Driving directions from the South (Ponca): The Centerpoint Trail is located around 3 miles from Ponca heading North on highway 43. The trail head and parking area will be on your right once you climb the hill.
Driving directions from the North (Harrison): Take highway 7 south from Harrison for about five and a half miles. Turn right onto highway 43. Drive 16 miles on highway 43, the trail head will be on your left before you drop off the mountain. It’s about a 30 minute drive from Harrison.
Hiking to Big Bluff: The hike takes from 4 to 5 hours to complete round trip if you’re in decent shape. It’s approximately 6.5 miles round trip and moderately hard due to the loose rocks and incline.
The hardest part of the trail looks like an old gravel bed with a lot of loose rocks. It’s difficult coming down and even harder coming back up. It’s easy to twist an ankle so be careful. Also, make sure you bring water because you’re going to break a sweat.
The trail gradually winds to the left. There’s one point where you take a sharp left turn and head down hill. Make sure you stay on the main trail. There’s a side trail about a half mile into the hike that will get you lost. Make sure to skip it and keep going.
Once you get to a T in the trail, you take a right. It’s easy to miss, so be careful. The trail to the left leads you to an old cabin.
To the right is the Goat trail. It’s narrow and leads you down hill to Big Bluff. It’s about 5 minutes from the T, so if your not seeing what you expect, turn around.
The ledge is pretty narrow and around 350 feet from the bottom. It’s not a place for kids or people afraid of heights. It offers beautiful views of the Ozarks, the Buffalo River, and some amazing rock formations.
If you go, let me know, I’d love to hear about your trip and see your pictures. If you found my directions helpful or just liked the article, please follow me or give me a like on social media.
