6 Most Photogenic Towns In Arkansas
Think of Arkansas as a stage. The Ozarks are the background, Mountain View is the soundtrack, and other towns are actors ready for their close-ups. Fulfill their wishes by taking a photojourney through Arkansas, capturing the Ozark Cafe in Jasper, Moss Mountain Farm in Roland, the Arkansas Folk Festival in Mountain View, and all the sites in between. If you think such a journey is just for them, marvel at your portfolio afterward. It'll prove that Arkansas is a picture-perfect state with supremely photogenic settlements, six of which are to follow.
Jasper
Every year, millions of people scramble and jostle to photograph the Grand Canyon in Arizona. But what if we told you there's another, less-congested Grand Canyon—and it's in Arkansas? Being a lush valley rather than a dry chasm, the Arkansas Grand Canyon looks little like its Arizona namesake, but it covers more than a million awe-inspiring acres just south of the small city of Jasper. After snapping photos of the "canyon"—perhaps accompanied by meals, souvenirs, and good sleep at the Cliff House Inn—head to Jasper for photos of the iconic Ozark Cafe and historic Bradley House Museum, and then follow the Buffalo National River to Ponca, Jasper's scenic sister community. Thanks to the Buffalo Outdoor Center and Lost Valley Canoe & Lodging, you can explore Ponca's wonders via foot, canoe, kayak, or raft before resting in rustic luxury. Keep your camera ready in case successfully reintroduced elk walk by.
Bull Shoals
Bull Shoals is an oasis in the Arkansas Ozarks. It was built alongside a dam that created Bull Shoals Lake from the White River in the 1940s and 1950s. Now, some 2,000 people have year-round access to that ravishing reservoir and the attractions that it nourishes. As for tourists, they must survive off photos and memories made while boating on the lake, observing the dam at the James A. Gaston Visitor Center, hiking at Bull Shoals-White River State Park, biking the park's Oakridge Mountain Bike Trail, and relaxing at numerous lakeside retreats, namely Driftwood Resort and Sister Creek Resort. Other mental and digital snapshots can be taken in nearby Mountain Home. A larger Ozark oasis, Mountain Home has around 13,000 residents and neighbors Norfork Lake with its resorts, trails, and activities galore. Bull Shoals and Mountain Home are treasures of the Twin Lakes Area.
Heber Springs
Another fine Arkansas city, Heber Springs, hosts the Greers Ferry Dam, which created Greers Ferry Lake from the Little Red River. All provide excellent photo ops, as does the Dam Site Recreation Area. This large preserve has myriad amenities, including a marina, swimming area, and 211 campsites, 131 of which have electric hookups. Camp there or stay in Heber Springs proper at Heber Springs Resort. After resting, catch a matinee at the glamorous Gem Theater before finding wonders away from the reservoir. These include Bridal Veil Falls off Highway 25 and Magness Lake off Hays Road. The latter is a winter home for trumpeter swans, which gather in the hundreds from November to March with some variation. Swans are certainly spectacles in Heber Springs, but its sweetest sight is Sugarloaf Mountain. Climb this 690-foot mound for extraordinary shots of backwoods Arkansas.
Roland
Roland may be the pinnacle of a photojourney in Arkansas. After all, it's hard to beat shots of the state from atop Pinnacle Mountain (sorry, Sugarloaf Mountain). That 1,000ish-foot landform stands just south of town and north, ironically, of Little Rock. Upon descending the big rock, explore Pinnacle Mountain State Park and Two Rivers Park, the latter of which connects to Little Rock and North Little Rock via the Arkansas River Trail. Among the trail's photo-worthy attractions is the Big Dam Bridge, the longest bridge in North America, built exclusively for cyclists and pedestrians. Bike or walk across the bridge and drive back to Roland for shots of Lake Maumelle and two kinds of shots at BoBrook Farms' River Bottom Winery. If visiting in fall, tour BoBrook's pumpkin patch. Get parting shots at Moss Mountain Farm, which sits north of Roland and spans several hundred acres of gardens and buildings owned by famed horticulturist P. Allen Smith. There's even a cottage that you can rent for an extended stay.
Eureka Springs
Eureka Springs has something for every type of photographer. Specialize in historic buildings? Head downtown for the "largest collection of Victorian architecture in the central United States." Religious iconography? Visit the postmodern Thorncrown Chapel or the Christ the Redeemer-inspired Christ of the Ozarks. Prefer exotic animal shots? Check out the rescued big cats at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge. Landscape photography? As an Ozark town, Eureka Springs is surrounded by scenic landforms, particularly Beaver Lake, Blue Spring, Onyx Cave, and Pivot Rock. Even ghost hunters can try to photograph spirits at the 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa, which is called "America's Most Haunted Hotel." Eureka Springs' population is a little over 2,000, so it must have the most photogenic sites per person of any Arkansas settlement.
Mountain View
Mountain View should precede a mountain photo—or many. This small city is nestled in the Ozarks and positively sings with attractions. That's not a metaphor. As the "Folk Music Capital of the World," MV looks and sounds good thanks to year-round stores like the Jimmy Driftwood Music Barn, Dulcimer Shoppe, and Mountain View Music, plus annual events like the Mountain View Bluegrass Festival, Arkansas Folk Festival, and Dulcimer Jamboree. Venues for MV's various fests include the Ozark Folk Center State Park and the Stone County Courthouse Square, the latter of which also hosts weekly "pickin'" sessions. Moreover, as a gateway to the Ozark National Forest, MV neighbors numerous natural wonders. The best of those is Blanchard Springs Caverns, a three-level cave system near a community called Fifty-Six. Maybe that's the proper number of photos for a Mountain View vacay.
Arkansas is a photographer's paradise. With mountains as a backdrop and scenic towns as subjects, you can fill a fantastic portfolio. Though most towns are photogenic in their own right, Jasper, Bull Shoals, Heber Springs, Roland, Eureka Springs, and Mountain View are photo-euphoric, providing joy through shots of their top attractions. From the Arkansas Grand Canyon to the River Bottom Winery to Christ of the Ozarks to the Ozark Folk Center State Park, those sights should be more than just seen. Enjoy them on camera over and over again.
