The group of 13 from various churches in the Springfield - Branson areas joined in an expedition to the Richland Creek Area.  After a day of Ranger Derby (pinewood derby) Crafting from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm we left immediately and met a group at my house in Ozark, MO.  Left the house by 6pm and then traveled 2.5 hours to Richland Creek Campground.  This is a remote area in Arkansas.  When you leave the asphalt at Lurton.  It's another 30 minutes to the campground on dirt roads.  Arrived at base camp and Justin Fisher and his wife Kassie and Matt and Kendra had a fire going in camp was in full swing.  We enjoyed a time around the campfires and a nice 28 degree evening with warming temps through the early morning hours of 38 or so.  After breakfast and time around the campfires we broke camp and headed out to the Cemetery about 6 miles away from Richland Creek.

The drive to the cemetery was a rough road.  My 2 wheel drive truck did ok but I wouldn't have driven down it with out 2 wheel drive trucks with me. GRIN!  The road was so rough we elected to not drop a vehicle at the trail head at the other end and just walk the extra 1.5 miles on the road. The first part of the journey was a walk in the woods with an occasional little trickle creek.   We followed a old logging road but the trees were down and most of the  time the trail zigged and zagged back and forth over this road around down trees.  Briars were a factor and it wasn't long before we all had some blood on us.

Soon we came to our first bushwhack off of the road to look for the millstone.  Dropped 200 feet..  We had a GPS location but after about 45 minutes of looking part of the group just hung out as this was extreme bushwhacking and Justin and a few of the boys found the stones.  The rest of us settled for a over look over the creek waiting for the others to return.  Justin has the correct GPS coordinates and will get them from him later.

After about a hour we then went back up the 200 foot climb to the trail heading south towards Twin Falls.  Passing several neat little trickles along the way.  We followed the trail a bit to long and ended up on the top of Twin falls and then bushwhacked down 600 feet to the Creek.  I took a 6' long slide down a rock and landed quickly in the creek bed.  A good laugh and up and going.  BE CAREFUL FOLKS...that was slick.  Soon we were at the Twin Falls of Devils Fork at Richland Creek.  A awesome place to visit.  The trip in is hard from any direction and we took a new one coming in.

After lunch we realized time was slipping we headed back NW towards the Sandstone Castles.  It's up... Did I say up?  Did I get it across that we went up?  1200 feet up.  It was alot of bushwhacking UP!  Soon after about a mile of up we were on top of the world walking towards Sandstone castle. 

At the Sandstone Castles.  It's cool Up on top of this Boston mountain is a cliff face of sandstone columns and short caves with arches and formations.  Much like Pedestal rocks.  We explored around there for about 45 minutes and then hiked on out past some rock walls and old logging roads covered by falling trees and much of the trail was barely discernable.  At about 5:30 we came out to the dirt road and walked the rest of the 1.5 miles to the cemetery. 

This was probably one of the hardest day hikes I have taken. It was not the longest but it was the hardest.  I even took Monday off work because I was beat!  3 days later!  I am ready to go again!  Thanks again Justin for a great lead on this trip.

Mark Jones

Mill Stone	Twin Falls of Devils Creek	Justin and Kassie
	Lunch	Under Twin Falls
Group Resting at Twin Falls	Morning around Camp	Slept Great
Cakes on the Gridle
	Ready for Anything!
Them Bears was going to eat me!	I need Water!
Sherman		Josh are you sure you didn't scream like a girl? YUP he was sure.
Tall trail tales!		Sharp briars..ouch!
		Twin Falls
		Sandstone Castles
Cool Formations	Troll in there!	Light at the end of the tunnel!
Cool Coloumns		2200 feet up what a view!
	How do we get there from here?
	After a 1200 foot rise you would want to look over it too!
		First hard climb break!
Don't tell them there is another 400 feet up!		Telling you what you missed out on!
	Justin up the Hill!	Jimmy..so what did you think of that climb?
Mill Stone	Justin takes great pictures
		Rob at Twin Falls
		Another look at the map with flags about the trip.

Justin's report on the trip. 

Troll who goes there!	Twin Falls	YUM	Sandstone Castles
	Skewers of Yum!	View Boy!
Pretty Site
Belly Beans		Briar Evidences	Cool Place Sandstone Castles	You have to see this place.