Lost Valley, in the beautiful Boxley Valley Historic District, just an hour-and-a-half drive from

Eureka Springs, offers an easy hike with a lot of payoff. You and your family will remember this hike for many years, and it may even encourage you to try some other hikes in the area.

  You can find some spectacular hiking areas in the headwaters of the Buffalo River, but most involve long treks with elevation change. By comparison, the hike at Lost Valley invites kids and seniors, although some optional parts of the trail require a little more agility.

  This especially applies to the cave at the end of the trail which calls for some close parental supervision.

  Going into a cave on your own will provide a memorable experience. Bring some flashlights because even though the cave doesn't go very far back into the hillside, the room at the end contains a waterfall about 25 feet high.

  You may have read other descriptions of this cave that tell you about crawling through a passage to get to the waterfall. However, when you first enter the cave, go to the right, and you can stand up most of the way. You'll duck under one rock, but then you'll enter a room about 30 feet in diameter with a ceiling about 35 feet high. The waterfall runs most of the time except during very dry periods.

  Since you are in there on your own, you can turn off your flashlights and see how long it takes for your eyes to adjust so you can see your hand in front of your face. The answer is never, so be sure to have a spare flashlight. Those little square plastic disposable flashlights are perfect, since they fit in your pocket and are very reliable.

  This tour started at the end, so let's backtrack to the beginning. From Eureka Springs, take Hwy 23 south to Hwy 412. Go east on Hwy 412 to Hwy 21 South. Go through Kingston and stay on Hwy. 21 for the spectacular descent into Boxley Valley. Turn left on Hwy 43, and the signs for Lost Valley will appear on your left.

The parking area and campground are not far from Hwy. 43. At the back of the parking area, the trail begins.

  The early part of the trail is almost flat and extends less than a mile. Then the trail turns to the right to follow the creekbed. A natural tunnel immediately offers some great photo opportunities, and even the claustrophobic should be able to navigate this feature without a problem. (An alternate trail leads around the tunnel.)

  A little further along, a small cave opens to the right. The daring spelunker can go quite a ways back into this cave, but it mostly involves crawling, and even some slithering. Most visitors just slide into the first atrium of this cave and skip the squirmy tunnels.

  Further along the way, an enormous cavern, Cobb Cave, opens up into the hillside. Stories abound of Indians, Civil War soldiers and robber bands hiding out in this cavern, and it could shelter a small army. From another trail across the creekbed, the cavern doesn't look all that impressive until you see a person standing there to give the eye some means of comparison.

  From this point, the going gets trickier. A waterfall cascades into a pool at the base of the winding climb up to the final cave. (The photo at right shows Eden Falls.) Parents, take note! At the top of this section of the hike, you'll need to keep an eye on the kids because one side of the trail drops off into a treacherous fall.

  Even in winter, the cave stays around 57 degrees, so enjoy your time inside. You may see some hibernating bats, and please don't annoy them. Late Autumn through early spring, you won't face ticks or other pesky insects. No snakes, either, and some of the views of the bluffs are actually better when the leaves are off the trees.

  By all means, though, plan to come back again in other seasons. You can find some exotic plant species here, like trillium or jack-in-the-pulpit, that you'll otherwise only see in textbooks. As always, you'll want to remember the admonition to "Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints."

Pets are not permitted, even on a leash. The entire hike can take anywhere from two to four hours, depending on your pace.