TnNature Photography

This wknds blog will be a blast from the past (mainly because it’s too cold to get out with the camera). I’m trying to think *warm* here so my mind wanders back to a Summer a few years back when we took our niece on her first camping trip. Our daughter went away to church camp for the wknd so we went away too..to the Buffalo River in Arkansas.

It was the Summer the southern states saw such a horrible drought. We went, hoping to see a specific waterfall close to the campground but found it almost completely dry. A disappointment yes, but the hiking was great and so was the river. AND we saw our first *Batcave*.

We chose Lost Valley Campground as our destination. The campground wasn’t crowded at all and the sites were spaced well apart. We had to cross a dry creek bed to get to our campsite and goofy me wore leather sandals. I quickly stubbed my toes in the rocks and still have trouble with that toe to this day. grr

Campsite behind the dry creek bed

My niece Shea, son Kris and I posing on the trail to Eden Falls.(dry)

Jamie & Kris at the entrance to the BatCave. We found out about the cave thanks to a local at the swimming hole. The cave has been used for everything from a saltpeter mine during the civil war to a hideout for bandits in the 1920’s. When bats are present, the cave is closed. Luckily the bats had left for the season and we were able to get in.

We just *thought* the cave was empty! We found 1 bat still perched alone the ceiling of the cave. Once the kids noticed him, they took off for the cave opening. lol

The gate surrounding the cave’s entrance.

The Buffalo River..just a breathtaking piece of God’s handiwork, laid back in the hills of Arkansas.

The bluffs that make the Buffalo famous. Notice how low this area looks. I can imagine how beautiful it must be when the water level is just right.

A deer running under the bluffs @ the Steel Creek Access Point

The view looking OUT of Cob Cave, along the Eden Falls Trail

And the view looking IN Cob Cave..I think I recognize those rednecks.

The *swimming hole* at the Ponca Access Point of the Buffalo River

All in all, our niece enjoyed her first camping trip despite the dry falls but there was one thing that she reminds us of to this day. NEVER leave the camp food out even if you feel like you’ll be back by dusk. Our batcave adventure kept us longer than expected and we came back after dark to find raccoons enjoying what was left of the makings for our smores!  They even returned during the night for seconds and tried biting through the cooler.