Containing both the Pedestal Rocks and King’s Bluff trails, this place gives you double the pleasure!

As I headed north on AR 7 towards Pelsor I came across a scenic overlook area with a heck of a nice view of a Boston Mountains sunrise.

I started with the 2.2 mile Pedestal Rocks loop.  You hike in a ways before seeing anything unusual but then – there’s the natural bridge.

The layer of hard sandstone exposed on the top of the bluffs erodes rather slowly while the softer sandstone underneath erodes relatively quickly once exposed so the bluff, for example, is seriously undercut.  There are also large rocks that have broken off from the bluff and started sliding downhill.  Over time these erode into columnar formations that are often bigger at the top.  The formations here remind me of the “sand castles” in the Richland Creek Wilderness a few miles northeast.  I wouldn’t be surprised if the same geologic formations are involved. There are many places where the bluff is “calving” new pedestals. Many of the pedestals are partially obscured by trees and didn’t photograph well.

Next was the 1.7 mile King’s Bluff loop.  It features the same type of formations as the other trail… …with the bonus of King’s Bluff itself… …and the waterfall.  At 114 feet, it’s one of the tallest in the state.  There wasn’t much flow this day. Looking upstream.  I suppose when the water is high this must be a very broad waterfall.  It’s a pretty neat area, and very accessible.  I’ll definitely be back for a more thorough exploration.