• Home
    • About Me
  • Travel Guides
  • Hiking With Kids
  • Trail Reviews
  • Hikes
  • Motherhood
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Blog
  • Contact

Arkansas Adventure Mom

Latest from the Blog

January Recap of 2019 New Year’s Resolutions

Health & Wellness· Motherhood

Granted, I didn’t have a blog 31 days ago to write about my New Year’s Resolutions, I did write them down on Instagram. You can read them here in depth, but to summarize: To read a biography or an autobiography about each First Lady in the US. Fitness & Nutrition Goals- be gluten, dairy & soy free. Plus, refrain from sugar…
Read More

Our Favorite Northwest Arkansas Day Hiking Trails

Hiking With Kids· Tips· Trails

When getting the kids outside, sometimes it’s hard to pick out where you should go. So here are 5 of our favorite trails in the Northwest Arkansas area. We have a list of other trails we haven’t tried yet & we are ready to hike them. But so far, these are the ones we keep revisiting over & over again….
Read More

Younger Kate vs Older Kate

Fitness· Health & Wellness· Motherhood

When I was younger & more naive, I showed up to the gym to run endlessly on a treadmill to work off calories from eating food I “shouldn’t have been eating”, hoping it would help me achieve the size I wanted. I looked for low calorie & fat free labels, but I wasn’t feeding myself proper nutrition so I was…
Read More

How Did You Change Your Diet?

Food· Health & Wellness

So many people have reached out to me since I wrote my article, CHANGING MY FOOD, CHANGED MY LIFE. Usually people want to know exactly what I did, because it’s such an overwhelming experience. 1. How did you get started?  I always get asked how I got started. I didn’t immediately leave the doctor’s office & go gluten, dairy &…
Read More

Changing My Food, Changed My Life

Food· Health & Wellness

Two years ago this month, I started a new nutrition journey based on a recommendation by my family physician. I had gone to see him early in January of 2017 because I could not stop getting bronchitis. I’m talking a decade & more of going on antibiotics & steroids 3-6 times a year for upper respiratory infections, strep throat, bronchitis,…
Read More

  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Go to page 1
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 5
  • Go to page 6
  • Go to page 7
  • Go to page 8
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Welcome

Hello! I'm Kate. I'm a native Arkansan, wife, mama to 3, poodle mom, storyteller, & a nature enthusiast. I love to share Arkansas trails, tips for hiking with kids & how this outdoor adventure lifestyle has led my family on a beautiful journey we never could have imagined for ourselves. My biggest passion is cheering on families who want to get outside with their kids!! Because trust me when I say, if I can do this, you can too! You can find me on Instagram @KatePantier & Facebook: Kate Pantier- Adventuring Arkansas or you can read more about me here.

Let’s Adventure Together

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

LET’S CONNECT

Subscribe here to see the best places for you to hike, eat, play, & adventure with your family in Arkansas!

Follow on Instagram

Okay, Arkansans, don’t come for me! This is not Okay, Arkansans, don’t come for me! This is not a comprehensive list!! 😝 I already have Part 2 made & a list of hikes made for a Part 3! So send me your favorite waterfall trails so we can explore them! Arkansas has over 200 falls & we are ready to find new favorites! 

1) Hemmed in Hollow: AllTrails says it’s 5.7 miles, I feel like it’s longer than that. It also has a 1400 elevation drop. Its claim to fame is it’s the tallest waterfall between the Rockies & the Appalachians! After you see the falls, hike over to the Buffalo River & go for a swim. 😍

2) Triple Falls in Jasper, AR is a 0.3 mile hike & I’ve featured it here a ton. I love this hike cause the falls are amazing, it’s a short hike that almost anyone can do, & you feel transported to the middle of the a tropical oasis!

3) Cedar Falls at Petit Jean Mtn. State Park in Morrilton. This is probably my first central Arkansas hike to be featured here! I grew up at this state park, was a camp counselor here, & looooove this waterfall. It is very trafficked, you aren’t disappearing into the wilderness here, but it’s a short hike with a great view. Plus, the lodge is right there & it’s fun to visit too!

4) Glory Hole Falls is a 2 mile hike in the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest. This is really one of the coolest natural waterfalls you’ve seen because of the way the water comes through the mountain. We love to set up a cook stove at the base of the falls, have lunch, & play. 

5) Eden Falls is the 2nd largest waterfall in Arkansas & is located on the Lost Valley Trail. This trail has it all, a natural bridge, multiple caves, a waterfall, a creek, & more. It really is so so much fun!

Like, Save, & Share for the Part 2! And send me your recs on your favorite waterfalls from your state!

As always, remember nature is fun, but hike safely!
Cheaper than a paddle board, simpler than renting Cheaper than a paddle board, simpler than renting a canoe, & it’s a very fast, last minute water activity. You can buy these for $6.98 a tube at Walmart, it’s the Ozark Trail brand.

We bought ours a few summers ago, I was filling up my gas tank to head to the Buffalo River & the kids saw the tubes stacked outside. They asked if I’d buy them (thought I’d say no 😬) & I grabbed one for each of us. We keep them in a tub in the garage & load them up once water season hits.  They are so much fun, cheap, & a great way to enjoy the water more.

I also keep an electric air pump or a battery powered air pump to blow them up once we get to the water.

PS not an #ad. We just really like our inner tubes. 😝
Want to explore an actual wetland of Arkansas with Want to explore an actual wetland of Arkansas without ever leaving the city?? Well, Osage Park in Bentonville is your answer!! The park has 2 playground areas, an installation for a book swap, fishing, a restaurant, a small airport, pickleball courts, a pavilion, & so much more.

We love to explore the wetland area & see all the animals. We especially love to see if we can spot the Van Dam family (the park’s Beaver family 🦫 😍) & read all the signs in the park detailing the wildlife. It’s the perfect park to enjoy nature & learn something new too.🤍

📍Osage Park 700 16th St Bentonville, AR 72712

🛝 There’s 2 playground areas, my kids are older so they really enjoy the larger playground by the water. But my youngest enjoyed the new aviation playground space a lot! 

💰FREE to visit! 

✈️ Eat at Louise at Thaden Field for a fun restaurant experience!

This parks offers so much more than I’ve detailed in this caption! Hope you visit & hope you enjoy as much as we do!!
✨Adventures > Stuff ✨ Like & Share if you agr ✨Adventures > Stuff ✨

Like & Share if you agree! 

This waterfall is saved in my stories highlight titled, “Triple Falls”- it has all the location & trail details.🤍
Trust me, I get it. We want our natural spaces pro Trust me, I get it. We want our natural spaces protected & we don’t want them to become abused, ruined, or destroyed. Here’s some reasons (not an extensive list, but just off the top of my head) on why I won’t gatekeep this location: 

1) It’s at a National Park. This trail, while less traveled than some within the Buffalo River, is literally preserved for people to experience its natural wonder. I have a creek I visit on private property that is gorgeous, green, & spring fed. I don’t geotag that spot because the owner doesn’t want me to. But a waterfall on a national park?? That’s like not geo-tagging Old Faithful.

2) This trail is off the beaten path. It takes 5 miles down a gravel road to get there, then you have to bushwhack cause the trail isn’t marked. Is it a hard trail? For those of us in the outdoor community, nah, it’s not bad. But most of the people who watched this reel aren’t going to go out there. They’re going to enjoy the beauty from their phone.❤️

3) For those who do go out there because they saw this reel, GOOD! 🙌🏻👏🏻 I am so so glad you made it, I hope you enjoyed it, I hope you thought it was as awesome as I did. I also trust that everyone packed out all their trash & left it in good, clean, not destroyed shape like my friend & I did when we hiked it. I’m overly idealistic, but I trust the outdoor community to do good.😍

4) Do you know how many women & families on here have inspired me, shown me places to visit, & have been the sole reason I’ve shown up somewhere in the outdoors to experience a natural wonder?! TOOOONS. It would be hypocritical of me to gatekeep when people haven’t kept things from me.❤️

5) I already adventure from a privileged place- my skin color, my economic position, my freedom  of schedule, & the list could go on. I don’t want to contribute even more to pushing out marginalized groups from the outdoors.❤️

I’m positive there’s more to say on the topic, so don’t come for me if I didn’t write what you think is important about gatekeeping. If you have a point you think is important, feel free to leave it in the comments.❤️
Two weeks ago, I was really scared to move out to Two weeks ago, I was really scared to move out to the farm. Even though I knew in my core it was the right thing to do, all the what ifs were scaring me. I was especially worried the kids were going to be unhappy. So so glad we made the leap of faith & did the thing. Best decision we ever made. The kids tell me everyday this is the happiest they’ve ever been. 

Feels good to be on a path I know was meant for us. We’ve a lot of ups & downs the last several years, a lot of uncertainty, a lot of what ifs. And here we are making dreams come true.

If you’re in your uncertain time, I’m praying for you. I know it’s a hard place to be. If we can do it, you can too.🤍
If you want an adventure, why don’t you hike to If you want an adventure, why don’t you hike to the tallest bluff, Big Bluff, (we’re super creative on names down here 😬🤣) on the Goat Trail? This trail is a fairly unimpressive hike IMO until you get to the end on the bluff & then you’re 550 feet high overlooking the river below. It’s incredible scenery!

⚠️⚠️⚠️ This trail is treacherously dangerous at the end. I have never hiked it with my kids, although I would definitely take my 13 year old. I’d be nervous to take my 11 & 7 year olds, even though they’ve done crazy, high, & narrow trails in various parts of the US (thinking about Delicate Arch & Cascade Canyon Trail in the Tetons.) Something about this one has me more nervous than others. Do your research before you go & you know the limits of your kids.💛
————————————-
Hi, I’m Kate & this is where our family shares our adventures around Arkansas, specifically Northwest Arkansas & the Buffalo River area. We are a homeschool family who just moved from the suburbs to a farm, we love to teach other families how to get outside, & we want you to come along with us!😍
I don’t ever go over to the Buffalo River withou I don’t ever go over to the Buffalo River without checking the water levels first. Sometimes I’m checking them to see if the river is floatable, but in the spring & early summer season, I’m checking to see if it’s safe for my kids & me to be in the water! The river gets high, the current gets fast, & all of a sudden what’s supposed to be a fun day in the water can get dangerous real quick.

So what do you do about it?? I go to www.BuffaloRiver.com (this is the Buffalo Outdoor Center’s website, they’re a local resort, so if you need cabin rentals they’re awesome for it!) & click on the water icon in the top right hand corner & see what is says for the day. The two areas of the river I visit the most are St. Joe & Ponca. If either of those looks iffy for us, we plan a different adventure day & go when we feel it’s safer. 

**EDITED TO ADD** I also follow the flow levels, it’s listed in black on the website. It’s measured as Cubic Feet Per Second (CFS) & I use that to determine if we’re going to swim in it or not. If it’s moving fast, we aren’t going in. We typically spend spring & early summer playing in a creek nearby & then later in the summer when we have less rain, we swim. 

Like & share if you found this helpful!!
📍Steel Creek Campground at the Buffalo River- w 📍Steel Creek Campground at the Buffalo River- we go during the week & we always have it to ourselves.❤️

Pro Tip: we take inner tubes & go rafting down the water to the swim hole. And I bring a camp stove & cook there too so we can stay all day.😍

My kids always ask me to go on the rope swing & not just watch them play. So I was cool mom this visit & went for it. It was cold, but they loved it that I went!
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Popular Posts

Changing My Food, Changed My LifeChanging My Food, Changed My Life
How In The Heck Do You Find Trails To Hike?How In The Heck Do You Find Trails To Hike?
Colorado Fourteener for a First TimerColorado Fourteener for a First Timer
My Arkansas State Hiking Bucket ListMy Arkansas State Hiking Bucket List
10 Random Facts About Me10 Random Facts About Me

Copyright © 2023 · Captivating Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in