>>> IT'S CALLED POWER PARACHUTING, TAKE A THREE-WHEEL WITH A PROP IN THE BACK AND ATTACH IT TO A GLIDER CHUTE AND WAY YOU GO.

WE'LL START IT WITH THESE THRILL-SEEKER NEAR THE TOWN OF CASS AT BIRD ADVENTURE CENTER IN THE FOREST.

WITH VOOGOGRAPHER ADMISSION CHAD HOLLIDAY AND ME AND ANOTHER WITH SPORT PILOT ROBERT WALKER WE SET OFF ON THIS EXHILARATING EXTREME HIGH-ADVENTURE SPORT.

>> I'VE ALWAYS LOVED TO FLY.

WAS WITH FRONTIER AIRLINES FOR A FEW YEARS.

AND ANYWAY, A GUY HAD A VIDEO ON POWER PARACHUTING AND I BOUGHT THE VIDEO AND TOOK IT HOME, DIDN'T EVEN GET A CHANCE TO TALK TO HIM HE WAS SO PACKED WITH PEOPLE AND WATCHED THE VIDEO AND I THOUGHT, WELL, YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT TO TRY THIS SO THERE WAS A GUY, A GENTLEMAN IN ROLAND, OKLAHOMA THAT GAVE ME MY FIRST INTRODUCTORY FLIGHT AND BEFORE I GOT THE END OF THE RUNWAY I KNEW I HAD TO HAVE ONE.

IT WAS JUST SO RELAXING AND YOU'RE LOW AND SLOW, YOU GET TO SEE A LOT OF THINGS AND YOU'RE -- BASICALLY, YOUR HANDS ARE FREE ONCE YOU GET YOUR THROTTLE SET, YOUR HANDS ARE FREE SO YOU CAN TAKE PICTURES AND VIDEO, YOU KNOW, YOU WANT TO FLY EARLY MORNING, LATE EVENING WHEN THE AIR IS SMOOTH.

BUT A LOT OF WILDLIFE AND THE GREAT THINGS YOU GET TO SEE AND IT'S JUST VERY SAFE BECAUSE IT IS A PARACHUTE.

WHENEVER YOU LAY YOUR CHUTE OUT BEHIND YOU AND IT KITES UP YOUR SAILS INFLATE AND THAT MAKES THE CHUTE RIGID AND ONCE THE CHUTE INFLATES AND GETS UP OVERHEAD IT'S A WING.

AND SO IF YOU SHOULD HAVE AN ENGINE FAILURE FOR SOME REASON OR ANY KIND OF PROBLEM, YOU'RE BASICALLY JUST A SKYDIVER, THEN, YOU STILL HAVE FULL COVER TO LAND IT, IT'S GOING TO COME DOWN AT ABOUT 600 FEET PER MINUTE AND THAT GIVES YOU PLENTY OF TIME AT EVEN 200 OR 300 FEET TO PICK A SPOT TO LAND AND IT'S VERY SAFE AND I'VE ACTUALLY DONE SOME ENGINE-OUT LANDINGS AND FLOWN OUT OF WHERE I LANDED SO, I MEAN, I'VE WENT IN SOME PLACES THAT AN AIRPLANE JUST COULDN'T GO AND GET OUT.

AND THESE THINGS ARE JUST GREAT FOR THAT.

THEY DON'T GO LONG DISTANCES BUT YOU CAN FLY AREAS WITHIN A 50-MILE RADIUS OF WHERE YOU TAKE OFF AND IT'S JUST VERY RELAXING AND SAFE AND THAT'S WHAT I LIKE ABOUT IT.

>>> AND IF YOU CAN ATTACH THIS THREE-WHEEL FRAMED PROP MACHINE TO A GLIDER CHUTE WHY NOT, THEN, TO A HANG GLIDER AND THUS THERE'S ALSO THE EXTREME SPORT OF POWER HANG GLIDING.

>>> I STARTED HANG GLIDING IN 1989 AND SPENT ABOUT 17 YEARS FLYING HANG GLIDERS, MOSTLY IN ARKANSAS, MOUNT MAGAZINE AND MOUNT NEBO BUT ALL OVER THE U.S. AS WELL AND IN 2004 AT BYRD'S ADVENTURE CENTER WE BROUGHT THE U.S. NATIONAL CHAMPION HANG GLIDER HERE TO TEACH THEM BEHIND A TOW BEHIND.

WE LEARNED HOW TO AEROTOW BEHIND THAT MACHINE.

BUT I GOT A RIDE BEHIND THE MACHINE AND THOUGHT THIS WAS A LOT OF FUN.

IT DIDN'T TAKE A YEAR BEFORE I PURCHASED A TRANSCRIBING, AND MADE THE TRANSITION NONPOWERED HAND GLIDING TO STRIKING WHICH GIVES ME QUITE A BIT OF FREEDOM.

>> I GUESS YOU COULD COMPARE IT TO WHEN YOU WERE A KID YOU 1(800)A TRICYCLE AND THIS IS THE NEXT LEVEL FOR A GROWNUP.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

IT'S LIKE BEING A KID AGAIN.

I FLEW THIS MACHINE TO CHICAGO THIS SUMMER.

>> YOU DID?

>> YES, ABOUT 500 MILES ONE WAY.

TOOK ME TWO DAYS, ABOUT SIX HOURS A DAY FOR A TOTAL OF 12 FLYING HOURS.

>> GOING FROM AIRPORT TO AIRPORT.

>> BIRD'S ADVENTURE CENTER AT THE MULBERRY AND GOING FROM AIRPORT TO AIRPORT AND I HAD A GREAT TIME.

>> I BET YOU DID.

>> NOT HE HAVE BEEN GETS IN A POWERED HANDING GLIDER AND FLIES TO CHICAGO.

>>> LET ME ASK YOU, IF THE ENGINE FAILS ON THIS, CAN YOU STILL GLIDE IN?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

THIS IS A POWERED GLANG SO WHEN THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF, IT FLIES JUST LIE A HANDING GLIDER, SEVEN TO ONE GLIDE WHICH WOULD BE EQUIVALENT TO AN ENTRY-LEVEL HANG GLIDER.

AND IT'S GOOD TO PRACTICE POWERED LANDINGS SO YOU STAY CURRENT WITH THOSE SKILLS.

>> AND IF YOU'D LIKE TO ACQUIRE THESE TYPE OF SKILLS, ZEN BOWELED DEN IS A CERTIFIED STRUCTURE.

BY WHATEVER MEANS YOU DECIDE TO TAKE TO THE AIR, POWER HANG GLIDING OR POWER CHUTING.

>> YOU'RE GETTING A VIEW OF THE WORLD A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T GET TO SEE BECAUSE YOU'RE UP THERE AND YOU'VE GOT THE BIRD'S-EYE VIEW OF THE STREAMS AND THE COLORS AND IT'S JUST A GREAT, GREAT VIEW FROM UP ABOVE.

>>> IF YOU'VE LOAN IN THE KINGS RIVER IN NORTH ARKANSAS THEN YOU KNOW WHAT AN ADVENTURE IT IS.

BUT THERE'S ANOTHER ADVENTURE TO JOINING THIS RIVER.

KINGS OVERLOOK ADVENTURE TRAILS, SPECTACULAR FOR WILD LIFE VIEWING AND ESPECIALLY THIS TIME OF THE YEAR, WITH ALL THE FALL COLORS.

THE KINGS RIVER OVERLOOK NATURE TRAIL IS LOCATED WITHIN THE MADISON COUNTY WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA WHICH IS BETWEEN EUREKA SPRINGS AND HUNTSVILLE OFF HIGHWAY 23.

YOU CAN FIRST STOP AND PICK UP A MAP AT THE HEADQUARTERS BUILDING AND THEN CONTINUE ON THREE DIFFERENT COUNTY ROADS FOR ABOUT FOUR-AND-A-HALF-MILES WHICH WILL EVENTUALLY TAKE YOU TO THE TRAIL HEAD.

FROM THERE IT'S AN EASY HALF MILE HIKE THROUGH THE FOREST.

BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, YOU'LL COME UPON THE KINGS RIVER OVERLOOK ITSELF.

THE AREA HERE IS TYPICAL RUGGED OZARK MOUNTAIN TERRAIN WITH NUMEROUS STEEP MOUNTAINS AND HOLLOWS.

IT'S HOME TO DEER, TURKEYS, A FEW BEARS AND OUR NATION'S SYMBOL, THE BALD EAGLE.

SO WE'LL JUST LET THE SPECTACULAR SCENERY AND SOUNDS PORTRAY THE REST OF THE STORY FOR YOU ATOP THE KINGS RIVER OVERLOOK.

>>> IT'S THE LONGEST AND MOST COLORFUL BLUFF ALONG.

ROARK BLUFF LOCATED AT THE STEELE CREEK CAMP GROUNDS.

THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS YOU CAN TAKE IN THIS SIGHT, FROM ONE OF THE CAMPING AREAS, RIVER ITSELF OR HIKING TO AN OVERLOOK.

SO LET'S DO A LITTLE EXPLORING, SHALL WE?

ALMOST THREE QUARTERS OF A MILE IN LENGTH ROARK BLUFF IS LOCATED IN THE UPPER PORTION OF THE BUFFALO NATIONAL RIVER OFF HIGHWAY 74 EAST OF PONCA.

WATER STAINS FROM DIFFERENT MINERALS IS WHAT PROVIDES ALL THE COLOR TO THIS BLUFF.

ROARK BLUFF IS NAMED AFTER ONE OF THE EARLY SETTLERS, WILLIAMSON ROARK WHO OWNED A FARM ALONG THIS BEND IN THE RIVER BUT HE WASN'T THE EARLIEST SETTLER.

ROARK BOUGHT HIS FARM FROM GEORGE STEELE, WHO FIRST HOMESTEADED HERE IN 1847.

STEELE CREEK, WHICH FLOWS INTO THE BUFFALO RIVER, IS NAMED AFTER HIM.

BEFORE BECOMING A PART OF THE NATIONAL RIVER, THIS AREA WAS ALSO A PRIVATE HORSE RANCH AND HORSES REMAIN A PART OF THIS AREA WITH A CURRENT HORSE CAMP.

IN FACT, IT'S ALSO WHERE YOU CAN PICK UP THE BUFFALO RIVER TRAIL JUST OFF THE ENTRANCE ROAD FOR YOUR MILE OR SO HIKE UP TO THE OVERLOOK OF ROARK BLUFF.

THE FIRST HALF OF THIS HIKE ISN'T TOO BAD.

ABOUT THE HALFWAY POINT YOU'LL CROSS STEELE CREEK AND SINCE WE MADE THIS HIKE DURING THE FALL, THE CREEK WAS PRETTY MUCH DRY.

AFTER CROSSING STEELE CREEK AND FOR THE SECOND HALF OF THE HIKE, IT'S WHEN IT GETS TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE STRENUOUS SINCE YOU'LL BE GRADUALLY ASCENDING TO THE TOP OF BEE BLUFF WHICH OVERLOOKS THE BUFFALO RIVER AND ROARK BLUFF.

THIS IS, WITHOUT A DOUBT, ONE OF THE MOST BREATH-TAKING VIEWS THROUGHOUT THE BUFFALO NATIONAL RIVER REGION.

JOINING UP WITH A REGIONAL EDUCATION COORDINATOR WE VENTURED OUT ON HICKSON LAKE LOCATED IN THE DAGMAR WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA JUST WEST OF BRINKLEY OFF I-40.

TAKING THE GRAVEL ROAD ALONG ROBE BAY YEW YOU'LL REACH HICKSON LAKE AT THE END OF THE ROAD.

THIS AREA SHARES THE DESIGNATION OF A WETLAND OF INTERNATIONAL IMPORTANCE PRIMARILY FOR THE HABITAT PROVIDED TO WINTERING WATER FOWL.

>> DAGMAR WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA IS A BOTTOMLAND HARDWOOD FOREST AND IT'S A PART OF THE BIG WOODS.

DAGMAR WAS BOUGHT BY THE GAME AND FISH DIVISION IN 1952.

IT WAS RENAMED IN 2007 TO OR, ACTUALLY, 2007 IN HONOR OF OUR COMMISSION FROM 2000-2007, SHEFFIELD NELSON.

IT HOST A SLEWS AND BAYOUS THAT ARE GREAT FOR PADDLING, GREAT FOR FISHING, WATCHABLE WILDLIFE ABOUNDS HERE.

>>> DAGMAR IS REALLY A SPECIAL PLACE IN THESE BIG WOODS.

I THINK SO MANY OF US THINK ABOUT GOING UP TO THE OZARKS AND AREAS LIKE THAT BUT YOU NEED NOT TO FORGET THE DELTA.

THE BIG WOODS ARE HOME TO SPECIES OF BIRDS.

NEOTROPICAL MY GRANTS, THOSE BRIDE WASH LETTERS.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE IS THE PROth THONATORY WARBLER, BLACK HOODED WARBLER.

AND WE HEARD THE GEESE FLEW THROUGH AND THOUSANDS OF MIGRATORY WATER FOWL.

BIRDS ARE THERE BUT REPTILES, AMPHIBIANS, WHITE TAIL DEER, BLACK BEAR, SHOREBIRDS AND WADING BIRDS, IT'S A REALLY SPECIAL PLACE.

BEING OUT IN A BOAT LIKE THIS WE CAN EASE UP ON BEAVERS AND MUSKRATS, MINK, OTTER.

SO IT'S JUST, IT'S REALLY FULL OF WILDLIFE.

>> WITH ABOUT EIGHT BODIES OF WATER IN THE DAGMAR WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA VIEWING OPPORTUNITIES ARE ENDLESS FOR SEEING GOOD NUMBERS OF WILDLIFE AND THE BEST WAY TO ACCOMPLISH THAT IS BY CANOE OR KAYAK.

>>> THE COOL THING ABOUT A KAYAK IS YOU CAN JUST BE FLOATING ALONG MAKING HARDLY ANY NOISE AND DEER WILL COME DOWN TO THE EDGE OF THE LAKE AND DRINK.

>> UNLIKE MOST OF THE OTHER SMALL LAKES AND SLUICE AROUND DAGMAR HICKSON LAKE PRETTY MUCH HAS WATER ALL YEAR AROUND.

>> YEAH, IF YOU KIND OF LOOK AROUND YOU CAN SEE THE WATER MARK ON THE BIG CYPRESS TREES AND IT WILL TELL YOU WHAT JUST ABOUT THE LEVEL OF THE LAKE IS.

IT'S DOWN PROBABLY THREE FEET, ALMOST FOUR FEET.

THE SLUICE ARE GREAT FISHING, FISH ARE JUMPING AROUND AND THE WEATHER IS PERFECT, THIS IS A PERFECT PLACE TO BE.

>> AND THAT IT IS.

YOU CAN TRY YOUR LUCK AT CRAPPIE, BASS, BREAM OR CATFISH.

THIS WOULD BE ONE OF THOSE DAYS I LEFT MY FISHING POLE AT HOME, OF COURSE.

THERE'S ALSO ANOTHER REAL NEAT AND MOST INTRIGUING ASPECT OF DAGMAR AND HICKSON LAKE.

ALL THE BALD CYPRESS TREES ALONG WITH A VAST ARRAY OF CYPRESS KNEES.

IT'S NO WONDER WHY THE DAGMAR WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA HAS EVEN CAUGHT THE ATTENTION OF SOME OF THOSE OVERSEAS.

>> YEAH, WHEN I WAS THE WEBMASTER FOR THE GAME AND FISH COMMISSION I GOT A PHONE CALL ONE DAY AND A GUY SAID THAT HE WAS FROM GERMANY AND HE WAS ABOUT TO -- TO PROPOSE TO HIS FIANCEE WHOSE NAME WAS DAGMAR AND SEARCHED THE GLOBE FOR A GREAT PLACE TO PROPOSE AND HE CHOSE THE DAGMAR WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA BECAUSE IT HAD HER NAME.

THEY FLEW HERE FROM GERMANY AND HE BROUGHT HER DOWN TO DAGMAR AND PROPOSED TO HER HERE AT THIS SITE.

>> WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT THIS AREA?

>> I LOVE JUST AS YOU SEE TODAY, THERE'S NOT VERY MANY PEOPLE HERE SO YOU CAN BRING A KAYAK OUT AND COME AND FISH AND SPEND THE AFTERNOON IN ALL OF TOTAL SOLITUDE.

SOMETIMES THIS AREA WILL HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE ON IT AND SOMETIMES SOME OF THE SLUICE WILL HAVE PAD LETTERS ON IT BUT FOR THE MOST PART YOU CAN ENJOY SOME SOLITUDE AND GOOD, QUIET FISHING AND NOT HAVE A LOT OF NOISE AND HUSTLE BUSTLE OF EVERYDAY LIFE.

>> SO TAKE YOUR CANOE OR KAYAK AND PLOP IT IN THE WATER HERE AT HICKSON LAKE AT DAGMAR WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA FOR SOLITUDE PADDLING.

FOR MORE ON THIS DESTINATION AND MANY OTHERS AND CHECK OUR VIDEOS OR TO ORDER A COPY OF OUR SEGMENTS GO TO OUR WEBSITE AT AETN.ORG.

WE'LL SEE YOU, AGAIN, NEXT WEEK FOR ANOTHER EPISODE OF "EXPLORING ARKANSAS."