on location: south ❖
jill m. rohrbach
Adventures Spelunkers get down and dirty on the Wild Cave Tour at Blanchard Springs Cavern in Mountain View, Arkansas.
Take it up a notch in the Natural State’s great outdoors
A
ctivities in Arkansas match your adventure meter whether it cranks to high, low, or somewhere in between. Groups will find a range of options, from canoeing and caving to dune buggy rides and zip line tours. A new zip line canopy tour opened in the Arkansas Ozarks in July. At the Buffalo Outdoor Center in Ponca, the Buffalo River Canopy Tour offers adventurers a treetop view of the lush Ozark terrain as they glide along a cable like a bird in flight. Harnessed to the cable on a zip pulley, participants are guided through a course of 12 zip lines 32 August 2010
reaching platforms on each tree. Set on a mountain overlooking Ponca Creek, the course is the equivalent of about nine football fields (or half a mile).The longest zip line is 400-plus feet, and the elevation ranges from 40 to 60 feet above the ground. Tours are two-anda-half to three hours with guides providing interpretation along the way. Gokart4wheeling in Northwest Arkansas now offers two- and four-seat dune buggies. The company, located in Winslow, provides guided dune buggy tours in which you drive your own buggy on designated trails. Private,
group, team-building and party tours are available. If cycling is more your style of adventure, Arkansas’ mountain biking opportunities are amazing. The Natural State is quickly gaining a foothold as one of the nation’s premier spots for mountain biking. Trails include the state’s two IMBA Epics: The Womble Trail, a single-track route across the Ouachitas maintained by mountain bikers since the 1980s, and the 50-mile Syllamo Mountain Bike Trail System in Mountain View. Each year the International Mountain Biking AssociaLeisureGroupTravel.com
Experience an adrenaline rush on the bike trails at Cane Creek State Park and rapids of the Cossatot River.
tion, IMBA, selects a handful of trails around the world that receive this special “Epic” status. The Ouachita National Recreation Trail, running east to west through the Ouachita Mountains, is also popular. From day hikes to multi-day backpacking across the Ouachita or Ozark mountains, Arkansas offers more than 250 hiking trails totaling more than 1,500 miles. Arkansas also offers equestrian facilities and guided horse riding trails. StoneCreek Ranch and Resort near Mountain Home caters to groups. Here you’ll find highly-trained cutting horses. The guest ranch focuses on
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horseback riding vacations with its indoor and outdoor arenas and trail riding. There’s no merely plodding along with horses nose-to-tail at StoneCreek, where guests can also experience cattle sorting, the cutting horse experience or even a cattle drive. Horseshoe Canyon Ranch near Jasper and the Buffalo National River also offers trail rides, but it has become increasingly known for its excellent rock climbing opportunities. With more than 300 routes for all levels of climbers, the ranch is known for some of the finest sandstone sport climbing anywhere. Certified and experienced guides will show you how to climb
safely. Most of the quality rock climbing and bouldering in Arkansas is in the western and northern regions of the state, where the Ozark and Ouachita mountain ranges are located. With several show caves in the state, there are plenty of options for underground exploration. But adventurous souls will want to experience a Wild Cave Tour at Cosmic Cavern in Berryville or Blanchard Springs Cavern in Mountain View. The tour at Blanchard Springs offers visitors an introduction to spelunking in a structured environment where Forest Service interpreters guide the tours. Participants should be in good physical shape, wear
August 2010 33
Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism
in Arkansas
Campaign Across Arkansas.
Historic Was
hington > Pr
Re-enactmen
t
ttleďŹ eld Pea Ridge Ba
airie Grove
As America marks the sesquicentennial of the Civil War, visit the sites across The Natural State where our forefathers fought and travel back in time to a restored village where the 19th century comes to life. Find out more by visiting our website or calling the toll-free number for itinerary ideas. SCAN WITH MOBILE QR R E A D E R F O R M O R E I N F O.
52 weeks in the year.
52 unique group destinations. This
could
get
interesting.
Looking for new group travel ideas? We’ve got 52 of ’em. The Arkansas State Parks system has something for everyone – archeology, adventure, history, mountains, rivers and lakes – even the only diamond site in the world where you can dig for diamonds and keep what you find!
Historic Mather Lodge, Petit Jean State Park > Check out our 52 Arkansas State Parks today.
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Relax at The Arlington
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on location � south sturdy boots, and come prepared to get dirty and have fun. Tour participants should expect to climb very steep slopes, crawl on hands and knees, pass under low ceilings, and travel through red clay. The tour ends at the Titans, a group of tall spectacular columns. Hard hats, kneepads, gloves, lights, and belts are provided, along with a souvenir T-shirt. Plenty of fun canoeing, rafting and kayaking Arkansas waterways awaits. The Natural State has more than 9,000 miles of streams, and a good deal of this mileage is perfect for floating. You’ll find rugged whitewater rafting and peaceful float trips ideal for firsttimers. Designated a National Wild and Scenic River, the Cossatot River offers adventurers the most challenging whitewater in Arkansas. The
Groups enjoy the cowboy lifestyle at StoneCreek Ranch near Mountain Home.
stream snakes over and between upturned Ouachita Mountains’ strata to create Cossatot Falls, with rapids and drops rated up to Class V in difficulty. North Arkansas’ Buffalo National River was the country’s first national river, is roughly 150 miles long and includes nearly 95,000 acres of public land along its corridor. Perhaps the most famous of all Buffalo River floats are those that take place between Ponca
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and the Arkansas Highway 7 crossing. Something for everyone can be found in this 25-mile section: class I and II rapids; the highest waterfall in midAmerica (at Hemmed-in-Hollow); the 11,300-acre Ponca Wilderness; towering cliffs; and an excellent assortment of swimming holes. No matter your outdoor preference, a mild climate coupled with four beautifully distinct seasons brings a fresh adventure each time. For example, hike the same trail in the spring and winter and the experience is totally different. LGT Obtain Arkansas visitor guides and itineraries – and contact groupfriendly suppliers directly – at leisuregrouptravel.com/instant-info
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