If you know me and my kids, you know we love nothing more than exploring a good creek. Creeks offer so many opportunities for educational lessons, outdoor adventure and good old-fashioned fun. Which is why I’m super excited to share this post with you today from another creek-loving mama. Nichole Holze and her family spent some time exploring Little Missouri Falls in the Ouachita National Forest, near Hot Springs, Arkansas. She’s here sharing their adventure, recommendations on what to pack when creeking and her thoughts on raising outdoor children.
Creek stomping
I have nothing but fond memories of my sister and our stomping our way up a creek in a nearby county park. My mom took us there many times to play, climb, explore, and adventure. Then as I became a nanny for the summer I took the kids to that park nearly every week. And every week we returned home with sand in our shorts, mud between our toes, smiles on our faces and epic stories in our memory bank.
As a parent now with my own two adventurers, I have made it a point to continue with the creek stomp tradition. From a very early age, my husband and I exposed our children to the natural world and gave them the freedom to fully experience it with all of their senses. Dirt in the mouth was a common occurrence. That early exposure to the natural world allowed them to grow in their confidence and ability to navigate nature now as children. In addition, they are strong, bold, curious, but also with a healthy respect for the dangers that do exist in nature.
Little Missouri Falls, Ouachita National Forest
It is not uncommon for my kids and me to load up our car and head out to explore for the day. We are very fortunate to live within a few hours drive of some of the most beautiful places to be found in Arkansas, a state which is far underrated for outdoor pursuits. So a three-hour drive hardly makes us flinch for a day trip.
On one particular day a few weeks ago, we decided to chase down some waterfalls. It had just rained (heavily) the day before, which in Arkansas, means that the falls would actually be flowing. We quickly packed up some snacks, lunch, towels, goggles, life jackets and a camera. A short two hours later through windy mountain roads, which gave way to bumpy and dusty forest roads, and we arrived at our destination: Little Missouri Falls in the Ouachita National Forest.
For those of you who may not be familiar with the area, the Ouachita National Forest is located in Southwest Arkansas, about half-way in between Dallas, Texas and Memphis, Tennessee. This national forest has over 1.8 million acres of wilderness and spans from Central Arkansas through Eastern Oklahoma. So it’s not only wilderness but mountains, bluffs, rivers, fields and streams for hunting, camping, hiking, biking, fishing and camping. If you’re in the area, this is definitely a place worth checking out.
Hiking into the falls
Strapping on my backpack filled with towels, my camera, lunch and loads of fresh water, we raced off for the trail. The kids were dressed in their swimsuits, sun shirts, life jackets and water shoes. They are both fantastic swimmers, but I always take life jackets when rivers or lakes are involved, until I know the water situation and depth.
A short hike gave way to steep stairs to head down to the river. At the sight of water, the screams and shouts of my excited kids filled the valley. Within moments we were scrambling over rocky riverbed to the falls. The water, which was actually cold (an impressive feat for hot Arkansas summers) cascaded from an upper pool into lower pools and quite literally took our breath away. My son quickly scampered over to the edge of the larger waterfall and begged to go down. I love that he shares my same thirst for adventure.
Navigating the terrain
I decided it would be best to work our way down to the lower falls first instead of going over. A quick scuttle through the woods and over large boulders brought us down to a pleasant rocky beach area where laid out our blanket then made for the water. The blue-green water, typical of this area of Arkansas, flowed into a deep pool with large boulders. A massive fallen tree laid in the perfect spot to climb back up to the top of the falls. We discovered a wolf spider hiding on the underside, but we let it be as it seemed to content to hide out under the log.
My daughter splashed and played, then grew bold and swam out to a rock island to perch. My son scurried up the log and was ready to slide down the waterfall. I stood at the base to catch him due to the large boulders just under the water in the deep pool below. He most likely would not have been injured, but when it comes to large rocks underwater, I prefer to not take chances. Over and over again my son giggled his way down the waterfall. And over and over again I dunked my head under the rushing falls; delighted to have found such a wonderful nook.
Break for lunch
A little later and ready for a little calmer pace, we hiked downstream to where the river opened up to a large shallow pool. I laid out our picnic blanket and we were all soon munching away on our still cold lunch. It was so relaxing listening to the sound of the waterfall intermingled with bird calls and the buzzing of insects. We all sat in contented silence, gazing around at the huge boulders against the blue-green water and the green trees against the azure sky.
Catch something!
After lunch, my kiddos took off their life jackets and headed into the water to explore. Within moments my son exclaimed that he had found a big fish. I splashed over and shared in his excitement, but it was not a fish — it was a tadpole! And probably one of the biggest tadpoles I had ever seen. A quick group effort ensued, my kids standing next to me to watch it move, and I caught it!
One thing I forgot to bring was a net. So we used a baseball cap as a temporary home for the tadpole as we examined it. My son was nervous at first, but his curiosity overtook him and he was soon gently handling the incredible creature in his own hands. The bullfrog tadpole had it’s back legs but had yet to grow it’s front. It filled up my son’s hands with its massive size. The magic of that moment will forever be etched in my memory.
Appreciate your surroundings
Hiking up a creek. A seemingly simply endeavor. But an adventure, for certain. As always, it’s important to be aware of your surroundings, especially in southern Arkansas during the summer. We were fortunate to not have any snake encounters on this outing. However, I have taught my children to always be aware of where they are moving and what is moving around them.
The natural world is a wonder to behold, especially when experienced alongside our children. Educator Charlotte Mason said it most wonderfully “We are all meant to be naturalists, each in his own degree, and it is inexcusable to live in a world so full of the marvels of plant and animal life and to care for none of these things.”
What to pack
Here are a few things to pack for a successful creek outing:
- Water shoes – (I have a pair of Teva sandals that I’ve worn each summer for 7 years and they still work great). Any waterproof shoe with a gripping sole will be great.
- Life jackets for children, especially if they cannot swim
- Goggles – for underwater exploration! Take your exploring to the next level by having a look underwater. We always have our goggles if there is any water involved.
- Swimsuits – rash guards and waterproof shorts work great for all day exploring and protection from the sun.
- Snacks and picnic lunch
- Sturdy lunch boxes – For day trips, packing lunches in reusable containers is important to me and highly recommend PlanetBox lunch boxes. They are made of highly durable stainless steel. They are a bit heavy but hold up well to all of our adventures. I have loved using Planetbox lunch boxes for the past few years. We have one in each size and they work great for us, including the “no food can touch” preferences of my daughter.
- A sturdy backpack
- Towels
- A net and maybe magnifying glasses
- Field guides to creeks in your area
- Plenty of fresh water to drink – perhaps take along a water purifier if you have one
- Sunscreen
- Sunhats – I really love the kids’ hats from Sunday Afternoon Hats
- A small first aid kit – I recommend Adventure Medical Kits
- Your sense of adventure and a childlike wonder!
Are you a fan of creek stomping with your kids?
Follow her adventures here:
Instagram: @coleyraeh
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