cecil Creek Trail travels upstream along Cecil Creek to another trail intersection near the foundation of an old church. The faint trail to the right, marked with blue blazes, travels for about a mile to a waterfall area known as Broadhollow Falls.
The trail to the left known as Cecil Bench Trail, climbs out of the creek valley and runs along a bench past an old cemetery and a couple of old home sites. These trails provide wonderful hiking of great variety. The trailhead is located adjacent to the old Erbie Church and provides picnic tables and toilets.
The Cherry Grove Cemetery Loop, just across the river on the south side, skirts old fields and wooded bluffs along the river to the historic cemetery. Elk and Deer frequent many of these old fields along the river in the early morning and evening hours. This trail begins at the Parker-Hickman Farm, the oldest existing farmstead on the Buffalo River.
***NOTE*** Dogs and other pets are not permitted on National Park Service trails.
For Information: Buffalo Ranger District, P.O. Box 427, Jasper, AR, 72641, (870) 446-5122 www.fs.fed.us/oonf/ozark
