Prince Fred Knob

Prince Fred Knob is located 3 miles from the trailhead, via a Z-shaped route, located in the middle of the 5-star Cow Creek Cook Hollow Loop Trail, in the Lower Buffalo Wilderness. The “CCCH” loop and side trails are popular with day hikers, backpackers, and horseback riders. This trail network is unmarked, unmaintained, and prone to wrong turns. The Prince Fred Knob spur trail is seldom traveled and particularly overgrown, should be avoided in summer due to chiggers and ticks, and hikers should wear work gloves to avoid scratches from thorns. Park at Marion County Road 6064 trailhead, hike 0.7 miles up to ridge top junction of loop trail. Turn right/counterclockwise onto the loop trail, proceed 1 mile southwest to spur trail junction. The ascent from the parking field to the spur trail turnoff is 1.7 miles, 500’ elevation uphill. Leave the loop trail, and follow the spur trail east the length of Granite Ridge 1½ miles to Prince Fred Knob. Prince Fred Knob, elevation 1,180’, is a prominent landmark towering above creek bottoms 700’ below, and is named for an abandoned mine. The 1½ mile spur trail is an old mining road along the ridge top of Granite Mountain. However, the path is overgrown and the forest is reclaiming the road. The route of the old road is recognizable as a strip of thick briers. Prince Fred Knob would be one of the grandest 360◦ vistas in Arkansas, but undergrowth obscures the views even in winter. One nice vista is located on the eastern shoulder of the peak, providing views of the White River, Elephant Head Bluff, and the Leatherwoods Wilderness to the west. There are two abandoned mines on Prince Fred Knob. The west mine is convenient, on the west base of the Knob on the approach from Granite Mountain. A second mine is located ¼ mile southeast of Prince Fred Knob, 300’ elevation below the peak.