Updated April 6, 2024 10:55AM
Hawksbill Crag Hike, Arkansas
Score an aerie overlooking the Buffalo River Valley to yourself when you visit Whitaker Point in the offseason.
Hawksbill Crag from the 3-mile out-and-back from the Whitaker Point trailhead south of Ponca. [Photo by Tim Ernst]
Nestled in Arkansas’ Ozark National Forest, the hike up to Hawksbill Crag, also known as Whitaker Point, is one of the most popular in the state. It’s an easy cruiser with some of the most spectacular views in the Upper Buffalo Wilderness, and, arguably, Arkansas. Go during winter or hold out until the budding season in early spring to help you avoid the crowds. The valley erupts into a color show of foliage in autumn—which is worth the wait—but it brings leaf peepers and shutterbugs en mass.
Trail Facts
- Distance: 2.8 miles out and back
- Elevation:
- Difficulty: Easy
The Route to Hawksbill Crag
From the Whitaker Point Trailhead tiptoe along the bluffs north of the Lower Fork Buffalo River to the rocky beak known as Hawksbill Crag.
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