Tan Trough Creek begins as a stream seeping from acres and acres of glade rock north of Calico Rock. The little stream gathers size as it follows a deepening hollow to plunge nearly 100 feet to a canyon floor below through a semi-cylinder of stone! The creek then flows through the most amazing canyon we've encountered in Izard County...possibly even the Ozarks...this part of them at least. It's unique and quite wonderful!
For hundreds of yards, sheer bluffs of around 100 feet or more line each side of this creek. At one point, the tops of the bluffs on each side of the canyon are nearly within jumping distance of each other. As Rick and I searched for a way to get down to the creek bottom, we were forced to hike several hundred
yards before finding a navigable way down. As we fought our way back up the creek through briars, saplings, and last year's ice-storm fall-out, we were rewarded with fantastic views of the bluffs above us as well as with discovering small waterfalls and caves in the faces of the bluffs. We also found the spring of which we were told by our guide, David Wilson. had 
supplied water to a home atop the bluff by way of an ingenious pumping method which used the force of falling water to drive a piston. Some of the device still remains at the spring.Just above the spring is the waterfall, which paired with the springwaters, creates the headwaters of Tan Trough Creek.
Our time was limited while there. The canyon is so massive, we must return to explore it more. We were also told of other interesting features farther down the creek which we intend to investigate.
Izard County is truly mysterious! We're amazed that every few weeks, the county rev
eals some other magnificent attribute for our enjoyment...something that makes us proud we have a connection with this place!Watch the video below, and enjoy! We'll put some photos up tomorrow but you must see the video. Our modest equipment only gives our reader's a glimpse of this amazing place!
6 comments:
Denny, that's truly amazing. Too bad the summer won't be a good time to visit the place, for we'll all four be in the Ozarks for a month from around July 20th or so.
Jeffery Hodges
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The photo of waterfall in the canyon of Tan Trough Hollow is awesome. It appears to rival anything along the bluffs of the Buffalo National River...Tony McGuffey
It's cool, Tony...VERY cool!
Jeff, Wow! It might be hot...and we might have to dodge the critters...but by golly, we'll find SOME place to take y'all!
I hope you're coming in for the purpose I'm hoping you are! (Does that sentence even make sense?)
Oh...sorry 'bout the comment glitch. I had enabled the moderation due to spam and forgot to enable my e-mail alert.
Daddio, the job market is so bad in the States that there's little chance of finding an academic job anywhere near home . . . though one can always hope.
Jeffery Hodges
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Denny, over forty years before you found this place, my family lived on the property for about 3 weeks. My dad was contemplating buying the propery, and turning it into a KOA style campground, or nature park. As kids we explored and played in what we called, "The Gorge". I don't know if it had a name then, but it was on a topo map that I found the name
Tan Trough Creek, which led me to your site. I've been looking at satellite photos of the area for a couple years now, and thought I was looking in the right location, but details were too grainy. I finally hit the jackpot today.
All these years, I thought the water pump, pumping water out of the gorge wall was electric. But, now that I look at your story, and video, I do remember that old pump "pumping on its own". The water was pumped up the hill to the house. It was transported through about a 2 inch black plastic pipe to a twenty foot water tower that stood just in back of the house. It was ice cold and the cleanest water you could find.
In you video, there is a cave shown in the east wall, across from and a little down stream from the water pump cave. My oldest brother climbed down a rope to get to it. (I know dumb, but we were kids) We found Native American Indian artifacts in it; a couple arrowheads, utensils, etc.
The hollow itself has become very overgrown with foliage, compared to 43 years ago, but everything else looks the same. The cylindrical fall, the small pond of water we sat in, and caught a small trout in, the shear walls; all a kids playground paradise.
Thank you for rediscovering it, and logging your adventure. I would be interested in know what became of the property; still lived own, abandoned, or what. My next trip back to Missouri to visit family, I would love to go rediscover my childhood; minus repelling from rotten old ropes.
Vern, your comment makes a great end to my otherwise dreary day. Thanks for sharing your memories with us!
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