Cob Cave - Lost Valley Trail
in Arkansas · centroid 82 mi from Springfield
Cob Cave is a natural bluff shelter on the Lost Valley Trail in the Upper District of Buffalo National River. This bluff shelter is approximately 50 feet tall, 150 feet deep, and 260 feet long from end to end, and it was formed when a soft, soluble layer of rock was undercut by Clark Creek, leaving a harder upper rock layer as the shelter's "ceiling." Archeological surveys indicate that this shelter was used by Native Americans approximately 2,000 years ago. Artifacts like lithic tools, woven basketry, and small corn cobs (the shelter's namesake) were excavated by University of Arkansas archeologists in 1931.
- States
- Arkansas
- Trail type
- National River trail
- Centroid nearest city
- Springfield, MO · 82 mi · ~2.4 hr drive
- Centroid coords
- 36.0174°, -93.3869°
About Buffalo National River
This trail is inside Buffalo National River, a national river managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Conditions, road status, trail closures, and reservation requirements are published on the park's NPS page — check it before driving in, especially in winter or during major weather events.
Official NPS trail page: https://www.nps.gov/places/cob-cave-lost-valley-trail.htm
Park homepage: https://www.nps.gov/buff/index.htm
Plan your hike
Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.
Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.
When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.
If you've hiked Cob Cave - Lost Valley Trail and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.
Stay nearby
Other trails within 50 miles
Eden Falls Cave - Lost Valley Trail
0 miles from this trail's centroid
Natural Bridge - Lost Valley Trail
0 miles from this trail's centroid
Ozark Highlands Trail
11 miles from this trail's centroid
Buffalo River Trail
22 miles from this trail's centroid
Shine Eye to Gilbert Trail
37 miles from this trail's centroid
Old Railroad Grade
38 miles from this trail's centroid
Sources
Trail data on this page is compiled from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), the maintaining organisation's public-facing materials, and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA where excerpts are quoted). Distance, terminus, and descriptive text for nationally-designated trails are hand-curated from federal land-manager websites and trail-association sources. We do not modify the underlying data; this page presents what is already publicly recorded. To suggest corrections, see our methodology page.