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Single Drop Waterfall by leadhiker Hemmed-In-Hollow Falls is a single drop waterfall located within the Ponca Wilderness Area of the Buffalo National River in northern Arkanssas. The height of the falls is 209 feet. According to the National Park Service, it is the "Tallest waterfall between the Rockies and Appalachians." The Falls are situated in Hemmed-In Hollow, a small valley closed-in on three sides by 200+ foot bluffs. The Falls area can be accessed from at least three different National Park Service hiking trails starting from the Centerpoint Trailhead, the Compton Trailhead, and Kyles Landing. For most of the year the flow over Hemmed-In-Hollow Falls is subdued. As one looks upward, the water breaks into thousands of individual water droplets. Wind swirling in the canyon causes the falls to continually dance about. During times of heavy rain, typically during late Winter or early Spring, water spills heavily off the cliff. There are many ways to get to the falls. The easiest is hiking up the creek from the river while on a float trip from Ponca to Kyles Landing. If you're not canoeing, you have several trail options. The shortest actually involves fording the Buffalo River several times and navigating a series of overgrown trails, so I don't recommend it. I took the official trail that runs from a remote trailhead near the town of Compton, just up the mountain from Ponca on State Road 43. Once in the village of Compton, turn RIGHT at the sign for Buffalo National River Trailheads. You'll drive down a dirt road for a mile or so, then turn RIGHT at the trailhead sign. You'll shortly dome to a parking area on your left. GPS 36 4.875'N 93 18.197'W From here the trail heads through the woods and then sharply downhill for 2 miles, where you reach the stream. Then you turn left and hike up stream past several small waterfalls for half a mile to the base of the high falls. Hemmed-in-Hollow is NOT a BIG falls, it is a HIGH falls. Most of the time, the volume of water is about twice that of a nice heavy shower. Falls GPS 36 4.327'N 93 18.440'W The hike back out is STEEP and tiring any you'll be sore the next day, so give yourself a couple of hours of daylight to get out. Check out the Triplog. Leave No Trace and +Add a Triplog after your hike to support this local community.
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