Against the craggy walls of the opening, I struggled to figure out what to call this structure. I ask the others in the group: Is it a cave? A grotto? I'm not sure. Whatever the nomenclature, it's beautiful.
Above the opening, a sheer rock wall just a hundred feet above us. Out front, a flat plain leans across the karst and leads down to a creek. It's a peaceful location that makes the Southern Ozark Mountains beautiful.
My mother is from Arkansas, so I feel a bit of a kinship for the state. I've had brief visits here on and off for most of my life. This week, however, during our Autumn in Arkansas Nature Photography trip, is the most time I've ever spent here in a single stretch.
When we arrive, it is clear that the area is dry. Like every state in the United States, Arkansas is touched by drought and unseasonable warmth caused by a persistent La Niña pattern in the Pacific Ocean. The places we visit in the mountains are under the grip of what the U.S. Drought Monitor maps call severe. As such, the trees and pastures are abnormally brown for the season, the roads are dusty, and the creeks are dry. However, we are here, and great images are on the docket, so we begin to explore.
The Ozarks are full of natural and cultural gems; we have lots to see. We spend some time at the Buffalo National River. Looking at this spot, it's no wonder it's the first protected river of its kind, as it flows freely for 135 miles and is one of the few undamped rivers in the lower 48 states. From a vantage point overlooking the river, you can see miles and miles of mountains and valleys unfold across the southern mountains. In wetter years, dozens (if not hundreds) of waterfalls cascade off the karst rock underlying the shallow topsoil.
Even when it's dry, water still spills from Blanchard Springs to create iconic Ozark water scenes where slow shutter speeds make the water look smooth and perhaps otherworldly. While water is scant, it's not altogether extant. We can still find pockets of water near the river or along some creeks. Where it's still wet, the colors in the trees are vibrant.
Along the Arkansas River, the views from the bluffs above the river are breathtaking. It's easy to see why this country attracted Native Americans, French explorers, and pioneer settlers. From the highest points to the lower elevations in the creek, historic places fill in the gaps in between and help us understand the culture of the Ozarks. We visit the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Touted as America's only facility that works at preserving the Ozark heritage, traditional craftsmen are working on glassmaking, blacksmithing, and other traditional crafts. In the distance, we hear live music wafting from a porch where a four-piece string band plays traditional folk tunes. The nearby town, Mountain View, Arkansas, is known as the "Folk Music Capital of the World.” Each year, dozens of events are held to celebrate the Ozark heritage.
We visit old stores, churches, log cabins, and other places around the region where people left their mark on this rural landscape.
On the last evening of the trip, we stop at a roadside overlook to catch the last light rays before sunset. A front is moving in, and in the distance, rain is falling over the mountains. Our last evening is going to be a rain-out. No one seems to mind, as the mountains need the rain, and the cooler weather is a welcome respite from the autumn heat. Before the precipitation begins to fall on us, we are treated with a light show of sun rays beaming through the clouds.
Arkansas has over-delivered a remarkable experience.
Nice images. Looks to have been a great trip.
Arkansas is one state I have never shot in. Might have to get back there sometime.
All the best.