JAMESTOWN CRAG EXPEDITION!

This photo shows a very happy hiker, because she FINALLY got to visit Jamestown Crag!  The happy hiker is me, and the location is Jamestown Crag, which has been on my radar, for over a decade!  

Jamestown Crag is not a conveniently located place, that a visitor can access any time they desire.   Its physical address of 1650 Jamestown Loop in Batesville, is a bit misleading.  After getting off state highways, the driver will go down the picturesque, but narrow Jamestown Loop Road.

 

Eventually, they will see a sign on the right identifying the Jamestown Wildlife Management Area.

The driver continues down a road at the back of the WMA parking lot, until they come to an orange gate, that is normally locked.  However, on May 30, 2026, the gate was open because it was a "Work Day" for volunteers to do trail maintenance.  That was the day I visited.  

 

 

I continued down the road for a short distance, and I had noticed that a pick up truck had turned town the Jamestown loop road, shortly after I did, and it was still behind me, so I figured this must be the right road.  

However, after a while longer, I came to a fork in the road, with one going left and one going straight ahead.  I turned left, and waited for the pick up truck to catch up.  When the lady driving the pick up truck came by, she told me that the road to the left was not the correct way, and advised me to follow her the rest of the way, which I did.  

In just a few more minutes, we came to a large clearing, where there were several cars parked with tools and water jugs, so I knew this must be the right location.

I was delighted to see there were portable toilets here, because it is almost a three hour drive to get here, from my home near the southern border of Missouri.  The folks there said the toilets are there year round, and not just for the work day.  

This small sign assured me I was actually at Jamestown Crag, and shows the nominal fee to pay for visiting the site, and/or camping at the site.

Some of the volunteers gathered by one of the work wagons, so I could take their photo.

The fire ring beside the big wooden spool table had a grill, which would be helpful for cooking over the fire.  

Another, larger fire ring had massive rocks arranged in a circle, which would be perfect for group fireside activities.  In fact, it was through a college ministry group outing, that I first heard about Jamestown Crag.  Over a decade ago, I was paddling down the Buffalo River, chatting with other paddlers along the way.  Several of the young people in a college ministry group, said they were going to Jamestown Crag after the float, to do rock climbing.  I had heard of many rock-climbing locations in Arkansas, but not this one.  All they could tell me, was that it was near Batesville, Arkansas.

But as the years went by, more people heard about the place (thanks to social media), especially with photos they posted of improvements, such as this cleared area, for the placement of several tents.  (A trained eye will quickly see that poison ivy is abundant, so a cleared area such as this, is greatly appreciated!)

The archway made of colored flags at the end of this clearing, designates the access point for the climbing and hiking areas.  

There is even a metal sign, to greet you!

Likewise, a metal Bigfoot!

A wide trail sloping downward is the direction I start to explore.  

At the end of that wide path, is a kiosk where people leave their payment, and can also see a poster, showing the hiking trails and climbing routes.  

The kiosk also has the phone numbers of the three key people one needs to contact, to make your visit to Jamestown Crag, the best it can possibly be.  

The map not only shows various climbing routes, but uses a standard numerical rock-climbing nomenclature, to rate their difficulty.  

Climbers use bolts such as these that have been "glued in", to hold their lines.

I saw several different kinds of bolts used by rock climbers, as I explored the bluffs.  

There is a long bluff line, just beyond, and on both sides, of the kiosk.  At the beginning of my trek, I took the bluff line trail on the left, because I could hear leaf blowers in that direction, and I wanted to get photos of the volunteer workers.  

 

I am always intrigued by overhanging cliff tops, and this one brings Hawksbill Crag to my mind. 

I tried to stay out of the way of this volunteer, using a weed eater, to clear weeds encroaching upon the walkway.  

The lady with this weed-eater, was working in a sometimes muddy area, which has benefited from the log bridge.  

I came across these two Christopher brothers, Kyle on the left and Aaron on the right.  They were instrumental in purchasing the land from the Green Bay Timber Company, so it could be preserved for recreational use.  They were both diligently working to clear the trails.  However, they could tell from the questions I was asking (and seeing my advanced age), about which way to get to the bottom at a particular cross roads, that me scrambling alone, down the bluffs was probably not a good idea.  So Aaron, graciously offered to accompany me to the bottom of the cliffs.

Aaron is showing me that "steps" have been carved out on part of the descent, to control water run-off.

Also, adjacent to the descent path, a rope "banister", assists one as they make their way downward.

Once at the base of the bluffs, the visitor will encounter several overhangs, that might have served as shelters for indigenous people.  I am pretending to hold it up:

Aaron is now looking upward at part of the overhanging bluff that was pictured earlier, from above.  

On the way back to the top, by a different route than the way we came down, I was thankful once again for the rope to hold on to for progress upward.

Another way to make progress up a crevice, is a climbing technique called "Stemming" or "Chimney", where one uses the pressure of their arms, back, and legs against the rock to move upward.  As the photo shows, my arms and legs are not long enough for that to work for me on this crevice!  

I can definitely recommend Aaron Christopher as a guide, based on how patient he was with me, and his encouraging coaching words as I crawled up and down and over boulders.  Also, he let me take as many photos as I wanted, and offered to take photos of me in picturesque locations.  In fact, I was so appreciative, I gave him a copy of the rock climbing book my son published.  Afterall, it was because of my son, that I became interested in photographing rock climbing areas!

These three guys are wearing tee shirts that say NOMADS, and it is their dedication to the Jamestown Crag project, that is responsible for the success of the Jamestown Crag project.  It reminds me of the Bible verse from Ecclesiastes 4:12 that states: "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken"  .  

To make arrangements to visit Jamestown Crag, go to their website at www.jamestowncrag.com and fill out the on-line permit form.  The website gives more details about the history of this section of land, and also has a merchandise section, where you can purchase apparel and other gear with the Jamestown Crag logo.   The website will also give you details about their major fund-raising event, called "King of the Crag", held annually in October.  The Jamestown Crag Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit, and donations to it are tax deductible.  Follow them on social media to see more photos of this amazing area in Independence County, Arkansas.   Exploring here gave me "MILES OF SMILES"!  Tricia

 

AMPHITHEATER EXPEDITION!

What a delightful surprise it was, when I came out of the woods where I had been clearing briars and tall weeds, to see this beautiful bridge!

When I viewed the moss-covered terraces beside the bridge, I felt like an explorer, who had just discovered the remains of a long, lost civilization!

The photo below shows a small plaque discreetly placed within the amphitheater, telling about its origin.  When I googled "Green Thumb + Arkansas Farmers Union", I learned that The Arkansas Farmers Union Green Thumb was a historical, federally funded program, often employing older, rural, Americans, that contributed to public infrastructure projects in the 1960's and 1970's.  The work they did building the stone amphitheater in Mountain View, is a great tribute to their legacy.  

The way the stone terraces are covered in moss, gives a clue that this is NOT a brand new structure!

The creek that flowed under the bridge, was very shallow, but provided enough water to give a pretty reflection of the orange leaves of the maple tree above it.  

The stream is called Whitewater Creek, and separates the amphitheater into two parts, the grand stone stage, and the moss-covered stone seating area:

Even though the stream bears the name "Whitewater", it has been barely a trickle whenever I have visited.  

 

 

When I signed up as a volunteer with the Arkansas Master Naturalists (www.ArkansasMasterNaturalists.org) to help clear the 1,4 mile trail, that started at the Ozark Folk Center (www.OzarkFolkCenter.org), I had no idea that at the end of the trail, I would be rewarded with a view of this lovely stone amphitheater!

I was working with some other Arkansas Master Naturalists (pictured in orange shirts) to clear the trail of fallen trees, and blow leaves off the trail, so it could be more easily followed in the woods.  

Many visitors to this area do not know there is a hiking trail, that leads from the Ozark Folk Center, to the historic rock amphitheater, even though there is a small sign pointing towards the trail.  

Notice how much better defined the trail is, once the leaves have been blown aside!

So next time you are on a trail, give some thought to the efforts that have to go into maintaining a trail, to keep it from becoming completely overgrown!

The same is true for the walkways shown in this photo.  They did not clear themselves of fallen leaves---someone has been diligently working to make them visible!

Walls are important in landscaping, and can serve as a convenient restraint to collect a pile of leaves for removal!

The first time I stumbled onto this beautiful setting, the date was early November, so the reds and yellows of deciduous trees made for a picturesque setting.  Once again, notice how the walls of the sidewalk, serve as architectural landscape features.  And think about the workers who carefully placed each one of those stones, over sixty years ago.  

I made a return visit to Mountain View in early March, and wanted to take another look at the amphitheater.  However, since on my first visit there, I had come on foot, via the trail from the Ozark Folk Center, I put "City Park" in my Mapquest phone app, and came across a lovely park on Webb Street, and paved walking trail, but the amphitheater was no where in sight!  I saw a city employee, and asked him where the amphitheater was.  He told me I would need to park my car, and follow a trail through the woods, beside the creek, that would eventually lead to the amphitheater.  That trail is shown below:

Thankfully, I eventually arrived at the amphitheater, although it looked very different with no colorful leaves on the trees!  The reason I wanted to go back, was to photograph the walls I remembered from my first visit, to use as a visual aid for one of my First Place 4 Health (www.FirstPlace4Health.com) memory verses that says, "The day for building your walls will come, the day for extending your boundaries."  Micah 7:11

It is interesting to me that the builders left a tree standing within the seating area, or perhaps it "sprung up" since the theater was built, decades ago.  Or perhaps, the stone masons left it because it had a very interesting "burl" growing on its side, facing the stage area.  

The burl growing on the side of one of the trees within the amphitheater could serve as a "side table", it is so big!

When a visitor is at street level, it would be easy to miss seeing the old stone amphitheater, because it is hidden, as it follows the slope of the hillside, down into the valley.  When I visited, there was a sign pointing the way, which is helpful.

What you will see, when you are at street level, is a large stone cooking grill, with chimney.

Also, at street level there is a circular area, paved in native stone, that contains concrete picnic tables, benches, and more stone grills.  

It is appropriate that there be a beautiful landmark made of stone in Mountain View, because the town is a part of STONE County, Arkansas.  To find out many more interesting sites to visit in this area, check out their website at www.mountainviewarkansas.com  .   This visit to such a serene and scenic location, gave me "MILES OF SMILES"!  Tricia