Intermediate
3 Miles
Overview
If hikers were pressed to name their top Arkansas hiking trail, Whitaker Point (or what some call Hawksbill Crag) would most likely be the favorite. It’s Arkansas’ most photographed geological feature and with good reason—its wilderness setting is outstanding no matter the season: winter, spring, summer and fall are all beautiful times to hike Whitaker Point.
Trip Highlights
“Best Place in Arkansas to Get Kissed”
A journalist once placed it in her “Best Places in Arkansas to Get Kissed” travel article. Disney filmed the opening to “Tuck Everlasting” here. We can’t begin to count the number of proposals and nuptials this aged, craggy rock has seen.
Your Kind of Place
World-class photographers have sought to capture it in the prime of every season. But, for all its fame, Whitaker Point is still “the people’s place.” An inspiring spot where one can do some soul searching or enjoy quality time with friends or family in one of Arkansas’s prettiest places.
Extra Beautiful in Spring & Fall
While the craggy rock may be your destination, there’s plenty to enjoy along the way. In the springtime the trail is lush with wildflowers and along the rimrock trail, a creek tumbles over the edge forming a triple waterfall area. In the fall, the Whitaker Point trail is graced with the bright oranges and reds of turning maple leaves and other hardwood trees. Even in summer, a rich green view over Buffalo River country awaits at trail’s end, with the hike along the way being mostly shaded.
Pack a Lunch and Linger
This is a good trail to pack a couple of bottled waters per person, as folks tend to linger along the way and at the crag. A hearty snack is also in order. And a camera is a must, especially if this is your first time to visit Whitaker Point. The best time to photograph the crag is early in the morning or mid-to-late afternoon, once the sun is behind you. Need a sack lunch for the trail? Let the BOC deli hook you up!
Choose Your Adventure
About half-way to the crag you’ll cross a wet-weather creek where you can choose to go left or right, either of which direction will take you to the crag. Most folks go to the right, where the trail follows the creek for a bit, then turns left at a waterfall ledge. In early to mid-April, watch for the wildflowers, shooting star and fire pink growing along the creek. At the bluffline, look for pink mountain azalea and white umbrella magnolia blossoms to appear later in the month and into early May. At this ledge, the trail now turns and follows the bluffline all the way to the crag. It is quite scenic and there are places that beg you to sit and enjoy the view, even though your final destination is still about 1/3 of a mile ahead. You’ll know Whitaker Point when you see it. Take a few moments to appreciate its grandeur at a distance before hiking on around and stepping out onto the lofty perch it affords.
Stay Cautious
Please be careful in this area. A bluffline can be a pretty thing, but also a dangerous one. We cannot stress enough the importance of remaining cautious and staying back from sheer drop offs, as well as keeping a vigilant eye on children, even teenagers.
PARKING NOTE: Tickets are being issued for parking along the road, so please use the designated parking lot.
Trail
View the Whitaker Point Trail Map.
Where is Whitaker Point located?
Whitaker Point (or Hawksbill Crag) is located on National Forest lands in the headwaters area of the Buffalo National River, so south of Ponca about 13 miles. Ponca is your closest town to Whitaker Point and where you’ll find supplies and food for your adventure, including hearty sack lunches made fresh in the BOC Deli and our store’s great variety of quality to-go snacks and beverages.
Directions to Whitaker Point / Hawksbill Crag from Ponca, AR
From Ponca, take Hwy 43 South to Hwy 21. Turn left. Go about two miles to the Boxley Bridge that crosses the Buffalo National River. Turn right onto gravel road #9560 (referred to on Google Maps as Co Rd 5) and go about 6 miles. Cave Mountain Church & Cemetery on the right is an indicator that the parking lots for Whitaker Point and the trailhead itself are only about 1/2-mile ahead of you. Parking is available on both sides of the road: the first parking lot is on the left just before you arrive the trailhead with the second parking lot being on the right directly across from the trailhead.
Directions to Whitaker Point / Hawksbill Crag from Kingston, AR
If you are coming from Highway 21 at Kingston to Whitaker Point (and aren’t coming into Ponca), leave the the Kingston square and follow Hwy 21 for about 11 miles to the bridge that crosses the Buffalo National River. Don’t cross the bridge. Instead, turn right onto CR #9560 (referred to on Google Maps as Co Rd 5) and go about 6 miles. Cave Mountain Church & Cemetery on the right is an indicator that the parking lots for Whitaker Point and the trailhead itself are only about 1/2-mile ahead of you. Parking is available on both sides of the road: the first parking lot is on the left just before you arrive the trailhead with the second parking lot being on the right directly across from the trailhead.
Directions to Whitaker Point / Hawksbill Crag from Little Rock, AR
Take I-40 from Little Rock toward Clarksville, where just before Clarksville you’ll take the Lamar Exit (AR Hwy 64). Continue to the small town of Lamar and on to the north side of Clarksville, watching for the Hwy 21 & Hwy 64 junction just past the Clarksville airport about ½ a mile. At this junction turn right onto Hwy 21 and begin to follow highway directional signs to the Boxley Valley. It’s about an hour or so from the turn onto Hwy 21 to the Boxley Valley (approx. 40 miles) and the small bridge that crosses the Buffalo National River. Cross the bridge and immediately turn left onto CR #9560 (referred to on Google Maps as Co Rd 5). You’ll now drive about 6 miles to the trailhead. Cave Mountain Church & Cemetery on the right is an indicator that the parking lots for Whitaker Point and the trailhead itself are only about 1/2-mile ahead of you. Parking is available on both sides of the road: the first parking lot is on the left just before you arrive the trailhead with the second parking lot being on the right directly across from the trailhead.
