También puedes leer este artículo en español, Viajes en Arkansas.

Pinnacle Mountain State Park

It is the heart of Arkansas, literally. On the map it appears in the center of the state, with its 2,356 acres west of Little Rock. The mountain has a river and a lake, both named Maumelle.

"Mamelle" was the name given to it in the 18th century by the French men who roamed Arkansas hunting for furs due to its double top. It means "udders."

The park has a visitor center open year-round from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. as well as a picnic and boating area open from 6:30 a.m. until one hour after sunset.

Due to its proximity to Little Rock, the region offers plenty of restaurants, hotels and recreation centers.

The park can be reached at (501) 868-5806 or by visiting arkansasstateparks.com.

Arkansas Capitol
Cathedral of Democracy

It took 16 years for former inmates to build it on the grounds where the penitentiary once stood.

It was finally completed in 1915. Its monumental dome has been used in films to stand in for the federal capitol in Washington DC.

A visit to Little Rock is not complete without a visit to the state capitol. The address is Arkansas State Capitol, 500 Woodlane St., Little Rock AR 72201

The hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Weekends and holidays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

More information at sos.arkansas.gov.

The William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum

Three months after the death of his father, William Jefferson Blythe was born into the working-class small town of Hope, Arkansas. Clinton, who took the last name of his stepfather and was known as "Bill," grew up to be the youngest governor of Arkansas, and to be twice elected President of the United States.

The Presidential Museum and Library that bears his name is one of the largest of its kind in size, cost of construction, number of documents, photographs, artifacts and even emails. The unique museum reflects his unique life.

The museum is at 1200 Presidential Clinton Ave., Little Rock, AR, and is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Call (501) 374-4242 for information.

Hot Springs
Beauty, Baths and Legends

Al Capone visited Hot Springs for the same reason that thousands travel to this west-central Arkansas area: the hot springs that give the town its name, the beautiful Ouachita mountains that surround it, the Oaklawn casino and resort, and the elegance of its streets. You will no longer see gangsters on the streets of Hot Springs, just one of the best resort towns in the entire state.

Garvan Woodland Gardens
Beauty Within Beauty

Hot Springs offers many reasons to visit. The Garvan Woodland Gardens are the botanical gardens of the University of Arkansas and are located south of the city, on a peninsula at the Ouachita River, which is surrounded by the spectacular mountains of the same name.

Admission is $15 for those 13 and older, $5 for children 4 to 12 years old, and free for those under 3 years old. Dogs with leashes are allowed by paying $5. The address is 550 Arkridge Rd., Hot Springs National Park, AR 71913. Phone 1-800-366-4664. It opens every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Arkansas Derby
For Thoroughbreds Only

Here's another reason to visit Hot Springs: Oaklawn Casino Resort. It is a racetrack, casino, bar, hotel, and home to the Racing Festival of the South.

It opened in 1904 and its horse races are among the best in the United States. Races start on December 3, 2021, and will continue until May 8, 2022.

Information at oaklawn.com or by calling 1-800-OAKLAWN

Razorback Games

No one can call themselves an Arkansan if they haven't made the pilgrimage to the town of Fayetteville to watch a University of Arkansas football game.

The Razorbacks have a beautiful stadium that houses up to 76,000 people and is named after Donald W. Reynolds, the philanthropist who created the foundation that donated the capital for its construction.

Its secondary stadium is in the capital, Little Rock, and is War Memorial Stadium. It offers high-quality hot dogs, chants, marching bands with incredible music and choreography, and the chance to see Arkansas triumph - all of which can be enjoyed in an afternoon with the Razorbacks.

Mount Magazine
The Highest Point in Arkansas.

French explorers going through Arkansas saw an avalanche on this mountain. Its noise was such that they compared it to the explosion of a gunpowder warehouse (magasin in French).

Despite the sounds of that avalanche, there's nothing truly violent about Mount Magazine. At 2,753 feet, it is the highest point in the state. While 839 meters might not be as impressive as some mountains, the beauty of the place is, along with what it offers: hiking trails, a picnic area; a hotel with 60 rooms, a hang gliding takeoff location, as well as the privilege to be in Arkansas.

The address is 16878 AR-309 Paris, AR 72855. The phone is (479) 963-8502.

See A Ghost (or Two) In Eureka Springs

The most haunted hotel in the United States is in Arkansas. The Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs has been featured on television specials for its out-of-this-world visitors. Apart from this, the hotel has 72 rooms, four luxury cabins, restaurant, spa, swimmings pools and well-kept gardens, among other things. In addition, the hotel offers nightly ghostly tours to meet guests who have checked in… and never checked out.

Information at crescent-hotel.com or by calling (855) 725-5720.

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
A Monument to Beauty

11/11/11 is the number. One of the largest free art museums in the world opened on November 11, 2011 under the patronage of Alice Walton, daughter of the founder of Walmart. Here are works painted in the American colonial period as well as in the contemporary age. There is a good cafeteria, library, workshops for adults and children, movies and outdoor concerts in summer.

The museum is open Saturday, Sunday, and Monday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. It is closed on Tuesdays. The address is 600 Museum Way, Bentonville, AR 72712. The phone number is (479) 418-5700.

Information in English at crystalbridges.org.

The Boyhood Home of the Legendary Johnny Cash

He was "the Man in Black." Dressed in that color, he performed at concerts singing ballads that frequently spoke for the poor because he grew up in poverty. Against all odds, he ultimately became one of the most successful singers of all time.

He was born in 1932 in Kingsland, Arkansas, but at the age of 3 he moved with his family to Dyess, a colony for poor families created during the Great Depression. The house where he grew up is now a museum open to the public.

The address is 110 Center Dr., Dyess, AR 72330. It opens from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Monday to Saturday. It is closed on Sunday. The admission is $10.

Petit Jean State Park
The State's Most Famous Caves and Waterfalls

The Cedar Falls is 90 feet tall and is just one of the attractions of the 20 miles of hiking trails in this park. There are caverns with ancient inscriptions, camping cabins, two swimming pools, a picnic area, tennis and basketball courts, as well as piers for canoes.

The address is 1285 Petit Jean Mountain Road, Morrillton, AR 72110. Call for information at (501) 727-5441.

Music, Movies, Joy and More at the El Dorado Murphy Arts District

For four years now, the town of El Dorado has been developing an arts district in its downtown. The MAD (Murphy Arts District) offers a music room for 2,500 people, an outdoor amphitheater for 8,500 people with a restaurant that uses ingredients from farm to table, and one of the largest playground areas for children in Arkansas which includes a small water park, not to mention concerts with some of America's best musicians.

More information at eldomad.com or by calling (870) 444-3007.

Best Places for Fishing in Arkansas

Arkansas has some of the best fly-fishing places in the United States thanks to its cool water rivers that are wide enough to cast the line. Read on for some of the best places to fish in the state.

  • White River in the north central area, near Missouri.
  • Norfolk River below the lake of the same name, near Missouri and the Dry Creek, the latter reserved for fishers under 16 years of age.
  • Little Red River under Greers Ferry Dam, north of Little Rock
  • Spring River at the Mammoth Springs Village Dam.
  • The Ouachita River at the Blakely Dam, about 20 miles west of Hot Springs, and the nearby Caddo River.
  • The Beaver Dam in Eureka Springs.
  • The pond at MacArthur Park in Little Rock.

Little Rock Central High
Where History Turned a Page

Soldiers were waiting for them when they arrived for their first day of class in early September 1957. The newcomers were teenagers, three boys and six girls, the first Black students to be admitted to Little Rock High School, one of the most beautiful in the United States. The school was whites only but the order to end segregation was given. A mob was waiting for the youth to spit on them and insult them. Democratic Governor Orval Faubus (1910-1994) sent the Arkansas National Guard soldiers to arrest the nine.

The crisis that followed was on television and on the covers of newspapers and magazines around the globe showing the deep roots of racism in the American South. President Dwight D. "Ike" Eisenhower federalized the National Guard and sent the 101st Airborne Division to secure the entry of the nine. Still, Little Rock experienced nearly a year of tension and racist attacks.

Currently the school is mostly Black, it is a National Historic Site by decree of the Federal Congress, it has immortalized the nine young people in sculptures, and it continues to be one of the most beautiful in the United States.

The address is 2120 W. Daisy L. Gatson Bates Dr. Little Rock, AR, 72202.

The visitor center is open every day from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. except Christmas, New Years and Thanksgiving.