Cliff Diving in Arkansas
Locations to Jump, Quarries, Safety Precautions
Cliff diving in Arkansas is a very popular sport. The locations listed on Thirst for Adrenaline are just a few of the locations for cliff diving in Arkansas. The cliff diving locations listed are to help guide you to a suitable place to jump. This means the areas listed throughout Thirst for Adrenaline currently or at one time have contained one or more locations which match the requirements (being deep enough, etc.) for cliff diving / cliff jumping. This may not hold true year round as water levels can recede. We cannot stress this point enough, always prepare and survey the area before cliff diving. Serious injuries can occur; even when you are prepared.
Due to changing local laws regarding cliff diving locations, we ask that jumpers research the cliff diving areas independently to determine if jumping is legal before going. Never dive or jump at an illegal location. That area is illegal for a reason. The reason is generally due to the area being dangerous (a large occurrence of underwater rocks, high accident rate, inadequate water depth, water depth that changes frequently, etc.) or that it is private property. Many locations are now illegal due to their dangerous conditions.
Cliff diving (cliff jumping) is a dangerous sport and all precautions must be taken. Many people have died cliff diving; even from a low height. Others have altered the rest of their lives due to injuries obtained from cliff diving. Use common sense. Just because your friends dare you to jump is no reason to do so. That’s normally how serious injuries occur as one tries to out-do the other. You may think jumping from a higher cliff is cool but know that the higher you go you are increasing the risk of injury. It is never recommended to jump from a height of over 40 feet. Thirst for Adrenaline is not responsible for any injuries, legal issues, or anything else associated with your cliff diving experience. Thirst for Adrenaline only provides locations we learn about from various sources. We post necessary precautions throughout the cliff diving section and it’s up to the cliff diver to follow those rules.
| Cliff Diving Location: | City/County: | Is it Legal?: |
|---|---|---|
Buffalo River |
Saint Joe, Arkansas |
Not Verified |
Cossatot Falls |
Wickes, Arkansas |
Not Verified |
Greers Ferry Lake |
Herber Springs, Arkansas |
Not Verified |
Jeffrey Stone Quarry |
North Little Rock, Arkansas |
Not Verified |
Lake Ouachita |
Mountain Pine, Arkansas |
Not Verified |
Tyler Bend |
St. Joe, Arkansas |
Not Verified |
Rogers, Arkansas |
No |
|
Glenwood, Arkansas |
No – Closed |
There are most likely hundreds of locations for cliff diving in Arkansas and multiple locations within a specific area. Thirst for Adrenaline lists cliff diving locations that are popular. If we were to list every water hole, it would be extensive. Instead, we’d rather focus on areas that are worth your time as opposed to a small body of water which doesn’t offer the best landscape for cliff diving. Are you familiar with an unlisted location which is suitable for cliff diving in Arkansas? Please recommend a location for cliff diving.
Buffalo River is located in northern Arkansas and flows for more than 150 miles. It originates in the highest part of the Boston Mountains in the Ozarks, flows onto the Springfield Plateau, then crosses the Salem Plateau and meets up with the White River. It flows through Newton, Searcy, Marion and Baxter Counties from east to west.
Cossatot Falls is located in the Ouachita Mountains on a powerful river. Over a period of nearly 350 million years the river has cut its way into the sandstone and created the falls which drops 33 feet over 1/3 mile stretch. The river near the falls ranges in difficulty from a Class II to Class IV rating. To give you an idea of how strong this is, a Grade 6 waterway is so dangerous that it’s almost impossible to safely navigate the raft. Swimmers and floaters should be aware of the strong currents and take all necessary precautions.
Greers Ferry Lake is a reservoir formed by Greers Ferry Dam in Northern Arkansas. The lake is around 75 miles north of Little Rock. The lake is split into two and connected by a water-filled gorge called the Narrows. Beneath the water lies the town of Higden which flooded in the 1800s. This is also a great place for scuba diving. The lake offers many recreational opportunities such as cliff jumping, swimming, scuba diving, camping, water skiing, wakeboarding and more.
Jeffrey Stone Quarry is located in North Little Rock. The quarry has been there since the 1950’s.
Lake Ouachita is located near Hot Springs, Arkansas and is a reservoir created by the Blakely Mountain Dam on the Ouachita River. The lake is in the Ouachita National Forest and covers over 690 miles of shoreline. This area is a popular tourist destination for water sports such as cliff diving, swimming, water skiing, wakeboarding, scuba diving, fishing (including a spear fishing season) and more.
Tyler Bend is located in the Ozarks. This area is very popular for camping and recreation.
Beaver Lake is located in the Ozark Mountains of Northwest Arkansas. This area is illegal for cliff diving. Do not go cliff diving at Beaver Lake. The lake is a man-made reservoir with over 483 miles of shoreline which was formed by Beaver Dam across the White River. The lake offers towering limestone bluffs, caves, recreational opportunities and much more. The area is a very popular tourist destination bringing over 3.1 million visitors every year.
Blue Hole Quarry is located on private property. The Quarry has cliffs reaching nearly 85 feet and the pool of water at its deepest is around 100 feet. It is now illegal to cliff jump due to visitors leaving trash in the area. Do not go cliff diving at the Blue Hole Quarry.
Cliff Diving in Arkansas at Jeffrey Stone, a rock quarry, near North Little Rock
Cliff Diving in Arkansas at Greers Ferry Lake in Herber Springs
Cliff Diving in Arkansas at the Buffalo River
Equipment for Cliff Diving
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