
Herrod's Creek and Hare Mountain
A couple of days ago Lewis R. and I paddled Herrod's Creek to the confluence of the Mulberry at Byrd's. We parked near West Cobb on Hare Mountain and bushwhacked down a steep, mile-long rivulet into the Herrod's basin with our kayaks. Halfway down we encountered the elusive Mulberry limestone layer from some lost 'ozoic era.
Limestone is hard to find in the Mulberry watershed, which is generally sandstone based. This particular outcrop features a true cave and other classic calcareous features. Who knows how many bats, bears and other critters have lived here over the ages? In addition to the cave, Louis discovered a patch of goldenseal growing near the creek. It became apparent that a special blend of plants, animals and rocks have long been hiding in this unspoiled basin.
Upon reaching Herrod's Creek we hopped in our boats and blasted down several miles of nonstop class II and III rapids. There are more limestone ledges in the creek, making several fun class III drops. Midway down sits a bus-sized boulder made of a weird limey-sandy conglomerate. It rolled down the hillside some time ago and now seems happy in the middle of the creek.
Oddly, we never encountered serious log jams during the trip. Unlike Baron Creek and some of the other Mulberry tributaries that have been paddled recently, Herrod's didn't require any getting out of boats except for occasional scouting. I would recommend this run for new creek boaters or for anyone with a love of wilderness. It's a short trip you can combine with some of the other creek runs along the Mulberry. I have no idea when Herrod's was first paddled or "whodunit," but we paddled Herrod's when the Mulberry was running about 8 feet and I'd say it was the low end of optimal.
Incidentally, Herrod's Creek shows up on the original General Land Office survey plats from 1842. A close inspection of the map (below) shows the primitive "Road from Ozark to Huntsville" ran--still runs--along Herrod's Creek. The original Turner's Ferry across the Mulberry River also shows up on this map, near where the Byrd family settled in the 1850's. A fun summit hike can be made from Byrd's to the top of Hare Mountain and back utilizing the Ozark Highlands Trail at Herrod's Creek (you can visit Spy Rock along the way). At 2,395 feet, Hare Mountain is the highest peak along the Ozark Highlands Trail. Its rugged slopes feed a number of creeks including Herrod's.

Original 1842 Map of Herrod's Creek (Click to enlarge)