PONCA — The cool fall mornings and afternoons in the farm fields of Boxley Valley in Newton County are prime time for elk viewing. An early October morning visit found locals and visitors alike stopping for photos and watching with binoculars as elk stepped out from the woods onto an open field to graze.
There is a spot on Arkansas 43 in the valley where elk watchers can safely park their vehicles and view the elk. On this morning, there was parking available, but late afternoon saw the lot full and cars lining the sides of the highway and people gathering to see the herd of elk. This was a weekday — weekends are bound to be much busier and the National Park Service urges caution when pulling off the road and reminds visitors to social distance.
The elk that visitors come to see aren't native to the area. Arkansas' native elk became extinct in the 1800s. In 1981, according to the National Park Service website, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission began the Elk Restoration Project and introduced 112 Rocky Mountain elk along the Buffalo National River. Currently, there are about 500 elk and about 100 live in the Boxley Valley area. A recent news release from the Park Service noted that the male elk — called bulls — can weigh up to 700 pounds. The antlers can weigh up to 40 pounds.
For those that don't get enough elk viewing in the morning and want to return in the afternoon, or just want to enjoy the history and beauty of the valley while there, there is plenty to see during the day.
The Boxley Valley Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places and contains many historic structures. One well-known landmark of the community on Arkansas 21 is the two-story Walnut Grove Church — now Boxley Community Center. A tree-lined drive leads to the structure — built about 1870 — and Walnut Grove Cemetery, the resting place of many of the area's early residents. Another is the homestead of James "Beaver Jim" Villines built around 1854. The home and other structures are easily seen from Arkansas 43.
A bit off the beaten path are an old barn, root cellar, cemetery and foundations for a school, church and homestead. The root cellar and barn can be seen without any hiking at the Boxley Trailhead for the Buffalo River Trail. The cellar is in the parking area and the barn is a short walk down a gravel road. Across from the barn is an old road that leads up a hill. This trail leads to a tiny cemetery and the remnants of an old school and old homestead.
Various hiking trails are great for seeing the natural beauty of the area. The Lost Valley Trail is about two miles long and is probably best explored after a recent rain. But even dry, the rocky creek bed and water-carved bluffs leading to Natural Bridge, bluff shelters and other geological formations are interesting, with interpretive signs telling how the canyon was formed. There is plenty of parking at this popular trail along with restrooms and a picnic area.
Toward late afternoon, the elk will begin to come back out on the farm fields. A fellow elk watcher, a local, suggested the best time to get back was about 4:30 p.m. The Park Service warns not to get too close to the elk. They suggest using "a rule of thumb" to know how close is too close. To do this, according to a news release, stick an arm out straight and do a thumbs up, then close one eye. Does the thumb cover the elk? If yes, it is a safe distance. If not, back up and give the elk some space.
More information on the elk in Boxley Valley can be found on the park service website here: nps.gov/buff/learn/nature/elk.htm or by visiting the Game and Fish Commission Ponca Elk Education Center at 4642 Arkansas 43 in Ponca. Currently, the center is open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.