Site Name: Hailstone Creek
Rating: II-III+
Region: AR
USGS Gauge: Buffalo at Boxley


More Information on Hailstone Creek

Rating: II to III+

Location:
Newton Co.; put in at NFR 1463 crossing 1.2 mi N. of Fallsville on Hwy 21; take out at the Hwy 21 bridge over the Buffalo R. at Boxley, AR

Gradient: 40 fpm
Length: 14 mi.
Season: RAIN

Hazards: strainers, remoteness and length of run

Description:
This is the major tributary to the upper Buffalo R. It is possibly the ultimate Arkansas wilderness run. 14 miles of nothing but you, the river, and the mountains. The rating easily goes up several notches in high water. The remoteness of the creek makes rescue a very difficult proposition, but mistakes can easily result in damaged equipment or people.

Be sure you have lots of time to make it to the takeout. It often takes more than six hours to run the 14 miles. One particularly dangerous spot occurs about halfway down the run. A class II rapid leads into an undercut cave on the left bank, and a significant portion of the river disappears into this cave.

There have been some close calls at this spot where boaters have been swept into the cave and gotten stuck on debris.

At high water this cave could be a killer. Watch for it, and scout anything you can't see until you get past this point. Make sure you have solid intermediate whitewater skills and plenty of experience on other Ozark creeks before attempting the Hailstone.