Author: Ken McClary

Eureka Springs punches far above its size when it comes to landmarks — from a world-famous glass chapel to a grand haunted hotel and a seven-story hilltop statue. These are the iconic sights that put Eureka Springs on the map. Thorncrown Chapel A breathtaking 48-foot glass chapel in the woods,…

Downtown Eureka Springs is unlike anywhere else in Arkansas — the entire city is on the National Register of Historic Places, a Victorian mountain village of winding streets, steep staircases, and ornate 19th-century buildings with not a single traffic light. Founded on its "healing" springs, it's now a walkable warren…

The Siloam Springs Museum tells the story of this historic Ozark border town — from its origins as a 19th-century mineral-springs health resort to its life as a college town today. It's free to visit, sits right in the heart of downtown, and makes a great first stop for understanding…

Just across the state line from Siloam Springs, Natural Falls State Park is home to a stunning 77-foot waterfall that tumbles into a lush, fern-lined grotto. Formerly known as Dripping Springs — and famous as a filming location for the 1974 movie Where the Red Fern Grows — it's one…

The Siloam Springs Kayak Park is one of Northwest Arkansas's most unique outdoor attractions — a purpose-built whitewater course on the Illinois River, and the first dedicated kayak park in Arkansas. Opened in 2014, its engineered rapids give paddlers of every level a genuine whitewater experience just minutes from downtown…

City Lake Park is Siloam Springs' outdoor playground, just north of downtown. It pairs a scenic lake with one of the best trail networks in the area — miles of interconnected mountain-bike and hiking trails, a pump track, and a bike skills course — making it a go-to for riders,…

Beyond its creekside downtown and outdoor recreation, Siloam Springs is the gateway to one of the region's most beautiful waterfalls and home to a college campus and local history worth exploring. Here are the top attractions in and around Siloam Springs. Natural Falls State Park Just across the Oklahoma line,…

For a small town, Siloam Springs punches well above its weight outdoors. From Arkansas's first kayak park to a trail-laced lake park and quiet creekside greens, here's where to get outside in and around Siloam Springs. Siloam Springs Kayak Park Arkansas's first dedicated kayak park — an engineered whitewater course…

Downtown Siloam Springs is one of the most charming small-town districts in Northwest Arkansas — a National Register historic district of restored brick storefronts wrapped around Sager Creek, with stone walls, footbridges, and dogwoods lining the water. It's a walkable mix of local shops, galleries, coffee houses, and restaurants, anchored…

On the western edge of Northwest Arkansas, right on the Oklahoma line, Siloam Springs is a picture-perfect Ozark college town built around Sager Creek and a beautifully restored historic downtown. It blends small-town charm with genuine outdoor adventure — Arkansas's first kayak park, a trail-laced lake park, and a stunning…

Tucked into the Ozark Mountains of Carroll County, Eureka Springs is one of America's most enchanting small towns — an entire Victorian village on the National Register of Historic Places, wrapped around healing springs and winding mountain streets. It's a place of world-famous architecture, a haunted grand hotel, big-cat sanctuaries,…

The Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel is Bella Vista's most iconic landmark — a soaring cathedral of steel and glass tucked into the woods on a hilltop above Lake Norwood. Designed by celebrated Arkansas architect E. Fay Jones (a protégé of Frank Lloyd Wright) with his partner Maurice Jennings, and…

Bella Vista's most memorable sights blend architecture and nature. At the top of the list is a glass chapel considered one of Arkansas's architectural treasures — but the community's iconic waterfall and trail bridges are landmarks in their own right. Here are the places that define Bella Vista. Mildred B.…

The Bella Vista Country Club is the grande dame of Northwest Arkansas golf — the community's oldest course, opened in 1968 and designed by noted architect Joe Finger. This classic 18-hole layout rolls gently through the valley along Little Sugar Creek, framed by mature trees and anchored by a full-service…

Bella Vista is one of Arkansas's premier golf destinations, with seven courses winding through the wooded Ozark hills — five full 18-hole layouts plus a pair of shorter nine-hole courses. Together they offer everything from championship-length tests to quick, family-friendly rounds, and best of all, every course is open to…