Hiking at King's River Falls

One of my most favorite things about living in Arkansas is enjoying a beautiful hike.  There is no better way to get some exercise, deep breathing, soul rest, and photography in than a hike.  It's a seemingly small adventure that leaves a big impact on my overall health. 

Brett and I have made hiking a family activity ever since the girls were really little and we pushed them in the stroller part of the way.  I also have memories of clinging tightly to a baby girl while trying to hike.  All such sweet memories.  We used to have the girls walk a little bit at a time, until they built up endurance to hike for longer distances.

These days they're able to keep up for an entire hike without a problem.  In fact, it's usually me that's lagging behind because of my stop and photograph something, then speed up pace.  

On this particular hike we went to King's River Falls.  It was probably the first truly cool Saturday of the fall and we were thrilled to wear sweatshirts and jackets.  The air was so refreshing and things were dripping with water after a nice rain the night before.  

The colors found were simply breathtaking.  So vivid and rich in hue.  I tried to really enjoy this feast of colors before my eyes, knowing that with winter comes a more dull look in the world. 

We were delighted to have Nana along on our adventure!

We hiked to these waterfalls!  Simply stunning!

When we arrived at the waterfall I noticed a couple sitting enjoying the view.  They had a thermos of coffee and were seated on a blanket looking at the waterfall.  I also noticed they were trying to take a selfie in front of the waterfall.  I made my way over, quickly introduced myself, and asked if I could take a couple of pictures for them.  I even had them hold out their hands and mugs and shot that in front of the water.  A shot that told a story, for sure. 

I asked Brett if he was embarrassed that I did this, but of course he wasn't.  He's come to expect this kind of thing from me.  The couple was so, so nice and actually from the same town as us!  I recognized that by the coffee they were drinking.  It pays off to be friendly to the world around us.  It doesn't have to be scary.  Most people are warm and friendly back. 

Our family enjoyed being together, looking for heart-shaped rocks and rocks that looked like they had faces on them, talking about nature and history, and a breath of fresh air.

If you haven't been to King's River Falls I highly recommend it!  We've even brought a picnic in warmer weather and swimsuits would be super fun too.

Locals, or those within a couple of hours from NWA, where do you recommend a good hike?
Please share!