This is a new favorite spot that we will definitely be back to.
Tanyard Creek Nature Trail winds through woods, neighborhoods, and golf courses in Bella Vista, Arkansas. Although the place was packed with people all day, there was plenty of water to go around, and we found a nice quite bend to splash around in for hours.
There is a big parking lot with a pavilion and picnic tables, but you are missing out if you hang around there for long. A paved trail leads away from the parking lot, which greatly concerned our kids who thought this would be another "walk" instead of a hike.
Whether you quickly get off the paved trail into the woods or follow it until it ends, you quickly find water. Unpaved trails meander across, through, and on either side of the crystal clear water. However, we did most of our walking in the creek itself. There is at least one neat cave that you wander into a short way with water flowing through it.
We finally just picked a spot and sat and splashed for an hour or more. There are more neat spots here than we could check out in one day, including a cable bridge with a warning to be occupied by no more than eight people at once. One that we did get to see was the waterfall that comes from the Windsor Lake Dam, and it is impressive. We will definitely be back.
Another highlight of the day is that our three-year-old did the whole 3.75 miles on his own two feet today. That is a first. Although it is exciting, it has the potential to drastically slow our pace in the coming months.
Travel time from home: 50 minutes
Today's miles: 3.75
Remaining miles: 38.54
We were at least able to throw in a trail we hadn't done before (at least not this year!), the Yellow Rock trail. Yellow Rock is a 3.5 mile loop trail with two trailheads, each with good parking. We started from the bridge across Lee Creek, and from this side you get a brief glimpse of the aptly named Yellow Rock. The Yellow Rock is a cliff outcropping that juts out from the rest of the forest. The sheer drop into the creek valley creates some fantastic views best observed from your belly. You definitely don't want the kids too far away from you here. It is yet another remarkable spot in this park. Even before the eponymous rock, there are some remarkable rock formations with several small caves weaving in and out. There are plenty of places to enjoy being off trail. 
There is a big parking lot with a pavilion and picnic tables, but you are missing out if you hang around there for long. A paved trail leads away from the parking lot, which greatly concerned our kids who thought this would be another "walk" instead of a hike.
