Haley Falls
A double waterfall off the Hawksbill Crag trail — and the namesake of the largest search and rescue operation in Arkansas history.
- Height
- 17 ft
- Type
- Plunge
- District
- Upper
- Round trip
- 2.2 mi
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Best season
- Spring
- Est. time
- 2–3 hours
- Flow-dependent
- Yes
- Pet friendly
- No
- Coordinates
- 35.8920°N, 93.4540°W
Current conditions
- Rain 24h
- 0.00″
- Rain 72h
- 0.00″
- Rain 7d
- 1.35″
Next 3 days (preview)
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The falls
Haley Falls carries one of the most remarkable stories of any waterfall in Arkansas. In 1999 six-year-old Haley Zega wandered away from her group on the trail to Hawksbill Crag, drawn toward the waterfall for a closer look. What followed became the largest search and rescue operation in Arkansas history — three days and two nights in the wilderness before Haley was found safe. The story was covered by Dateline NBC and countless other media outlets. The waterfall she was drawn to now bears her name permanently. The falls itself is a beautiful double feature — an upper falls where Haley got separated from her group, and a lower falls accessible by carefully working down the bluffline on the left side of the upper falls, then behind it, and down to the base of the lower falls from the right. Both are worth seeing when the creek is running well. Haley Falls is the first waterfall stop on the Cave Mountain Road Waterfall Loop — a single day that combines Hawksbill Crag with three waterfalls from the same trailhead. See nearby: Mule Trail Falls, Thousand Kisses Falls, and Hawksbill Crag.
Getting there
Follow directions to the Hawksbill Crag Trailhead on Cave Mountain Road. From the intersection of Hwy 21 and Hwy 43 in Boxley Valley, head south on Hwy 21 for 1.2 miles, then turn right onto Cave Mountain Road (CR#9560) just before the highway crosses the Buffalo River. Climb 6.0 miles to the trailhead parking lot. From the trailhead the trail crosses the road, drops down a rocky slope, crosses a small creek, and climbs to the trailhead register. It switchbacks down the hill and reaches the creek again at 0.4 miles. Continue on the main trail as it drops to a larger creek at 1.0 miles — turn right and follow the creek downstream 100 yards to reach Upper Haley Falls. Quad: Boxley.
