Discover Arkansas: Find Yourself at Home in the Natural State
There is a place for everyone in Arkansas, a 177-year-old state with a history and culture as colorful and diverse as its physical landscape. The deep woods of the Ozark Mountains, the wide-open farmlands of the Delta, the slow pace of small-town life or the conveniences and attractions of the big city — Arkansas has it all, including an endless supply of great food, good music, festivals, fishing, hunting, hiking and other recreational activities.
The state is divided into geographical regions, each with its fair share of excitement, beauty and history. To view photos of each region, visit www.Arkansas.com and take the virtual tour of the state.
Click on the region you want to visit first or scroll down to see them all.
At the heart of Arkansas you’ll find the capital city of Little Rock. The hub of the city is the downtown area, which is thriving with restaurants, art galleries, museums, shops, bars and fine hotels. State government, statewide media and banking and financial centers have also made their home there.
The William J. Clinton Presidential Center continues to bring in hundreds of thousands of guests from around the world. Adjacent to the center is the world headquarters of Heifer International and Heifer’s Global Village — an education center, outdoor commons area and wetlands. The Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center overlooks the Arkansas River and highlights the state’s wildlife resources, and the adjoining William E. “Bill” Clark Presidential Park Wetlands allows visitors an up-close-and-personal view of native plants and wildlife via bridges and trails.
The history of the state comes to life at the Historic Arkansas Museum and several other museums in the area, including the Old State House Museum, MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum and the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center.
A River Rail Electric Streetcar system connects the downtowns of Little Rock and North Little Rock, the latter of which is home to Verizon Arena, an 18,000-seat coliseum that hosts a variety of sporting events and musical acts. Also on the north side of the river, Dickey-Stephens Park is home to the Arkansas Travelers baseball team, the AA affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. And Burns Park, North Little Rock’s 1,700-acre park, lures folks out for soccer, golf, archery and tennis, and recreational fun on its playgrounds, at its dog park and even at its seasonal amusement park.
Of course, there are numerous opportunities for golf, tennis, hiking, biking and fishing throughout the area, especially in the capital city along the Arkansas River and its trail system and at Pinnacle Mountain State Park.
Nearby cities Jacksonville, Sherwood and Maumelle offer their own recreational treats and laid-back suburban atmospheres, while bustling Conway – dubbed “the city of colleges” – boasts world-class education, historic downtown charm and festivities year-round. In particular, Conway’s popular Toad Suck Daze festival draws thousands from surrounding central Arkansas settlements each spring.
Other notable cities/towns:
Benton, Bryant, Cabot, Greenbriar, Scott, Searcy
More can’t-miss attractions:
Arkansas Arts Center (Little Rock), Arkansas Repertory Theatre (Little Rock), Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre (Conway), Butler Center for Arkansas Studies (Little Rock), Faulkner County Museum (Conway), Little Rock River Market, Little Rock Zoo, Plantation Agriculture Museum (Scott), Toltec Mounds Archeological State Park (Scott), Reynolds Performance Hall (Conway)
This geographic region runs along the entire east side of the state, most of which borders the Mississippi River. Agriculture, along with agribusiness, is the predominant industry in the Delta, with hundreds of thousands of acres of cotton, rice, soybeans, corn and wheat grown each year.
Jonesboro is the largest town, with around 68,000 residents. Much of the area’s history is told through displays and exhibits at the Arkansas State University Museum on the ASU campus. Helena-West Helena is famous for its King Biscuit Blues Festival each October, and the town of Dyess is known for being the boyhood home of Johnny Cash, one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century.
Arkansas’s first capital city, Arkansas Post – also the first European settlement in the lower Mississippi River Valley – is located in the region. History buffs will want to seek out the Louisiana Purchase Monument that marks the initial point for surveys of the 1803 deal.
More of the Delta’s great history can be experienced on the Arkansas Civil War Trail, a statewide trail system spotlighting Confederate and Union campaigns, including the Little Rock Campaign from Paragould to the capital city and Confederate approaches to Helena.
As scenic as the Civil War Trail is historic, Crowley’s Ridge Parkway, a National Scenic Byway, runs from the very northeast corner of the state at Piggott down to Helena-West Helena. Another National Scenic Byway, the Arkansas Great River Road begins in Blytheville and winds all the way down to Lake Village and Eudora before ending at the Louisiana state line.
As for recreation, seasonal duck hunters from across the nation flock to Stuttgart, known as the rice and duck capital of the world, and the little town is definitely the place to be on Thanksgiving weekend for its annual World’s Championship Duck Calling Contest & Wings Over the Prairie Festival.
Other notable cities/towns:
Brinkley, DeWitt, Forrest City, West Memphis
More can’t-miss attractions:
Crowley’s Ridge State Park (Paragould), Delta Cultural Center (Helena–West Helena), Lake Chicot State Park (Lake Village), Lakeport Plantation (Lake Village), Mississippi River State Park (Marianna), Museum of the Arkansas Grand Prairie (Stuttgart), Parkin Archeological State Park (Parkin), Southland Park Gaming & Racing (West Memphis)
THE OUACHITAS
The Ouachitas’ largest city, Hot Springs, is known for horseracing at Oaklawn Park and for Bathhouse Row, which consists of turn-of-the-century bathhouses. The only city in the nation to contain a national park, Hot Springs was named for the mineral waters that bubble up from 47 underground springs and maintain a consistent temperature of 143 degrees Fahrenheit.
The city is also known for its rich baseball history. During the late 19th century and early 20th century, the Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, Brooklyn Nationals, Chicago White Stockings and the Boston Red Sox all held spring training there. In celebration of that history, the city recently developed The Historic Baseball Trail: The Birthplace of Spring Baseball. Plaques and a smartphone-guided tour mark major moments in Hot Springs’ baseball history — like Babe Ruth’s first 500-foot-plus home run, achieved while playing ball at Whittington Park.
Magic Springs Water & Theme Park, which recently added a new Splash Island attraction, keeps families entertained for hours with thrilling rides and nationally known musical performers. The Mid-America Science Museum has also entertained and educated children for years.
Garvan Woodland Gardens is situated on a 210-acre Lake Hamilton peninsula. Peak time for the gardens occurs March through May, but the grounds offer a variety of flora, fauna and special events year-round.
The region is also known for its Diamond Lakes, including lakes Catherine, DeGray, Greeson, Hamilton and Ouachita. Full-service resorts and other amenities, as well as ample opportunities for camping, fishing, boating, horseback riding and golf, can be found in the area. Golf is particularly popular in Hot Springs Village, a 26,000-acre gated community that’s home to nine championship courses.
One of Arkansas’s gems, the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, is located in this region. Visitors to the park can dig for diamonds and keep whatever they find. The largest diamond ever found in North America – at 40.23 carats – was discovered here. You can also dig for the easier-to-find quartz crystals at Wegner Quartz Crystal Mines in Mount Ida.
Other notable cities/towns:
Arkadelphia, Bismarck, Glenwood, Mena
More can’t-miss attractions:
Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa (Hot Springs), DeGray Lake Resort State Park (Bismarck), Hot Springs Mountain Tower (Hot Springs), Ouachita National Recreation Trail (Sims), The Gangster Museum of America (Hot Springs)
THE OZARKS
Photo opportunities abound along Scenic Byway 7 – many close to the Buffalo National River near Jasper – a route spotlighted by National Geographic in its world “Drives of a Lifetime” series. America’s first national river, the Buffalo celebrated its 41st anniversary in 2013. Canoe trips are popular down parts of the 150-mile river, and the 95,000 acres of surrounding public land offer campgrounds, cabins and other lodging, as well as springs, caves, waterfalls, natural bridges and walking and hiking trails.
A favorite destination in the Ozark Mountains is the artsy town of Eureka Springs, the entire downtown of which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Popular attractions include Thorncrown Chapel and The Great Passion Play. AmericanStyle magazine has repeatedly named Eureka Springs as one of the top 25 art destinations in its small cities and towns category.
Each year, thousands of folk music enthusiasts gather in Mountain View for the Folk Music Festival. Many of the activities take place at the Ozark Folk Center State Park where musicians and craftspeople showcase their skills. The center offers events, crafts and educational opportunities year-round.
The metropolitan area of the Ozarks includes the towns of Fayetteville, Rogers (on Money magazine’s “America’s Best Small Cities” list), Springdale and Bentonville, the latter of which is the headquarters of Walmart and is home to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. This growing urban area attracts thousands of University of Arkansas fans each fall to watch their beloved Razorbacks toss around the pigskin at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
The Ozarks are a fisherman’s delight, with great trout fishing on the White River and largemouth bass in Bull Shoals Lake. Another favorite spot is Greers Ferry Lake near Heber Springs and Fairfield Bay. Golfers enjoy the greens near the lake, while shoppers enjoy great finds at area antique stores.
Other notable cities/towns:
Bella Vista, Harrison, Mountain Home, Siloam Springs
More can’t-miss attractions:
Botanical Garden of the Ozarks (Fayetteville), Blanchard Springs Caverns (Fifty-Six), cave and cavern tours (Eureka Springs), Civil War Trail (throughout region), Pea Ridge National Military Park (Garfield), Raimondo Family Winery (Mountain Home), Sam Walton’s Five & Dime Walmart Visitor Center (Bentonville), Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge (Eureka Springs), Walton Arts Center (Fayetteville)
The highest point in the state, at 2,753 feet above sea level, can be found in this region at Mount Magazine State Park in Paris. Outdoor adventures offered at the park include hang gliding, rappelling, rock climbing, camping and hiking. Other prominent mountains in the area include Petit Jean, near Morrilton, and Mount Nebo, near Dardanelle. These three points gave the River Valley region the Tri-Peaks nickname.
Soil is fertile in the valley towns of Paris, Ozark and Altus, where vineyards took root in the late 1800s when Swiss-German immigrants settled here. This area is known as Arkansas Wine Country, and includes Chateau aux Arc, Cowie Wine Cellars and Vineyards, Mount Bethel Winery, Neumeier Winery, Post Familie Vineyards & Winery and Wiederkehr Wine Cellars & Vineyard. Each offers a variety of wines, tastings and other specialty products.
The largest town in the River Valley is Fort Smith, originally established in 1817 as a military post to keep peace between the local Native American tribes and those forcibly moved to the area by the federal government. In the town’s early years, it was a jumping-off place for California-bound forty-niners; then, it became the seat of justice for the taming of the Indian Territory after the Civil War.
Around the early 1880s, federal judge Isaac C. Parker became infamous for hanging scores of desperados brought back from Indian Territory by U.S. Marshals. His restored courtroom and reconstructed gallows are popular visitor attractions. The city’s U.S. Marshals history is so great that a national museum is in the planning stages for Fort Smith, featuring 20,000 square feet of interactive exhibit space and set along the Arkansas River. A statue honoring illustrious lawman Bass Reeves is a can’t-miss photo op downtown. Reeves is believed to be the first black U.S. deputy marshal west of the Mississippi.
Fort Smith is probably best known these days as the town in which Arkansas author Charles Portis set his work of fiction, True Grit. In light of the Coen brothers’ recent film adaptation of the book, the historical city has enjoyed a sharp rise in tourism. The Fort Smith Visitors Center – located in Miss Laura’s, a former bordello on the National Register of Historic Places – offers visitors tons of interesting information about the city’s colorful history.
The city is also a lure for music lovers, with two major festivals each year — Riverfront Blues Festival in June and Festival on the Border in September.
Other notable cities/towns:
Alma, Clarksville, Perryville, Russellville, Van Buren
More can’t-miss attractions:
Alma Spinach Festival (Alma), Civil War Trail (throughout region), Heifer International Ranch (Perryville), Lake Dardanelle State Park (Russellville), Mount Nebo State Park (Dardanelle), Mulberry River (Ozark), Museum of Automobiles (Morrilton), Petit Jean State Park (Morrilton), Mather Lodge (Morrilton), Pig Trail Scenic Byway
(Ozark to Brashears)
Pine Bluff is the largest town and the commercial hub of this region. Attractions include the Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame, the Arkansas Railroad Museum and the Delta Rivers Nature Center. Operated by the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission, the center features wildlife native to the region, including fish, eagles, turtles and alligators.
A regional favorite is Hope, best known as the boyhood home of former President Bill Clinton. Guests are invited to tour Clinton’s first home, which is now a National Historic Site. Hope is also known for its watermelons — the popular Hope Watermelon Festival is held each August and draws in thousands from across the state.
Families with children of all ages love Logoly State Park in McNeil, the state’s first environmental education state park. The 368-acre park comprises a natural area that includes native plant species, wildlife and mineral springs — a living laboratory for visitors.
Texarkana, a rapidly growing city along the Arkansas-Texas border, boasts an exciting new attraction for the area — Holiday Springs Water Park. Its creation, highway improvements and job growth have spawned many new restaurants, hotels and retailers.
The oil boom in Arkansas, which occurred in the 1920s and ’30s, can be experienced at the Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources in Smackover. Farther south, the Union County seat, El Dorado, also sprung up as a result of the oil boom. Restaurants, shops and history can be found in downtown El Dorado’s historic square. Residents can also experience the arts at the South Arkansas Arts Center and the South Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, which often holds concerts and events at the El Dorado Municipal Auditorium.
Other notable cities/towns:
Camden, Fordyce, Magnolia, Washington
More can’t-miss attractions:
Civil War Trail (throughout region), Historic Washington State Park (Washington), Jenkins Ferry Battleground (Leola), Marks’ Mills Battleground State Park (Fordyce), Poison Springs Battleground State Park (Camden), South Arkansas Arboretum (El Dorado)
