In May 2021, I decided to visit the Ozark wilderness area for the second time, a three-day trip that included about 10 hrs of driving each way. The plan was to camp within the wilderness area. I purposefully wanted to be alone, to love myself and to spend time with my own thoughts. As it was raining during the week, I decided to visit some of the waterfalls in the Ozark wilderness. I was sure that there would be plenty of water to enjoy the falls in full glory!
A few days before the journey, I downloaded the Gaia GPS system and saved maps of all the areas I wanted to visit, as the cell phone reception in the wilderness is very sporadic and unreliable; a lesson learnt from my first trip.
It was a long drive and I reached the Kings River Falls area within the wilderness around 6:30 pm. The small parking lot from where the trail started was empty; I took my camera and started hiking. The trail was clear, level, and followed the Kings River for about one mile towards the small waterfalls. It was an enjoyable trek, listening to the sound of gushing water.
Finally I reached the waterfall area and could see the amazing pool in front of it. There was a small creek coming in from the side. I hiked along the creekside and reached the top of a bluff from where I could see the river below.
After coming down I sat by the side of the waterfalls until it was late evening. I headed back upstream to reach the trail head. Soon it was dark and the forest was lighted by fireflies all around. I arranged the bedding on the back seating area of the truck and slowly fell asleep. It was a long day that culminated with a deep sleep in nature's lap.
Wow!!! Nature's Paradise !!! Lovely photographs and video.