Arkansas Trails

Mastered walking? Time to use your hands as well as your feet on these adventurous day trips.

Like its name suggests, the Lake Ouachita Vista Trail offers near-constant water views—and if you want to see it all, you’d better arrive before the dogwood flowers do.

Soaring bluffs and views to match make this an adventure worth going on.

See unique rock formations and fall asleep to a cascading river on this 3-day trip.

Score an aerie overlooking the Buffalo River Valley to yourself when you visit Whitaker Point in the offseason.

Get off the beaten path in the Ozarks.

Petit Jean State Park, Arkansas

Tour bluffs surrounding Arkansas’s Buffalo National River before nabbing a view of the tallest waterfall between the Rocky and Appalachian mountains.

Test yourself in the Ouachita Mountains.

Paddle the Buffalo National River into a narrow valley pinched by steep rock walls, then hike up to the largest waterfall in the Midwest on this 9.9-mile trip.

Embark on an 11.8-mile loop into the Ozark Mountains with haunted hollows and undulating ridgelines bearded in oak and rare views of the Arkansas Valley. Best hiked in fall or spring.

Traverse the secluded ridgelines of the "Valley of Vapors" on this 12.4-mile loop through America's oldest National Park Service site.

Solitude is easy to find in the Ozarks, and this 6.6-mile loop is no exception. Tackle this hike, which features forest, river, and bluff views in one day or camp out for the weekend.

Follow rolling hills and ridgelines into the forested hollows of the Ozarks on this 8.4-mile loop in Hobbs State Park–Conservation Area.

This moderate 13.7-mile one-way hike hugs America's first designated National River as it winds past limestone bluffs and grassy Ozark hollows.

Traverse massive limestone bluffs and deep, secluded hollows on this 14.3-mile weekend in the Ozark Highlands along the Buffalo National River.

Spend some quality time down by a shady river pinched between two mountain ranges on this 7-mile out-and-back in Ouachita National Forest.

Tackle the highest point in Arkansas on this 20-mile out-and-back that draws all sorts of outdoor enthusiasts—hikers, climbers, even hang gliders.

Tough day at work? Reenergize yourself on this quick but steep 2.5-mile hike or trail run to the top of the city's landmark peak.

Jump onto the Ozark Highlands Trail for a quiet 7.4-mile route that serves up mountain hollows,lush hardwoods, and a glimpse into settlers' lives.

Explore an ancient eastern mountain range on this section of the Ouachita National Recreation Trail.

A hidden treasure just off the Buffalo National River, Indian Creek's mossy waterfalls and karst canyon are best explored after heavy rains.

Hike, camp, and tag a summit with shutterbug views on this 11.4-miler in the Ouachita Mountains and the Black Fork Mountain Wilderness.

Beat the heat with a soak in a secret swimming hole.

Combining rugged hill climbs through pine and hardwood, with a leisurely stroll along the Little Missouri River, this 26.4-mile loop may be the best in the Ouachita Mountains.

This 8-mile stroll through the Winding Stair area offers dayhikers some of the most scenic viewpoints in the Ouachita Mountains.

This 9.9-mile loop has it all: pine forests, hardwood forests, and beautiful views from hillside vistas.

Slicing through the southwest reaches of Arkansas’ picturesque ridge country, this 10-mile loop climbs to Buckeye Mountain before tracing the meandering Caney Creek.

Hike through old-growth forest to ridgetop views of Arkansas’s largest lake.

Explore 19th-century Ozark graveyards.

Traverse craggy cliffs flanking America's first national river.

Hike through old-growth forest to ridgetop views of Arkansas's largest lake.

Climb riverside bluffs in the South's oldest national forest.