Looking for waterfalls, mountain views, and charming small towns? These top places to visit in Arkansas showcase the Natural State’s best blend of nature, culture, and relaxation.
Highlights:
Unique Places to Visit in Arkansas:
1. Hot Springs
Nestled in the Ouachita Mountains and surrounded by the natural hot springs from which its name derives, Hot Springs is an enticing holiday destination offering a diverse selection of attractions. The town has had a chequered past, which history buffs can learn about on a tour of the Gangster Museum of America and the 1888 Victorian Bath Houses on Bathhouse Row (where you can still soak in the natural hot water).
Families can have hours of fun at the Magic Springs Water and Theme Park or jump aboard a National Park Duck Tour or a Belle of Hotsprings Riverboat tour. Art lovers can go on the First Friday Art Walk through the Hot Springs Fine Arts District to visit dozens of galleries and studios, while nature lovers can enjoy fishing and water sports at Lake Ouachita State Park.
2. Little Rock
Arkansas’ capital city Little Rock is an ideal vacation destination for the whole family, offering an excellent selection of attractions for all tastes and ages. History buffs will find plenty to see, including the William J. Clinton Presidential Center, the Little Rock High School National Historic Site (a significant site in the Civil Rights struggle), and the Old State House Museum.
If you love historic architecture, you can take a stroll through historic Quapaw Quarter and art lovers can immerse themselves in the vibrant arts scene by visiting the Arkansas Art Museum and the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra or by watching a Broadway show. There are many family-friendly attractions (Video), including a ride on the River Trail Trolley, a visit to Little Rock Zoo, and the wonderful interactive Museum of Discovery.
3. Bentonville
The central Arkansas town of Bentonville was first established in 1836 and is probably best known as the headquarters of retail giant Walmart. In addition to visiting the interesting Walmart Museum, a stroll through the city will lead you to many other historic attractions such as the Bella Vista Historic Museum, the Museum of Native American History, and the beautifully preserved Peel Mansion Museum and Heritage Gardens.
Art lovers will find themselves surrounded by public art installations while a visit to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art (Video) offers a feast for the senses. The city is particularly well endowed with cycling routes and trails and there are several surrounding lakes and parks that cater to hikers and water sport enthusiasts.
4. Conway
The college town of a wide selection of both visual and performing arts venues, Conway is situated about 30 miles northwest of Little Rock, surrounded by an abundance of natural beauty that attracts nature lovers and outdoor adventurers. Avid fishermen can cast a line at Lake Conway and Toad Suck Park, while water sports enthusiasts can have fun on Beaverfork Lake.
You can also enjoy boating as well as hiking and biking in the Cadron Settlement Park, a National Historic Site featuring a Cherokee Trail of Tears memorial. Art lovers can look forward to enjoying a wide selection of both visual and performing arts venues, including the Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre, the Baum Gallery, and the W. Reynolds Performance Hall, which is home to the Conway Symphony Orchestra.
Romantic Places to Visit in Arkansas:
5. Fort Smith
Located on the Arkansas-Oklahoma border, Fort Smith started out as a military frontier post in 1817. Consequently, history buffs can spend hours uncovering the past by visiting the many historic sites, starting at Miss Laura’s Visitor’s Center downtown. Some of the must-see historic sites include the Fort Smith National Historic Site, the Belle Grove Historic District, and the Fort Smith Museum of History.
Children will enjoy jumping aboard the 1926 Electric Streetcar and visiting the Fort Smith Trolley Museum. Outdoor enthusiasts can head to the Devil’s Den State, where 20 miles of scenic hiking trails await. Once you have worked up a good appetite and thirst you can visit some of the local wineries and the farmers market.
6. Mountain Home
If you love the Great Outdoors, then Mountain Home in the southern Ozark Mountains deserves a place on your vacation wish-list. The vast majority of visitors come to enjoy the wonderful variety of water sports on offer on the Twin Lakes and the three surrounding rivers, where you can spend hours fishing, boating, tubing, water skiing, and much more.
For a break from water fun you can step back in time at Mountain Village 1890 (a historical replica of an Ozark Mountain Village) and tour the fascinating Bull Shoals Caverns, which feature an underground river. You can also visit the Norfolk National Fish Hatchery or hike a few of the 20 scenic hiking trails. Round off your day with a show at the Twin Lakes Playhouse.
7. Hope, Arkansas
The quaint little town of Hope is situated in southern Arkansas and is famously the birthplace of President Clinton (and is also somewhat famous as the producer of the largest watermelons in the U.S.). You can tour the President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home to see where the young Clinton spent his first four years.
The Hope Visitor’s Center and Museum is also worth a visit – it is situated in the restored Missouri-Pacific Railroad Depot, where you can see a variety of local history exhibits. Other nearby attractions to visit include the Paul W. Klipsch Museum of Audio History, the Historic Washington State Park (where the entire town of Washington has been turned into a state park), and the Crater of Diamonds State Park.
Family-friendly Places to Visit in Arkansas:
8. Buffalo National River
The Buffalo National River is one of the few remaining undammed rivers in the lower U.S., meandering freely for 135 miles through the beautiful Ozark Mountains. This National River is a favorite haunt of nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts and offers a variety of activities besides simply floating and fishing – landlubbers can have just as much fun as water-sport enthusiasts and can choose from hiking, camping, picnicking, fishing, hunting, and horseback riding.
The river is divided into an upper, middle, and lower district, each of which has its own special charm. There are numerous campgrounds to spend the night and concessions where you can book guided floats or hire all you need to go it alone.
9. Lake Ouachita State Park
Located close to the spa city of Hot Springs and surrounded by the natural beauty of the Ouachita National Forest, Lake Ouachita State Park beckons all nature lovers and outdoor adventurers.
The waters of the lake are pristine and you can fish for a variety of species, including bream and largemouth bass, on the open waters or along a multitude of quiet coves and inlets along 975 miles of shoreline. Visitors flock to the lake to enjoy swimming, scuba diving, boating, and other water sports or to go hiking and wildlife watching along the two trails. You can rent a fully equipped cabin or book a campsite to fully appreciate the park.
10. Petit Jean State Park
The Petit Jean State Park in central Arkansas is the oldest state park in the state and has been welcoming nature lovers, outdoor enthusiasts, and even history lovers for decades. Much of the infrastructure of the park was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) starting back in 1933 and today you can explore three National Historic Districts containing structures, paths, and bridges within the park.
The terrain is beautiful and rugged and the hiking trails will lead you through meadows, canyons, streams, and mountains overlooked by steep craggy bluffs that conceal highlights like Cedar Falls, Seven Hollows, and Bear Cave. There is a large swimming pool, playgrounds, picnic areas, and fishing and boating on Lake Bailey and Lake Roosevelt.
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