Long Devil's Fork Falls

Current conditions

The falls

Heads up: Not to be confused with the Long Devil's Fork drop at Twin Falls of Richland — this is a separate, lesser-known waterfall located further upstream in the same drainage. Long Devil's Fork has two waterfall stories to tell — and most visitors only know about one of them. The first story is famous. At its mouth, Long Devil's Fork forms the western drop of the legendary Twin Falls of Richland — two separate creeks from two entirely separate valleys that happen to converge at exactly the same point, each tumbling over a shared sandstone ledge into one emerald pool. That western 17-foot curtain is Long Devil's Fork at its most celebrated. But head upstream into the Long Devil's Fork drainage above Twin Falls and the second story begins. A separate, distinct waterfall sits higher up the hollow — known locally as Jim Bob Falls — tucked into a remote side drainage that almost nobody explores. The surrounding terrain is classic Richland Creek Wilderness: narrow canyon walls, mossy bluffs, and the kind of deep quiet that only comes with genuine solitude. While the crowds — such as they are in this already little-visited wilderness — stop at Twin Falls and turn around, the Long Devil's Fork drainage above rewards those who keep going with a waterfall entirely their own.

Getting there

The most natural approach is directly from Twin Falls. At the Twin Falls pool, climb the left bank above the Long Devil's Fork drop — the slate rock is extremely slick when wet, so take your time. Once above the grotto follow Long Devil's Fork upstream. Mystic Falls appears in just 500 feet on your left — a quick worthwhile stop. Continue past Mystic Falls another half mile along the same creek to reach Long Devil's Fork Falls. No backtracking, no separate trailhead — just one continuous upstream push from one of the most famous waterfalls in Arkansas to one of the least known.