Little Missouri Falls is a 20-foot tiered waterfall on the Little Missouri River in the Ouachita National Forest, Montgomery County, Arkansas. The river steps down a rocky gorge on its upper reaches, and the Forest Service maintains the site for day use with picnic tables and a paved path to the overlooks.
The falls
The river drops over three steep ledges, each roughly 5 to 6 feet high. Lidar measurements indicate the combined drop is about 20 feet, though older surveys listed 24 feet. The ledges are part of the Ouachita Mountains, folded ridges of pine and oak where clear, rocky streams cross sandstone and shale.
Getting there
The site is in the Caddo/Womble Ranger District, which lists the area as open. Directions from Mount Ida run south on AR-27 for 8.4 miles, west on AR-8 for 12 miles, south on Forest Road 43 for 4 miles, then west on Forest Road 25 for half a mile to Forest Road 539 and the falls. The approach follows an all-weather gravel road to a parking area with restrooms. Camping is not allowed at the trailhead.
When to go
Flow is greatest in winter and spring, with high water typically occurring early in the season.
On site
A paved trail leads from the parking area toward observation points above the river. The day-use area includes vault toilets, picnic tables with grills and a footbridge across the river. The site is listed as handicap accessible, but steps on the walk to the overlook can be a fall risk for older visitors. People were reported swimming in the river in April 2020, while the area was closed.
History and name
Archeologists documented a campsite roughly 7,000 years old near the falls, used by Archaic hunter-gatherers for roasting game and working novaculite into stone tools.
Nearby
Crooked Creek Falls is about 1.9 miles away, Katy Falls about 9.4 miles and Cossatot Falls about 18.9 miles. Mount Ida is the nearest town, about 18.7 miles northeast.
Distances are straight-line.