The Fall Caney Mountain Mule Ride
Mule riders at the iconic ‘Welcome to Caney Mtn Horse Camp’ sign
by Lenice Basham, PairADice Mules (from the January 2024 issue of Mules and More)
The day after Thanksgiving, instead of partaking in Black Friday shopping, my husband Loren and I loaded our mules and headed to Caney Mountain Horse Camp near Big Flat, Ark., for a long weekend of mule riding, beautiful scenery and great friends.
The Fall Caney Mountain Mule Ride is lovingly referred to as ‘the last hoorah of the year,’ and mule riders have been making this trip since the ride started in 2017. This was our first time to attend this ride, which ran from November 26 through December 2, 2023, and to visit Caney Mountain Horse Camp.
“All the leaves are off and you get the full view of the wilderness,” said Anthony McAllister, who helps organize the ride.
There is no ‘easy’ way to get to Caney Mountain, although it is only five hours from our house. The forest road into the camp is six miles long - but will take an hour to get to. The forest road is mostly one way, due to rock formations and steep drop-offs. However - there were no issues with us getting our 40-foot living quarter trailer into the camp. A couple of the turns were tight with a rock beside the road and a ravine on the other - but slow and steady was the answer when getting to camp. There are certain sections of the road which are one lane wide. It is so worth the drive! (Check the Caney Mountain Horse Camp website for detailed instructions on how to get into camp.)
The campground sits in the middle of Sylimore National Forest, Lower Buffalo River Wilderness, and Leatherwood Wilderness area. Leatherwood is approximately 16,000-plus acres and was declared a wilderness in 1984. The ruins of old homesteads, farms, and roads all returning to natural conditions can be found along the trails. This is the largest wilderness area in Arkansas. It is located in the Ozark St. Francis National Forest which is another approximately 11,000 acres of forest.
Despite the weather turning colder, we were fortunate to get to ride for three days. The first day we did a short afternoon ride led by Buck Harris. We rode the rim ride and it did not disappoint. The trails are impressive and the views over the Buffalo River are spectacular.
The second morning, camp owner David Dedman was able to lead our group of riders. We visited the Cold Springs School and ate lunch on a huge rock overlooking the river.
One of the coolest remaining structures that we rode by was the Cold Springs School. Located in the Lower Buffalo Wilderness and built in 1935 by the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression, this one-story, one-room school was made of native-cut stone walls and has a brick chimney and a wooden floor. The Works Progress Administration (WPA) was a government program tasked with finding jobs for unemployed Americans from 1935 to 1943. The community members from the Big Creek community built the school at a time when work was greatly needed. The Buffalo National River website quotes, “My Dad Orville Franks hauled the rocks from the stream bed of Big Creek. Dad used my Grandpa’s mules to haul the rocks. He got paid $1.00 per day and gave Grandpa $0.50 per day for the use of the mules.” Considering we were in the middle of 10 beautiful mules that we rode to get to the school - I thought this was a nice coincidence.
The school was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. It’s still open to the public to use and appears to be in pretty good shape. Hikers and those lost in the wilderness can use it for shelter. The ring that the teacher used to hold her buggy horse (or mule) during the day while school was in session remains at the side of the school.
The WPA built 423 schools across Arkansas during this time in history. From research that was available online, it appears that the school was closed in 1946. The Buffalo River Valley in northern Arkansas is among the most isolated and remote regions of the state and it is hard to imagine where the community children were sent to school following the closure.
At Caney Mountain Horse Camp, trails are easily accessible in all directions around the camp. You can go on trails as easy as you would like (like the Rim Ride) and as difficult as you want. The majority of the trails we rode were moderate trails.
We had the great pleasure of having Angie and Jim Lee lead our trails on our last day of riding. They are permanent campers and really know the trails and terrain. This was a beautiful ride. We were able to ride the incredibly unique ‘Sidewalk’ and if I had to guess - one of the most photographed trails. We were also able to ride to the Rock Waterfall.
Caney Mountain Horse Camp is owned by David and Tonya Dedman. After enjoying the camp as guests for several years, David, a former farm and ranch manager, and Tonya, who had worked in business, became the owners in 2022.
It is a beautiful horse camp with stalls for your mules, limited water, and no electricity. There are some permanent residents and space for campsite rentals. The camp provides meals for breakfast and supper at a low cost per person. The meals included catfish, lasagna, cheeseburgers, and all the sides to go along. The meals were delicious and we were thankful to not have to bring additional supplies for the weekend!
Another great component of this ride is their commitment to raising money for those in need. This year they raised over $6,300.
Considering this is so close to the house (less than 5 hours from our door to their office) I am unsure why we had not made it to ride here before. We hear often - from people we know and from strangers - that Caney Mountain is a favorite place to ride, and everyone is always surprised that we have not been there. But, we will be back! I can see why permanent residents never get tired of Caney Mountain. It will look different each time you ride and there are so many trails that you would never get tired of the terrain and trails. Make plans now to put this on your riding bucket list. It should be at the top of everyone’s list for 2024!
Caney Mountain Horse Camp hosts several organized rides throughout the year, including a spring Mule Ride. In addition to camping, they offer cabins and bunkhouses. Find more on Caney Mountain Horse Camp at caneyhorsecamp.com.
“These rides are the best way to learn about mules and the great people involved in the mules,” said Anthony McAllister. “ “They are very family-oriented, so bring the kids along, and even horse riders are welcome to enjoy the fun.” After the Fall Caney Mountain Mule Ride, Anthony begins planning the McAllister & Friends Annual Shawnee Mule Ride, which will be held in the Shawnee National Forest in Illinois, April 14-21, 2024.