Smith Falls
A remote Upper Buffalo Wilderness waterfall reached from the Bowers Hollow trailhead — part of a classic three-falls backcountry day.
- Height
- 54 ft & 71 ft
- Type
- Cascade
- District
- Upper
- Round trip
- 5.4 mi
- Difficulty
- Strenuous
- Best season
- Spring
- Est. time
- 4–5 hours
- Flow-dependent
- Yes
- Pet friendly
- No
- Coordinates
- 35.84375, -93.42615
Current conditions
- Rain 24h
- 0.00″
- Rain 72h
- 0.00″
- Rain 7d
- 0.00″
Next 3 days (preview)
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The falls
Smith Falls is a remote waterfall deep in the Upper Buffalo Wilderness. The access is the same as Bowers Hollow Falls — park at the Bowers Hollow trailhead on Cave Mountain Road and bushwhack from there. A downloaded GPS track is essential. Smith Falls, Bowers Hollow Falls, and McClure Falls all share this same parking lot and can be hit in a single (long) backcountry day. Do not confuse this with QuiVaLa Elise Falls inside the Smith Creek Nature Preserve near Boxley — Smith Falls is a different waterfall entirely, located on the Fallsville Quad (UTM 461532E, 3966492N).
Getting there
Trailhead: Smith Falls — same access as Bowers Hollow Falls (Cave Mountain Road TH 35.86135, -93.45776). 5.4 mi RT bushwhack, GPS required. (35.84375, -93.42615). Coordinates are researched references — verify with a map app before driving.
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