April 2019 – rocky mountain tot

Hiking Pigeon Roost Trail in Arkansas’ Hobbs State Park

Hobbs State Park is the largest state park in Arkansas. This weekend we took advantage of the sunny weather to explore the park and venture out on a new (to us) trail.

The Pigeon Roost trail is 8.4 miles long. It is broken into two loops, the Dry Creek Loop and the Huckleberry Loop. We walked a portion of the Dry Creek Loop from the trail head to the Beaver Lake Overlook which was about 1.5 miles in length each way.

Pigeon Roost trail signage — I highlighted the portion of the trail we hiked in yellow.

family hiking pigeon roost trail in hobbs state park - northwest arkansas

Our 4-year-old hiked on her own (and rode on her Dad’s shoulders) while her younger sister mostly rode in an ergo carrier on my back.

spring hiking. family hiking pigeon roost trail in hobbs state park - northwest arkansas

Spring is a colorful time to hike in Northwest Arkansas because white dogwood and pink and purple redbud trees bloom throughout the forest.

family friendly hiking. family hiking pigeon roost trail in hobbs state park - northwest arkansas

The trail was well marked, but narrow and a bit slippery in some places with loose gravel. We had to be extra cautious as we hiked near steep hills.

We read that ticks can be bad on this trail, luckily we didn’t find any unwelcome visitors.

View of Beaver Lake. family hiking pigeon roost trail in hobbs state park - northwest arkansas

After hiking through the forest and over several small bridges crossing a creek, we arrived to a spot where we could see Beaver Lake. I was amazed by the turquoise water. The color reminded me of the green waters we saw at Point Lobos Park in California which I wrote about here.

An overlook with a pair of benches can be found a little further down the trail. This is a great spot to rest and take in the view.

We were thrilled to find a family-friendly trail that is close to our new home in Northwest Arkansas.

Hobbs State Park has 36 miles of trails to explore – we are excited to head back soon so we can hike more of them.

Last Week of Less Waste Lent

This Lent we decided to work on creating less waste as a family. I feel like somedays I’m doing really well remembering my tote bags on grocery shopping trips, donating items we aren’t using to charity, and taking trips to the recycling center.

Recycle Cartons

We recently moved to an area that doesn’t have curbside recycling. The good news is we’ve had to take more responsibility and learn about the recycling process. For example, my daughter loves almond milk and I always assumed the containers that the milk comes in are recyclable. During a recent trip to the recycling center, I learned milk cartons can’t be recycled in my community.

I went home to do some research and found a website to look up if carton recycling is available in your area: recyclecartons.com. I went ahead and signed a petition on this site to bring carton recycling to our town.

Buying Less Stuff

This week we are also reading a book called Meet the Frugalwoods: Achieving Financial Independence Through Simple Living. It’s a memoir of a couple who decided that consumerism wasn’t making them happy so they went on a quest to become financially independent by living an extremely frugal life style. I don’t want to take all of the steps they do in the book. For example, I’d rather pay a talented hairdresser to cut my hair (and know it’s helping her support her family) than ask my husband to attempt it (yikes!). However, I love the idea of thinking about where you can cut back to save money and create less waste in the process.

We have one more week of Less Waste Lent, but I’m confident we will continue along this road and keep improving as we go. Let me know if you have any ideas about how to solve my milk carton problems. I’d also love your inpiring book suggestions.

-Kelly

Tanyard Creek Nature Trail in Bella Vista, Arkansas

Bella Vista makes a welcoming front porch to Northwest Arkansas. I remember holding my breath as we crossed the border from our home state of Missouri and letting out a sigh of relief as we drove into Bella Vista. ‘See girls we can live in Arkansas – look at all the pretty golf courses (even though I don’t golf), and all the active people out biking and walking around the lake.’

We moved to Arkansas this winter and now that the weather is warming, I’m eager to get out and explore more of ‘the natural state’. Last week I took my 2-year-old on a hike around the Tanyard Creek Nature Trail in Bella Vista.

Tanyard Creek Blacktop Path

The first path we came to was a paved 1/3 mile loop which was the perfect place for my toddler to walk on her own because it was flat. When we got a little tired we rested on a bench.

Tanyard creek nature trail

Past the paved section the nature trail begins. We continued to keep right as the trail took us up, around, and over the creek.

We crossed over several bridges.

Tanyard Creek Nature Trail in Bella Vista. northwest arkansas hiking. hiking with kids

And walked along a limestone cave.

hiking by cave in northwest arkansas. bella vista arkansas. tanyard creek

In places you could hear road and construction noise. I didn’t mind because I think it’s nice to find hidden gems within city limits.

Dotted along the trail, volunteers have placed signs that explain what kind of trees and rocks we were looking at. I appreciate signage so I can sound smart when I’m hiking with my kids.

There wasn’t a sign telling me what kind of animal this cute little guy is, but I’m guessing he is a ground hog and he was announcing, ‘It’s spring!’

We were on alert for less cuddly creatures. Signs warn that snakes might be enjoying the sunshine on rocks near the creek. I’m terrified of snakes and I’m relieved we didn’t see any.

spring hikes in northwest arkansas. tanyard creek

Even though this trail is only 2 miles long, it felt like an adventure because of the bridges, cave and creek.

tanyard creek nature in bella vista arkansas

We hiked on a beautiful weekday morning. I was pleased to see several fellow hikers enjoying the trail, but it didn’t feel over crowded.

tanyard creek nature in bella vista arkansas. northwest arkansas hiking destination

We passed a small pond covered in water lilies. Beyond the pond was a large hill which leads to the Lake Windsor Dam.

tanyard creek nature trail pond near windsor dam in bella vista

After the pond, the trail heads up at a steeper rate toward the waterfall lookout. The waterfall spilled into the creek which a fellow hiker mentioned was pretty dry this time of year. I’m guessing the waterfall and creek are even more impressive later in the season.

waterfall hike tanyard creek nature trail bella vista arkansas

I carried my daughter in a kid carrier on my back, but after the waterfall she was eager to get down and walk on her own. We found a flat area and she happily sat along the creek and threw rocks in the water to make ripples. She could do this for hours.