Hello readers! My name is Abby Yocham, and I am a new intern with Arkansas PBS. I am a senior at UCA and will be graduating in the Fall of 2025! I have lived in Arkansas most of my life, but I tend to travel all around the state and to other states with my fiancé. I love all things art; I was an art major for two years before I switched to marketing, and now I get to mesh all of that together at my new internship! Another fun fact is that I love to play pickleball; if you don’t know what that is, it is a mix of tennis and ping pong. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy my very first article!
Do you want to travel but don’t want to go outside of your home state? Well, lucky for you, there are tons of activities to do in Southwest Arkansas, as mentioned in this article.
When you think of Arkansas, most people tend to think of Northwest and Central Arkansas. More specifically, the areas around Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, Little Rock, etc. We often hear about all the nature, activities and outdoors in NWA, but today I will introduce the beauties behind Southwest Arkansas. Southwest Arkansas includes the Ouachita National Forest, Hot Springs and crystal mining.
Hot Springs is the second largest city in Southwest Arkansas, which offers a variety of scenic experiences, including touring the historical bath houses, visiting the natural hot springs or going on a hike that leads you through the Hot Springs National Park. One of the most common attractions is Bathhouse Row, with many small, quaint shops and diners.
While visiting Bathhouse Row, there are some amazing places to eat like Granny's Kitchen and The Pancake Shop. There is also a tour boat where you can learn some historical facts. Some of these shops also offer crystals that could be from Crater of Diamonds State Park, which is just around an hour away from Hot Springs!
The Crater of Diamonds State Park is a vast field where people can find a variety of rocks, gemstones and minerals. One of the best takeaways from the experience is that whatever you dig up you can keep. As cool as diamonds are, you can also visit Mount Ida in Montgomery County to dig for a range of crystal quartz, which you can also keep!
“We hiked the first section of the Sunset Trail on West Mountain, visited Mountain Tower and enjoyed a soak in the four pools at Quapaw Baths and Spa. The Fordyce/National Park Visitor Center has an interesting museum that explains and displays the history of the area's bathhouses.”
-– Annette G., “A Truly Unique National Park
The main showstopper not talked about enough would be the beautiful Ouachita Mountains, which span over 225 miles from east to west. Hot Springs National Park lies within these mountains. There are a variety of activities like fishing, hiking, camping, mountain biking, boating, shopping and dining. The Ouachita Mountains are one of the oldest national forests in the Southern United States and are home to many forms of wildlife. White-tailed deer, coyotes and elusive black bears can be spotted in parts of these mountains. Fun fact: the Ouachita Mountains are roughly over 300 million years old!
Visit Southwest Arkansas
When you think of your next trip, whether in your home state of Arkansas or if you are a visitor, take a step back, and look at the hidden beauties in Southwest Arkansas. A whole new world awaits you to explore! Click this link to plan your trip to Southwest Arkansas!