19 Beautiful Places in Arkansas That Prove It’s Seriously Underrated
Many often skip Arkansas over on the map, but the surprise comes when you stay and see landscapes shift quietly from dense forest to carved-out canyons.
When I lived in St. Louis, I set out on a weekend road trip to explore the Ozarks, thinking I was heading to the Missouri side. Somewhere along the way, I crossed the state line without realizing it and ended up deep in the Arkansas Ozarks instead.
What was supposed to be a quick detour turned into a full weekend of exploring backroads, hiking trails, and views I hadn’t expected. These beautiful places in Arkansas show a side of the state that’s often overlooked, with scenery well worth the extra miles.
1. Whitaker Point (Hawksbill Crag), Ozark National Forest
In the Upper Buffalo Wilderness, this rocky outcrop juts out over a vast forest, making it one of the most photographed views in the state. The hike out to Whitaker Point is just under three miles round trip, and it’s not hard.
If you’re in the area, you’ve probably seen it on Instagram, probably in fall when the leaves turn the hills into vibrant reds and yellows. Locals come here to propose or just stare into the horizon for a while. The drop-off is around 150 feet, so this isn’t the place for reckless selfies.
2. Thorncrown Chapel, Eureka Springs
If someone asked Frank Lloyd Wright to design a forest cathedral, you’d get Thorncrown Chapel. Tucked into the woods just outside Eureka Springs, this 48-foot-high glass-and-wood structure has been called one of the most beautiful buildings in America.
It’s made with over 6,000 square feet of glass and more than 100 tons of native stone. How the light filters through the trees and reflects on the wooden beams is borderline spiritual.
It’s open to the public most days (free to enter), and soft music often plays to keep the mood.
3. Anthony Chapel
Hidden inside Garvan Gardens, Anthony Chapel is an almost entirely glass and wood structure. It is 57 feet high and has a ceiling that disappears into the surrounding trees.
Designed by Maurice Jennings, a student of E. Fay Jones (who did Thorncrown Chapel), it’s an architectural gem that feels like walking into a forest cathedral.
Step inside, look up, and you’ll see why many people host weddings here.
4. Triple Falls (also known as Twin Falls)
Triple Falls is located in the Buffalo National River area near Camp Orr. The falls usually flow as two streams until a good rain makes a third stream appear, and then it becomes Triple Falls.
The hike is barely a quarter mile and worth the detour if you’re in the Jasper area. The falls drop over a mossy bluff into a shallow pool perfect for cooling your feet.
Early spring and after storms are the best times to go if you want all three streams flowing.
5. Glory Hole Falls
Yes, that’s the actual name. Glory Hole Falls is one of the most unique waterfalls in the region because the water doesn’t fall over the rock; it falls through it. The stream above carved a perfectly round hole through a slab of stone, and now the water pours out like a showerhead.
The hike is around two miles round trip, with a gentle descent and a totally unexpected payoff. In dry seasons, it’s more of a trickle, but after rain, the flow is powerful.
6. Petit Jean State Park, Morrilton
Petit Jean is Arkansas’s first state park. It features dramatic cliffs, waterfall hikes, lakeside cabins, and one of the best CCC-era lodges in the region. Cedar Falls is the star attraction, plunging 95 feet into a wildly photogenic canyon. The hike down is a must, but so is the Seven Hollows Trail, which includes natural bridges, slot canyons, and a rock shelter called The Grotto.
7. Hemmed-In Hollow Falls
If you want to see the tallest waterfall between the Rockies and Appalachians, you’ll find it crashing down 209 feet in a hidden pocket of the Ozarks.
Being a 5.7 mile roundtrip, the steep and rocky Hemmed-In Hollow hike will make you work for it, especially coming back up. But once you’re there, the sound echoes through the canyon as the water fans out over a cliffside wall and drops into a pool below.
Go after a good rain to catch it at full flow.
8. Blanchard Springs, Fifty-Six
Blanchard Springs is a developed recreation area within the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest.
The main attraction is Blanchard Springs Caverns, a living cave with public tours operated by the Forest Service. Multiple tour options are available, including one that’s fully paved and another that takes you deep into the undeveloped parts of the cave with a helmet and headlamp.
Above ground, Blanchard Springs itself flows from a hillside cave and into Mirror Lake, a small reservoir that was once a mill pond.
9. Talimena Scenic Drive, Mena
If you want a cinematic road trip through the mountains, the Talimena Scenic Drive stretches over 50 miles along the crest of Rich Mountain and Winding Stair Mountain. With viewpoints so frequent, you’ll want to pull over every ten minutes.
In fall, the colors turn into flaming reds, oranges, and golds rolling across the horizon. But even in spring or early summer, the vistas are wild. You’ll pass through Ouachita National Forest, twist around curves, and occasionally spot a hang glider jumping off the ridges.
The entire route can be driven in two to three hours.
10. Buffalo National River
America’s first national river is less crowded than it should be. It cuts through limestone bluffs and hardwood forests through quiet stretches of remote land.
Kayaking or canoeing is the classic way to see it, especially between Ponca and Pruitt, where the cliffs get tall. On a sunny day, the water turns a surreal shade of turquoise, and you might catch turtles sunning on logs as you drift past.
The gravel bars are perfect for camping and swimming. You can also hike from above and look down on the river, bending like a ribbon through the hills.
11. Garvan Woodland Gardens, Hot Springs
The Garvan Woodland Gardens is a 210-acre estate designed with a great deal of thought behind every path. Manicured flower beds blend with towering pines and Japanese maples that explode in the fall.
Waterfalls, footbridges, koi ponds, and seasonal displays change depending on when you visit. The Children’s Adventure Garden looks like something out of a storybook, and the tulip bloom in March draws many.
12. Lake Ouachita, Hot Springs
Lake Ouachita is one of the cleanest lakes in the country. It has over 40,000 acres of open water surrounded by Ouachita National Forest and more than 200 uninhabited islands.
People come to boat, paddleboard, fish, and float with a cooler tied to their inner tube. The water is so clean that scuba divers train here.
13. Mount Magazine State Park, Paris
Arkansas’s highest point is a not-that-impressive 2,753 feet, but it is enough to give you a full view of the Petit Jean River Valley and even into Oklahoma on a clear day. Sunrises here are phenomenal, especially if the valley fog is rolling in.
Mount Magazine is a plateau where you don’t have to scale a mountain to get mountain views. Signal Hill Trail gets you to the official summit, while Bear Hollow Trail winds through rock formations and wildflower fields.
14. Eureka Springs
Tucked into the Ozark hills, Eureka Springs is a patchwork of Victorian buildings and quirky art shops. The town was built around natural springs, and you’ll still find pocket parks and hidden water features.
It’s walkable, weird in the best way, and surprisingly romantic. The Thorncrown Chapel just outside town is reason enough to visit, and the ghost tours at the old Crescent Hotel are delightfully over-the-top. People come here for a cheap weekend escape.
15. Blue Springs Heritage Center, Eureka Springs
Just a short drive from downtown Eureka Springs, Blue Spring bubbles out of a limestone bluff at a shocking 38 million gallons a day. The water is so clear that it looks digitally enhanced, and the gardens are stunning.
You can stroll the shaded paths, learn about the area’s Native American history, and spot koi drifting around the spring-fed pools.
16. Pinnacle Mountain, Little Rock
Close to the city, Pinnacle Mountain is steep but short enough to get away with calling it a quick hike. There are two main trails to the top: East Summit (shorter, steeper, more bouldering) and West Summit (a bit longer, more gradual).
Either way, the payoff is a full view over the Arkansas River and Lake Maumelle. At the base are easier trails, a visitor center, and a riverside boardwalk for cooling off.
17. Hot Springs National Park
Hot Springs is one of the smallest national parks, and unlike any other, it feels like part city, part spa, part hiking hub. The big draw here is Bathhouse Row, a line of historic buildings where you can still soak in thermal spring water just like people did in the early 1900s.
But beyond the spas is a mountain ridge with trails, overlooks, and the Hot Springs Mountain Tower, which gives you a 360-degree view of the town and beyond. The Grand Promenade is a beautifully manicured walking path parallel to the row.
18. Mammoth Spring State Park, Mammoth Spring
Mammoth Spring pumps out over nine million gallons an hour, and the turquoise color looks more like the Caribbean than North Arkansas. There’s an old hydroelectric plant, a dam you can walk across, and plenty of grassy space for a lakeside picnic.
The short walking loop offers views from every angle and a peek at the spring’s original source, bubbling up like a natural fountain.
19. The Old Mill, North Little Rock
The Old Mill was featured in the opening scene of Gone With the Wind and has somehow become more photogenic with age. Nestled in a small park in North Little Rock, this recreated 1880s water-powered grist mill is surrounded by footbridges, stone paths, and storybook landscaping. Everything about it looks handcrafted, from the curved railings to the arched doors.
The park itself is small and free to enter. It’s not a working mill, but people come here for the peace and the photos.
Catherine, a seasoned travel writer, has lived in 4 different states and explored 36 states and 28 national parks. After spending two years embracing van life, she's now dedicated to sharing her vast knowledge of day trips across America. Catherine's other works has been referenced in major publications like MSN, Self, and TripSavvy.
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