Complex Locations

Arkansas's natural beauty and its history are showcased and preserved in the 52 Arkansas parks and museums of the Arkansas State Parks system, in six National Park Service sites, in three national forests covering more than 2.9 million acres of Arkansas, plus more than 200 Arkansas camping sites and recreational areas.

Arkansas parks are scattered across the state, from its highest peaks to the shores of lakes and streams. Overnight accommodations available in recreational parks include lodges, cabins, campgrounds with modern conveniences and even rental teepees and yurts. Many of the recreational parks also offer restaurants, snack bars, hiking trails, pavilions, picnic areas, playgrounds and numerous interpretive programs. Some also feature marinas, swimming pools, tennis courts and boat ramps. One even features the world's only site where members of the public can search for keeper diamonds where the gems naturally occur.

Among the state's historical and cultural parks is a cultural center that preserves traditional Ozark Mountain folk music, dance, and crafts; four Civil War battlefields and a restoration town that once served as Arkansas's Confederate capital; two Native American mound sites; and a museum that tells the story of South Arkansas's oil boom.

Among the National Park Service locations in Arkansas are Hot Springs National Park and the country's first national river, the Buffalo.

The Ozark, St. Francis and Ouachita national forests are filled with recreational opportunities that include camping; hiking, horse, ATV and cycling trails; fishing; hunting; scenic driving; and wildlife observation. Other federally operated leisure facilities in Arkansas include numerous U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recreation areas located on lakes and rivers and limited camping areas in three national wildlife refuges.

Adventure Travel Trips

Order a free copy of the Arkansas Adventure Travel Guide, produced by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism. Don't wait to experience "HIGH ADVENTURE!" You’ll find lots of great ideas for adventure travel trips and weekend getaways in Arkansas.

Refresh your spirit. Disconnect from the digital devices and reconnect with family and friends in the wonder of Arkansas’s natural beauty. Refresh your spirit.

Take a deep breath of cool Ozark or Ouachita mountain air. Revel in the breeze crossing one of Arkansas’s great lakes. Enjoy a relaxed family float trip or the thrill of a whitewater or rock climbing adventure. Journey one of 250 hiking trails that collectively stretch more than 1,500 miles. Get away from it all in more than 2.9 million acres in three national forests.

With some 9,000 miles of pristine streams and rivers and more than 600,000 acres of lakes, Arkansas is renowned for fishing and hunting and water sports of all sorts, including sailing and scuba diving. Marinas, boat docks and fishing guide services are plentiful across the state.

Things to Do

Arkansas annually attracts visitors from across the nation and abroad. Many are drawn to its abundant opportunities for outdoor adventures and to its natural beauty, as seen in the state's waterfalls, tour caverns and wild caving experiences, forested mountain trails and scenic drives. Some come to dig for keeper diamonds and quartz crystals.

But there are numerous attractions that make The Natural State a must see vacation and weekend getaway destination.

Amenities such as art galleries, live theater, professional sporting events, irresistible restaurants, microbreweries and a variety of lodging options can be found in the larger Arkansas cities. Meanwhile, Arkansas boasts charming small towns that lure travelers seeking a restful reprieve from the hurried pace of modern life.

Live entertainment can be found at numerous music festivals and in clubs, bistros and performance theaters. Arkansas spas include the thermal waters of Hot Springs National Park. Across the state, delightful boutiques, specialty shops, antique stores and quilt shops in the following, making "quilt shops offer opportunities for finding one-of-a-kind souvenirs and treasures.

For those interested in a round of golf, the Natural State's offerings include world-class, scenic courses. And, in Arkansas, "an afternoon at the track" can have any of several meanings: thoroughbred horse racing, greyhound dog racing, or dirt track and drag racing.

Arkansas's varied geography and its location in the U.S. heartland have contributed to make the state's history an intriguing slice of America's story. Arkansas history museums, Civil War battlefields, National Park Service sites and special exhibits across the state relate the history of Arkansas's diverse cultures and history.

In eastern Arkansas, the Mississippi River shaped a land where Delta blues music thrived. Traditional Ozark Mountain folk music, dance and crafts are kept alive in north central Arkansas.

The state's wine country serves its best in the Arkansas River Valley, which is also home to Fort Smith, the “Wild West” town that bordered the Indian Territory until 1907. An oil boom that began in 1921 brought wealth and wild times to towns like El Dorado in southern Arkansas. The Clinton Presidential Library honors the legacy of state native Bill Clinton, who served as U.S. President from 1993-2001. Clinton's boyhood home is open for tours in his birthplace town of Hope.

New and restored hostelries offering first class amenities for both business and leisure travelers are frequently joining the state's roster of Arkansas lodging accommodations. And, they are located beside lakes and rivers and in the thriving heart of Arkansas cities.

Travelers seeking a romantic getaway will find cozy cottages stocked to meet every need. Often tucked in the Ozark and Ouachita mountains, rustic but fully furnished Arkansas cabin rentals also offer great escapes. Bed and breakfasts can be found in communities both large and small, and can be housed in modern structures or restored Victorian mansions. The call of the great outdoors can be answered in a fully equipped, public or private campsite suitable for tent or RV camping.

Many of Arkansas’s state parks offer camping and Arkansas cabin rentals, for the individual and for groups, and lodges are available at four parks

Fun Outdoor Activities in Arkansas

Other fun outdoor activities to enjoy in Arkansas include on- and off-road biking, golfing on designer courses, mining for keeper quartz crystals and diamonds, and bird watching. For the more adventurous, there’s wild caving in underground limestone caverns.

Every season offers something special in The Natural State’s outdoors. That’s why Arkansas annually hosts thousands of families, couples and groups who’ve come to reconnect — to refresh their spirits.