Arkansas
3
Day Itinerary •
USA
Three days in Arkansas gives you the essential Natural State experience, from the extraordinary Buffalo National River, the first national river in America and the finest float trip in the Ozarks, to the vibrant arts city of Fayetteville and the extraordinary crystal-clear springs and waterfalls of the Ozark Mountains. This route covers the heart of Arkansas. The extraordinary limestone bluffs of the Buffalo National River towering 500 feet above the clearest float stream in the South, the extraordinary Hawksbill Crag overlook above the white water, the finest crystal shops and quartz mines in America at Mount Ida and the extraordinary Hot Springs National Park.
Best Time To Visit
April to June or September to November
Getting There
Fly into Fayetteville (XNA) or Little Rock (LIT)
Getting Around
Rental car essential throughout
Budget Per Day
Approx $90 to $150 per person per day
Difficulity
Easy to moderate, some Ozark hiking
DAY 1
FAYETTEVILLE AND THE OZARKS
MORNING
CRYSTAL BRIDGES MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART, THE FINEST FREE MUSEUM IN THE SOUTH
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville is the most extraordinary art museum in the American South, its extraordinary collection of American art from the colonial period to the present housed in a series of pavilions straddling a spring-fed creek in the Ozark forest. Founded by Alice Walton with a $1.2 billion endowment, it contains works by Norman Rockwell, Andy Warhol, Georgia O'Keeffe and the finest collection of American masterworks outside the East Coast. Entry completely free. Drive: 30 min drive
MIDDAY
FAYETTEVILLE DICKSON STREET AND THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
Fayetteville is the most extraordinary college town in the South, its extraordinary Dickson Street arts corridor of independent bookshops, live music venues, farm-to-table restaurants and the Walton Arts Center giving a vibrant downtown unlike any other in Arkansas. The University of Arkansas campus with its extraordinary Ozark landscape and the remarkable Scott Family Amazeum are all worth exploring. The Fayetteville Farmers Market on Saturdays is the finest in the Ozarks. Free. Drive: 20 min walk
AFTERNOON
DEVIL'S DEN STATE PARK AND THE OZARK VALLEYS
Devil's Den State Park southwest of Fayetteville is the most extraordinary CCC-era state park in Arkansas, its extraordinary crevice caves through tilted sandstone rock formations, the finest swimming lake in the Ozarks and the extraordinary Lee Creek valley giving a landscape unlike any other in Arkansas. The remarkable stone structures built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s are the finest examples of rustic architecture in the South. Entry $5 per vehicle.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary 8th Street Market in Bentonville is the finest food hall in Arkansas, its extraordinary collection of local food vendors, craft breweries and the Bike Rack Brewing Company giving the finest casual food and drink experience in the Ozarks. The surrounding Bentonville mountain bike trail network is the finest in the South. Free to explore.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Farmer's Table Cafe, Fayetteville The finest farm-to-table breakfast in Fayetteville. Extraordinary local eggs, biscuits and strong Arkansas coffee. | Lunch: Tusk and Trotter, Bentonville Outstanding Arkansas charcuterie and local craft beer at the finest lunch spot near Crystal Bridges. | Dinner: Pressroom, Fayetteville The finest restaurant in Fayetteville. Extraordinary local Arkansas produce and outstanding craft beer list.
DAY 2
BUFFALO NATIONAL RIVER
MORNING
HAWKSBILL CRAG, THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY OVERLOOK IN ARKANSAS
Hawksbill Crag in the Upper Buffalo Wilderness is the most extraordinary natural overlook in Arkansas, its extraordinary quartzite outcrop jutting 100 feet over the Buffalo River valley 500 feet below in the most photographed vista in the state. The 2.4-mile round trip hike from the Whitaker Point trailhead through oak and hickory forest to the crag gives the most extraordinary view of the Ozark wilderness. Best at sunrise. Trail free. Start before 7am on weekends. Drive: 1.5 hr drive
MIDDAY
BUFFALO NATIONAL RIVER, THE FIRST NATIONAL RIVER IN AMERICA
The Buffalo National River is the most extraordinary river in Arkansas, its extraordinary 135-mile stretch of crystal-clear water between limestone bluffs up to 500 feet tall designated the first national river in America in 1972. The Steel Creek and Ponca access points give the finest views of the Lost Valley and the extraordinary Hemmed-in Hollow waterfall, the tallest waterfall between the Rockies and the Appalachians at 209 feet. Canoe rental from Buffalo Outdoor Center approx $50. Drive: 30 min drive
AFTERNOON
BOXLEY VALLEY ELK HERD AND THE OZARK SUNSET
Boxley Valley along the upper Buffalo National River is the most extraordinary wildlife valley in Arkansas, its extraordinary open meadows of the historical Boxley farm community giving the finest elk viewing in the Ozarks at dawn and dusk. A herd of over 300 elk was reintroduced to the Buffalo watershed and the bulls bugling in autumn is extraordinary. The extraordinary drive along Arkansas Highway 21 through the valley is the finest in the Ozarks. Free.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Hemmed-in Hollow waterfall in the Buffalo National River wilderness is the finest hidden waterfall in Arkansas, its extraordinary 209-foot freefall plunge accessible only by a 6.5-mile round trip hike through the most remote section of the Buffalo River corridor. The tallest waterfall between the Rockies and the Appalachians. Free. Almost entirely unknown outside Arkansas.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cliff House Inn, Jasper The most extraordinary breakfast with Buffalo River valley views. Local eggs and strong Ozark coffee. | Lunch: Picnic at Steel Creek Pack lunch from Jasper. The extraordinary picnic tables on the Buffalo River bank under limestone bluffs. | Dinner: Ozark Cafe, Jasper The finest restaurant in Jasper since 1909. Extraordinary local catfish, fried chicken and Arkansas pie.
DAY 3
HOT SPRINGS
MORNING
HOT SPRINGS NATIONAL PARK, THE AMERICAN SPA CITY
Hot Springs National Park is the most extraordinary spa city in America, its extraordinary Bathhouse Row of eight magnificent Gilded Age bathhouses built between 1892 and 1923 along the base of Hot Springs Mountain the finest collection of therapeutic architecture in the United States. The thermal springs emerge at 143 degrees. The Buckstaff Bathhouse is the only original operating bathhouse remaining. The Fordyce Bathhouse visitor center is extraordinary. Park free. Drive: 2.5 hr drive
MIDDAY
GARVAN WOODLAND GARDENS AND LAKE HAMILTON
Garvan Woodland Gardens on Lake Hamilton is the most extraordinary botanical garden in Arkansas, its extraordinary 210 acres of Ozark woodland gardens on a peninsula in Lake Hamilton containing the finest collection of native Arkansas plants in the state alongside extraordinary Japanese gardens, a children's garden and the remarkable Evans Children's Adventure Garden. The lakeside setting among the pines is extraordinary. Entry approx $15. Drive: 20 min drive
AFTERNOON
COLEMAN CRYSTAL MINE, DIG YOUR OWN QUARTZ
The Coleman Crystal Mine near Mount Ida is the most extraordinary mineral collecting experience in America, its extraordinary quartz crystal claims in the Ouachita Mountains allowing visitors to dig for world-famous Arkansas quartz crystals and keep what they find. Arkansas produces more quartz crystals than anywhere else in the world and the crystals from the Ouachita range are among the finest on earth. Entry approx $10 per person. Tools provided.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Ouachita National Forest surrounding Hot Springs is the finest hidden outdoor recreation area in Arkansas, its extraordinary 1.8 million acres of pine and hardwood forest containing the Ouachita National Recreation Trail, the finest long-distance trail in the South at 223 miles. Day hikes on Lake Ouachita extraordinary. Free.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: The Ohio Club, Hot Springs The oldest bar in Arkansas serving breakfast. Extraordinary biscuits and gravy in the most historic building on Central Avenue. | Lunch: McClard's Bar-B-Q, Hot Springs The most legendary BBQ in Arkansas since 1928. Extraordinary ribs, tamales and the finest sauce in the South. | Dinner: Fisherman's Wharf, Hot Springs The finest seafood restaurant in Hot Springs on Lake Hamilton. Extraordinary local catfish and crawfish.
DAY 4
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
DAY 5
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Where To Stay
Fayetteville, Night 1 21c Museum Hotel or The Chancellor Hotel. Approx $120 to $200 per night. Jasper, Night 2 Cliff House Inn with extraordinary Buffalo River views. Approx $100 to $160 per night. Hot Springs, Night 3 The Arlington Resort Hotel on Bathhouse Row. Approx $110 to $180 per night.
Top Tips
1. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville is free and the finest art museum in the South.
2. Hawksbill Crag is the most photographed overlook in Arkansas. Go at sunrise for the most extraordinary light.
3. The Buffalo National River is the finest float trip river in America. Rent canoes from Buffalo Outdoor Center in Ponca.
4. Hot Springs Bathhouse Row: the Buckstaff is the only original bathhouse still operating. Book ahead.
5. Arkansas quartz crystals are world-famous. The Coleman Crystal Mine near Mt Ida lets you dig your own for $10.
6. The Ozark Highlands Trail from Boxley Valley gives the finest backpacking in Arkansas. Day hikes extraordinary.
Total Budget
$90 to $150/day