Helen's Pouroff
A 71-foot pouroff named for a Leatherwood horsewoman — and the gateway to the three-pouroff secret loop.
- Height
- 71 ft
- Type
- Pouroff
- District
- Lower
- Round trip
- 5.4 mi
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Best season
- Spring
- Est. time
- 4–6 hours
- Flow-dependent
- Yes
- Pet friendly
- No
- Coordinates
- 36.09688, -92.39310
Current conditions
- Rain 24h
- 0.19″
- Rain 72h
- 0.19″
- Rain 7d
- 0.21″
Next 3 days (preview)
Live data temporarily unavailable — showing last successful fetch. See full conditions report →
Featured route
⭐ The Push Mountain Triple Falls
This pouroff is one of three on a secret 7.3-mile route that hits Helen's, Woodsman, and Cathedral Falls in a single day — 224 ft of combined drop. See the full route guide →
Leatherwood Wilderness, Ozark National Forest — near Big Flat
Named after Helen Elsner, a horsewoman and local legend who spent years exploring the Leatherwood wilderness on horseback and directed countless waterfall hunters to hidden destinations throughout the region. At 71 feet, this stunning pouroff sheets over a tall bluff into a sheltered hollow surrounded by massive chunks of rock that have broken away from the bluffline over centuries. Look for the distinctive pizza-slice shaped rocks on top of the bluff and a small natural hole in the rock face you can peer straight down through. A smaller 40-foot unnamed falls sits nearby along the same bluffline — you may encounter it first depending on exactly where you hit the cliff. Helen's Pouroff is also the starting point of one of the best kept secrets in the Buffalo River region — a single 7.3-mile hike that takes in all three Leatherwood pouroffs back to back. See nearby: Woodsman Pouroff and Cathedral Falls.
Best time to go
February through May after significant rainfall.
The trail
The hike follows the old Barkshed Extension Road — closed to vehicles — making for easy walking with short bushwhacks required to reach each falls. GPS is essential; there are no trail markers. Medium hike/bushwhack with route-finding required. Quad: Big Flat. Check US Forest Service wilderness rules for dogs.
Getting there
From Big Flat, head east on Hwy 14 for 3.8 miles then turn left on Hwy 341. Continue 6.9 miles and park near the base of Push Mountain Tower. The hike follows the old Barkshed Extension Road — closed to vehicles — with short bushwhacks to each falls. Coordinates: 36.09688°N, 92.39310°W.