“Cossatot” derives from an Indian word that roughly translates to “skull crusher.” Once you see the terrain, you’ll understand why. The Cossatot is known as a difficult (class II – IV+) whitewater stream to canoeists and kayakers. There is a section of it that is sometimes referred to as “the most challenging section of whitewater between the Smokies and the Rockies.” There are giant boulders in the river with narrow pathways in which you have to zigzag back and forth in order to navigate through them. The Cossatot River State Park, located in Wickes, Arkansas, hosts several areas to stay at with varying degrees of amenities. We stayed at Cossatot Falls. In order to reach the location where we camped, you have to drive down a few miles of dirt road. Some of it felt like we were on a washboard.

It has spectacular views and with only 6 camping spots and no hookups whatsoever, you are definitely secluded. There is a pay box located onsite and the park rangers do visit daily. The area where we pitched our tent was very well maintained and there is a pit style bathroom nearby. If you don’t have a way to charge your devices on your bike, a power bank is recommended as the nearest store is quite a distance away. Because of this, you’ll need to ensure that you bring plenty of drinks, food, and supplies needed for your camping excursion. We were ill-prepared and had to go in search of supplies.

There are 4 different hiking trails that cover close to 20 miles. Most of the photos and one of the videos below were taken near these trails.