Hawksbill Crag Trailhead — Attraction in Huntsville

Today we climbed to Hawksbill Crag! It’s the longest hike we’ve done so far, just under 3 miles, and is rated moderate , which is exciting. It was overcast when we started and when we got to the top, it started raining but it was just a light rain and felt good. I felt like we climbed into a cloud.

When we got to the top, my husband walked out on the rock and I had to turn around because it was making my knees weak. Maybe some day!

We drove 6 miles up a hill to get to the trailhead. Then we started down and it felt like we went down and down, but we were still super high when we got out to the end of it. There was 321 feet of elevation and I was nervous to come back judging other people who are coming up as we were going down. It wasn’t that bad though. We would go up a little bit and then it seemed like it was flat and then we would go up and it was flat and there were switchbacks. It was a whole lot easier to me than the 170 feet of elevation. We did last week which seemed like it was uphill both ways.

There were a LOT of people there. It is the most populated trail we have ever hiked. I realize it is spring break. All of the people were very nice and friendly, but I really prefer to hike where there are less people. There were dogs and kids and it was like a party...

In 2019, Outside magazine claimed that Whitaker Point/Hawksbill Crag was the best hike in Arkansas. So, on our recent familiy visit (March 2022) we attempted to drive toward the trailhead but didn't go far onto the gravel road off of Hwy 16. The gravel road was horribly bumpy and it appeared to narrow as I proceeded. The left side had a dangerous washed-out rut that would have made it impossible to either pass another car or do a Y turn and head back out. I didn't want to take the risk nor put 12+ miles round trip of abuse on my vehicle, so I backed out the car and left. Why doesn't Arkansas celebrate this hike and make it more accessible? I don't even recall seeing a sign for it! Bewildering. (Hereafter, I'll be more skeptical of the hikes listed in Outside magazine's 'The Best Hike in Every...

The gravel road up to the trailhead is pretty steep. I managed it in a low clearance awd crossover, but you could probably get up it in a 2wd car. Though the road is steep, it's smooth. Plenty of parking at the top, 10+ cars could fit no doubt. No amenities like bathroom at the top but there is a nice sign with the details of the hike. There's a campsite on the trail to the point if you can find it, it's just off the trail to the right about a mile in, there's a fire circle with some logs to sit on around it. Lots of spiders here in the summer. Hike is beautiful, I'd reccomend camping on the trail (dispersed camping anywhere is allowed too), then hiking to the crag early in the morning to catch the sunrise....