Hiking Indian Creek to the Eye of the Needle... Arkansas's most dangerous hike

Hike with me on a bucket list hike on Arkansas's most dangerous trail, Indian Creek to the Eye of the Needle! This trail has it all...a beautiful creek, majestic bluffs, waterfalls, and is really one of the most scenic trails I have been on. On the other hand, this hike is very hard and difficult to navigate! It includes very wet, slippery rocks, massive boulders, drop of ledges, a steep rope section, and if you are scared of heights this hike will keep you on your toes! I almost had to turn around at the beginning of the rope section because of the steepness of the first climb but with determination and adrenaline I was able to figure it out! Much respect to anyone who attempts this trail! Happy trails❤️

[@ozarksandbeyond4416]

Best video i’ve seen of this hike. Very well done. Thanks for taking the time to film it.

[@charliegirlhikes]

@ozarksandbeyond4416...wow thank you, I really appreciate that! I just uploaded a spring Hike of Eye of the Needle(check it out too) I love the difference with all the green! It's become one of my favorite hikes in AR! Thanks so much for watching😀

[@elizabethcasefoster9816]

Great video! You are a brave and determined woman. Thank you for allowing me to see the beauty of this trail

[@charliegirlhikes]

I really appreciate it! Thanks so much for watching 😀

[@edooutdoors316]

Absolutely beautiful, thanks for taking us along!

[@charliegirlhikes]

It's one of my favorites 😍... Thanks so much!

[@wadelauderdale4480]

This trail was where I was introduced to hiking almost 40 yrs ago. When you start with this, nothing else compares. Best hike for your buck.

[@charliegirlhikes]

Definitely one of the best! Thanks for watching!

[@7oddballs]

​@charliegirlhikes did you have to like climb vertically up part of the rope climb?

[@ervinslens]

Outstanding trail my friend, so nicely presented and narrated!

[@charliegirlhikes]

Hey I appreciate that! One of my favorite and most challenging hikes so far! Thanks for watching!

[@madonnabrown7681]

You should be proud of yourself. Congratulations!! 👍

[@charliegirlhikes]

Thank you!

[@Gratefulgetaways]

You rocked that trail! Congratulations!

[@charliegirlhikes]

I really appreciate that 😊 Thanks for watching!!!

[@normabarrigan6377]

Thank u that was so scary, I would never go alone , I am a big coward so many things could have gone wrong.Life is so precious. It was beautiful❤ take care of yourself and again I thank you.

[@charliegirlhikes]

I try to be careful and watch my step!It has become one of my favorite trails. I hiked it in spring too, you should check out that video bc the ferns are gorgeous...if you like ferns! Thanks for watching 😀

[@isabellawheeler5191]

The way you filmed everything is super helpful and engaging! Awesome job! I'm a bit freaked out by the look of that rope section, but look forward to giving it a try 😅

[@charliegirlhikes]

Hey thanks so much! It was a really fun hike, second time around hopefully won't be so nerve racking! The ropes are ok once you get up that first steep spot. I'm kinda afraid of heights so glad I just didn't freeze in fear lol! Excited to hike it again!

[@MrTobyNorris]

Great video and thanks for sharing. You inspired me to add Indian Creek and Eye of the needle to my bucket list. Looks like a spectacular place. Congrats on your accomplishment. 👍

[@charliegirlhikes]

Hey thanks...and thank you so much for watching! It's challenging but oh so worth it!

[@naturalstatetrailseekers7927]

Loving your show! Thanks for sharing your hikes! We love exploring in the Arkansas Ozarks, hiking, camping, riding, anything to be out there exploring. There's so much to see and so much we have left to explore! We are always looking forward to our next adventure! Stay safe out there and I can't wait to see what's next for you!!!

[@charliegirlhikes]

Hey thank you so much for watching! Glad to call Arkansas my home❤️...I'm headed out for more adventures this weekend so stay tuned!

[@Kari-bb3rm]

I love the nature and the detail you put in your video!

[@charliegirlhikes]

Thank you so much!

[@krystalwhittenburg2560]

Love your hike! This hike is on my list of things to do here in Arkansas. However, I'm a single mom of a 21 month old little girl, so I'll have to live vicariously through your video for now :) new subscriber here. Can't wait to see your other videos..❤ good job! Thank you for this video.

[@charliegirlhikes]

Hey thanks so much for being here and subscribing @krystalwhittenburg2560! So glad you are following along on my hikes! ✌️❤️😊

[@DaysWellTraveled]

Hi Charlie! Nice video. As soon as you said it was the most dangerous trail in Arkansas, I had to watch. I just stumbled across your channel while searching for interesting hikes. I like it. I do lots of hiking and post on KZbin myself. It looks like your channel is new, but I really dig your hiking videos so far. I just followed your channel! I look forward to staying connected. It looks like I’m your 24th subscriber! Woohoo!!!

[@charliegirlhikes]

Thank You so much! Yes I love hiking and decided recently to start sharing my adventures! So glad you are here! Yay #24!

[@DaysWellTraveled]

@@charliegirlhikes Thanks!

[@timpekarek9159]

I am glad you made it with no problem. Great video!

[@charliegirlhikes]

Hey I appreciate that. Thanks for watching!😊

[@davefalls6703]

Great hiking trail. I am not sure where Indian creek trail is but sure like the look of it.

[@charliegirlhikes]

This trail is great, one of my new favorites! It's located in the Buffalo National River Area! Thanks so much for watching 😊

[@TheDanashepperd]

Wow, you are brave! I do a lot of hiking alone but this looks really scary. I saw Cody and Kellie’s video of this trail (Dome Life at the time) a while ago. I live in Texas but absolutely love Arkansas. Look forward to watching more of your adventures!

[@charliegirlhikes]

Hey @TheDanashepperd, thanks for being here! It's definitely a different kind of hiking trail than I'm used to, but once you got over a few technical spots, it wasn't too bad! I'm ready to hike it again lol! I also watched Dome Life's video to prepare for the trail. Thanks so much for watching 😀 Happy Trails ✌️

[@ozark.explorer]

Thank you so much for this!

[@charliegirlhikes]

You're so welcome! 😊

[@fletchdad8755]

I just came across this channel after watching a Beer In Beautiful Places video ! I just subscribed !

[@charliegirlhikes]

@fletchdad8755 Thank you so much for subscribing! I also subscribe to Beer in Beautiful Places! So glad you are here! 😊

[@Kari-bb3rm]

Very nice!!! I love it!!! ❤️

[@charliegirlhikes]

Thank you...and thanks for watching😊

[@terrellaverse]

Wow! Way to go!

[@charliegirlhikes]

Thanks Terrella😘

[@kimshivers8009]

A terrific video! It looks like you did this solo, so sure glad to see you made it safely! I think this hike has the reputation for being dangerous because there are so many points of possible serious injury along the way.... not necessarily because of any real technical challenges. A friend and I first hiked to the Eye 35 - 40 years ago.... no ropes back then. Because it was July or August during that trip, there was also little to no flowing water. We were able to climb up to the cave entrance and walk through it to the other end. We had no flashlight and were unprepared for caving at the time, but the "cave" is short enough that by the time it was getting too dark to see much, we began to see a little light from the exit, so we pressed on. I believe that entrance to the cave has been forbidden for many years now because of it being the home of a rare bat species and/or white-nose syndrome. Indian Creek Canyon and a 14 mile long canyon south of Flagstaff, AZ are the two favorite hikes of my life. Thanks for sharing this!

[@charliegirlhikes]

Thank you! Your hike to the Eye sounds awesome! I couldn't even imagine climbing without the ropes! Yes, you definitely can't go through the cave anymore, but it truly is one of my favorite hikes ever! I just went again with a friend in spring, and the canyon walls were just carpeted in the most ferns I have ever seen. I will definitely hike it again this year and every year. It's just too fun and beautiful! I want to see the waterfall flowing at the Eye. That's a goal of mine! Thanks so much for watching!

[@preacher1511]

Hey Charliegirl, Preacher here. Wow, what a beautiful hike. I live in middle Tennessee and hike the Cumberland Plateau and the Smokies. There is a trail here that is very similar to this one. I have never hiked in the Ozarks but this one fascinates me. Great job filming and narrating. Gerry Largay was from right up the road from me. Her tragic AT story was very prominent in our area. I agree with you, there seemed to be some missteps by the S&R teams looking for her. It should not have been that hard. And she was right on the fringe of a special operations Navy facility, where they have lots of personnel who it seems could have been more involved. So sad. Be careful and God bless.

[@charliegirlhikes]

Hey Preacher! Thanks so much for watching the video...it's really a fun, and challenging trail! Awww the Smokies, my favorite. I've actually only been once... last October my friend and I camped , drove through Cades Cove, visited Clingmans Dome, and hiked to Charlie's Bunion and back. It was incredible! And about Geraldine...they could have found her, so unfortunate. The rescue I watched, they acted like no hiker would get off the trail where she was in Maine bc of the ruggedness and go to the bathroom, well where else would they go!?!?! It was disappointing. RIP Geri! Thanks for being here! Happy Trails ✌️

[@preacher1511]

One of the most beautiful hikes in the Smokies is Newfound Gap to Tricorner Knob. It is on the Appalachian Trail so you can continue on indefinitely, return to Newfound Gap, or get off on side trails and literally make a multi-day loop out of it. Some of the most stunning views and awesome ridge walking anywhere. Hit me up on here if you ever decide to return to the Smokies. Be careful out there, and God bless.

[@krystalwhittenburg2560]

I'm also scared of hiking alone because I've seen a few mountain lions in my life and nothing shakes that fear. If there was a hiking group that met up or a club of hikers you could tag along with, that would be wonderful . Gorgeous trail!

[@charliegirlhikes]

@krystalwhittenburg2560, thank you for watching! I hike alone a lot, actually, and I really enjoy it. Now, this particular trail is probably smart to hike with a partner! I am a part of a couple of hiking groups, but I prefer just one or two friends to hike with or alone! Happy Trails😊

[@erikw2012]

This is my favorite trail! I don't live far from it. I hike it often and you rock for doing it alone. However, I'm sure you would agree when I say I advise to not hike this alone. 😅

[@charliegirlhikes]

Oh yes 100% I advise take a hiking buddy. I did research this trail a lot so I could get familiar with it but researching has nothing to with the danger of easily falling and hurting myself. If I felt it was too dangerous I would have stopped at turned around!

[@johnarmstrong6227]

I'm moving to Fayetteville this summer and been looking for places to explore - this looks amazing! Not sure I'm ready for it quite yet haha.

[@charliegirlhikes]

That's awesome! Well you will only be an 1hr40m away from that trail! It is amazing and I hope eventually you hike it! Thank you for watching!

[@hikingwithjackieboy]

Very beautiful area. Nice hike, for sure.

[@charliegirlhikes]

I love a beautiful area and a good challenge!!! Thanks for watching!

[@hikingwithjackieboy]

@@charliegirlhikes you're welcome

[@OneEyeHikes]

Easier way out is to climb out of Eye opposite side you came down and work up canyon. Exit onto old road/horse trail back to BRT. Great video and glad you made it safely.

[@charliegirlhikes]

That way out is on my list to try someday! That climb up the canyon, from the Eye looks steep, I like the safety of the ropes, lol! Thanks so much for watching😀

[@OneEyeHikes]

@@charliegirlhikes yep, steep and a rope is advised for the descent behind the eye. Large boulders to navigate after, then it gets easier.

[@charliegirlhikes]

@OneEyeHikes good to know! I honestly know zero about ropes, just lucky someone maintains the current rope section on trail. Thank you so much for your helpful info!

[@rungavagairun]

22:30 do you not have a Garmin or some other kind of GPS tracker/communication device for trips like this? Especially when you're out solo, it's worth the money IMHO. I fell and cracked a rib on a section of the Ouachita Trail a couple of weeks ago. It was a stupid accident on relatively level trail where I just tripped over a branch because I was hurrying at the end of the day. I got the wind knocked out of me, and it didn't feel great, but I was able to get back up and continue. However, it's not hard to imagine a similar fall where I could have sustained a more serious injury. With the tracker, I can hit the SOS button, and even if I was knocked unconscious, rescuers would know my position. I love backpacking and hiking, but I don't want to die on the trail.

[@trekkin.turner]

You rock! Can definitely see why people say to avoid this trail. It looks sketchy. Beautiful view at the end tho!!

[@charliegirlhikes]

It was quite the challenge and definitely dangerous but I loved it! Plan on hiking it again in spring!

[@jacksonlee3771]

I'm sure it is safer to hike that trail during the winter. I would not think of doing it during the summer

[@charliegirlhikes]

I just hiked it again in April, and the spring green was so beautiful, but yeah, probably not this summer! Most trails around here grow up so much during the summer. Thanks for watching 😀

[@HikeAroundandFindOut]

Great Video! I think this hike is way above my pay grade though. How hard is it to just get to the waterfalls?

[@charliegirlhikes]

It very slippery and if you will run into sketchy ledges, water crossings....there is an upper trail if you don't walk up the creek to the falls but I hear it's steep and sketchy also. Just being honest with you. With all that being said though, I just went slow and watched every single step once it got tricky.

[@wegder]

A Missouri man who led a 31-person hike on the Buffalo National River where one participant died in a fall will face criminal penalties for acting as an unpermitted guide, a federal judge ruled this week. In a bench trial in Harrison, Arkansas, Magistrate Judge Mark E. Ford ruled that Jeffrey M. Johnson had charged participants money to be part of a hiking group he organized despite not having necessary permits to engage in commercial activity on National Park Service-managed land.

[@charliegirlhikes]

Oh yes, I've heard all about this! This trail can definitely be a risky hike, so unfortunate that someone has lost their life on it. To guide people on this hike, in my opinion, isn't a smart decision! Thanks for watching!

[@bradishee8666]

Dang!! That’s some serious stuff! Always wanted to do that trail. Questions- how did you find the needle? Use an app? Or trail map? Did you have water shoes and shorts for the water ? Awesome hike!!

[@charliegirlhikes]

So I actually watched a few KZbin videos to research the trail. I didn't use any maps. I hiked the trail in my saucony hiking shoes and leggings! My feet were wet and I had to get in the creek about thigh deep but none of that bothered me. It helped the creek wasn't high, that would make the trail even harder.

[@erikw2012]

If you have the alltrails app, you can search it "Indian Creek trail to Eye of the Needle Buffalo national river" but that only takes you to the ropes up. The trail doesn't continue by app. That is the unofficial part really as it is dangerous. Best advice though. Stay as close to Creek as possible. No unnecessary ups, as my friend says.

[@charliegirlhikes]

​@erikw2012 I forgot there was a map on Alltrails, thanks for the reminder!

[@erikw2012]

@charliegirlhikes Haven't followed the route on the app in so long, but if I remember correctly, with some of the spots, there is a less scary route. I will say, that 5 inch ledge part on the route back out. Do not go up the trail on left to avoid it. That trail up, leads to a ledge that is the most dangerous route there. I hope that I explained that good enough. The way you went is the best option to avoid it. Loved your video and that trail is my favorite in the area.

[@charliegirlhikes]

@erikw2012 so I took that entire sketchy ledge part on the way there...thankfully on the way back I couldn't get up the ledge because I was just too short to get up but that's ok because I found the easier trail on the other side! I'm definitely hiking it again in spring!

[@rungavagairun]

So, do you have to turn around and hike back out the same way you hiked in, or is there a way to make this a loop?

[@charliegirlhikes]

@rungavagairun you can climb up the side of the canyon close to eye and head out that way if you parked another car at that end, though I have never tried it. No loop though! Yes eventually I will have a Garmin for safety and communication reasons. I'm just lucky I haven't needed one so far! Thanks so much for watching!

[@markmuren5534]

​@charliegirlhikes solo on Indian first trip is impressive. If your at the bottom of the eye facing it, you can go up the left side to the top , the Eagles Nest.Then you have a short, tricky scramble down the back side( don't know if there is a rope there. ) There are 3 more waterfalls to the top and then a trail loops back on the left side of the creek as your going up. This stays up high till it runs back down a ridge and hooks up with the trail to Kyle's landing you hiked in on. Indian Creek is special.

[@charliegirlhikes]

@markmuren5534 Nice to know, ty! I saw a faint trail scrambling up the left. It looked steep. Maybe next time when I'm not solo! Thanks so much for watching 😀

[@tammydobson3174]

That is very pretty!!! But you should have long sleeves on to protect your arms and your hair in a ponytail...JMO...but what a beautiful hike....

[@charliegirlhikes]

Hey thanks so much for watching! Such a beautiful trail! Great advice👍 I'm weird lol...wear my hair down a lot especially when it's clean🤣. Long sleeves would have been too warm for me that day.

[@davidcolley8571]

Where is it? A particular state park? Thanks.

[@charliegirlhikes]

@davidcolley8571 it is located at Kyle's Landing, a campground on the Buffalo River off of Arkansas 74 between Jasper and Ponca. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask. Thanks for watching 😊

[@desTroyeth999]

I thought you were going to hike/ climb up through the needle.

[@charliegirlhikes]

Nope, I haven't thought about it, maybe one day! I just want to catch it with water! Thanks for watching!

[@normabarrigan6377]

What town is this close to.

[@charliegirlhikes]

The closest town is Jasper, and biggest...Ponca is close too.

[@joyful1blessed1]

Have you heard the story of the lady who died in her tent while hiking alone up northeast? Thanks for doin this, but next time take a partner for your safety. We love Arkansas.

[@charliegirlhikes]

Arkansas is beautiful 😍. No I don't think I heard that story? Here in Arkansas?

[@joyful1blessed1]

It happened in 2013 up in Maine. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eqa1i3uQa5umrZY @@charliegirlhikes

[@charliegirlhikes]

I thought this is what you may have been talking about! I followed all of this and watched them search for her. I'm obsessed with the Appalachian Trail. This poor woman got lost off trail going to the bathroom. Only 2 miles from Trail, rescuers didn't do their job in my opinion! I'm pretty experienced and research everything before I do it, especially when I am alone! Simple mistakes like that can happen though! I think of Geraldine often!

[@Kari-bb3rm]

I love this terrain. What an adventure!!!