A multi-tiered cascade on Falling Water Creek in the Ozark National Forest, near the gravel road into the Richland Creek Wilderness.
Falling Water Falls is a multi-tiered cascade on Falling Water Creek in the Ozark National Forest's Pope County backcountry, near where Arkansas Highway 16 meets the road toward the Richland Creek Wilderness. The Forest Service does not maintain a standalone visitor page for this specific site, but its Richland Creek Wilderness page identifies the falls by name as a landmark along the access road, reached from Russellville via Arkansas 7 north to Pelsor, then Arkansas 16 east, near the Forest Service Road 1205 junction about a mile east of Ben Hur.
That same Forest Service page warns that the road between Falling Water Falls and the Richland Creek Wilderness is prone to landslides, with some stretches narrowed to one lane, and that the county may close sections for repairs; check current road status before making the drive. There is no entrance fee for this national forest area. The nearby Richland Creek Recreation Area campground, nine miles farther north on gravel FS Road 1205, charges $10 per night and discourages trailers given the rough roads.
On 2026-10-11 the official Richland Creek Wilderness page noted that the road between Falling Water Falls and the Richland Creek Wilderness is prone to landslides, sometimes narrowed to one lane, with possible county closures for repairs. Check current Forest Service road status before visiting. Check the current notice ↗
Know before you go
Ozark National Forest, Pope County, off Arkansas Highway 16 near the Forest Service Road 1205 junction east of Ben Hur; reached from Russellville via AR-7 to Pelsor, then AR-16 east.
Check current Forest Service road status; the access road is prone to landslide-related lane closures.
No official trail mileage is published for this specific site by the Forest Service.
No entrance fee for this national forest area; the separate Richland Creek Recreation Area campground charges $10/night.
Not documented on the official page; assume an unimproved, informal access point.
2026-10-11. Conditions and requirements can change; confirm with the land manager before travelling.
Sources & further reading
- USFS — Ozark-St. Francis National Forest: Richland Creek Wilderness ↗
- USFS — Ozark-St. Francis National Forest: Richland Creek Recreation Area ↗
- USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) ↗
This is a researched visitor guide, not a claim that our editors have personally visited. Trail conditions, permits, and access can change.
