I've always heard talk of "The Narrs" experience, but was not able to visit until recently. The Narrows, aka The Narrs, is located in a remote area in Newton County, Arkansas. There are no signs marking the location, just an orange ribbon tied to a small bush on the side of the dirt road.
Don't ask me how to get there, just go with someone who knows where they are going (lol). There are routes from St. Joe, Lurton, Falling Water, and Bass to "The Narrs". After crossing Richland Creek a couple of times, you finally end up at the Buffalo River.
There are many sights to see along the way. This particular day, there were fields littered with the vibrant color of yellow wild daisies. The flowers were a perfect backdrop to mountain towering behind them.
There were many dilapidated barns, reminiscent of times past.
Massive fields along the dirt road that once housed cotton, now stand vacant. I was told that locals once came to pick cotton by hand in these fields. My mind ventured to a time where the fields were covered in white, where men in their overalls, women and even children, stood in the midst, picking cotton until their fingers bled. The kind of hard labor that this generation will never experience. It's now called child labor. My grandparents, mother and her siblings, all picked cotton. While it was very hard work, it was a spent making memories with family.
While it is a little tough getting to The Narrs, it is well worth the trip. A Jeep, 4-wheel drive or 4-wheeler is needed to drive the rough roads and to cross the creeks.
We arrived at "The Narrs", parked alongside the dirt road and scurried up a rock ledge.
Once we reached the top, the view of the Buffalo River below was AMAZING! At that moment I realized how "The Narrows" got its name. The ledge started off fairly wide and then narrowed to maybe 2 feet wide and even narrower in other places. Needless to say, I didn't venture too far and never reached the opposite side. I was content to behold the beauty from where I stood.
Although we were hoping to run onto a bear, we found the next best thing, footprints.
While driving back home around sunset, we saw several footprints that were freshly made by a bear. If only we had been a few minutes earlier. Oh well, there's always next time.
I encourage you to get out, explore nature and God's beautiful country. I love the great state of Arkansas and all it beholds.
The next time you want to get out in nature, think about going to "The Narrs". You won't regret it.
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