Arkansas
Discover Arkansas
Arkansas is a state on the western side of the Southern United States. It calls itself "the Natural State". The northern part of the state is mountainous and forested, with the northwestern corner being home to the scenic Ozark Mountains and the economically booming Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers-Bentonville area. The western-central area is home to the Ouachita Mountains, while the southern and south-eastern part of the state is part of the Mississippi Delta, with rice and cotton fields and flat, sweeping vistas. Little Rock, the capital, lies near the center of the state.
What to Experience in Arkansas
Taste of Arkansas...
Arkansas' food resembles that of its southern neighbors. Much truly authentic and worthwhile southern cuisine is made in private homes, cookouts, or church functions, rather than actual restaurants. One exception is barbecue, particularly pork barbecue, which is widespread, and available in restaurants, roadside stands, and even trucks. Another regional staple is fried catfish, often it is served with hushpuppies, cole slaw, and french fries or a baked potato. Catfish is especially prevalent in the lowland and Delta regions of the south and east. Traditional African-American cooking, or "soul food" is generally very similar to the traditional cooking of white southerners in terms of ingredients or basic dishes. It tends to be spicier, and may make more extensive use of ingredients more affluent whites or blacks shun. Likewise, it is rarely presented in formal restaurants, but at cookouts and church gatherings. One unusual highlight of the Delta region is "tamales." These are very distinct from Latin American tamales, even though they were originally introduced by Mexican farm workers in the early 20th century. In the northwestern part of the state, recent growth in Mexican immigration has brought more authentic Mexican cooking to the state. There is plenty of cosmopolitan dining in the state. Little Rock, Eureka Springs, Fort Smith, Northwest Arkansas, all have excellent options in certain cuisines due to large immigrant/foreign populations.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsLittle Rock National Airport (LIT)serves central Arkansas, while Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (XNA) located near Bentonville serves the Northwest region of the state. Aside from private airports, other airports that may be more convenient can be found in Fort Smith, Texarkana, Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Memphis, Tennessee. Amtrak serves the state via its once-daily Texas Eagle train that runs between Chicago and San Antonio, with through-cars to and from Los Angeles three times a week. Cities served in the state include Little Rock, Texarkana and Walnut Ridge, just outside Jonesboro. Unfortunately, southbound trains arrive in the middle of the night while northbound ones arrives late evening. Bus travel is somewhat limited in Arkansas, but Greyhound runs daily services to Little Rock from Dallas and Houston, Oklahoma City and Nashville via Memphis. Additionally, Jefferson Lines runs daily buses from cities north of Arkansas, such as Kansas City....
Regions
Explore AreasArkansas' official nickname is "The Natural State", and that tells you a lot. It has great state parks throughout the state, with wilderness comprising broadleaf forests. The northwest boasts the Ozar…...
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Car travel here, as in most of the United States, is quickest. Interstate 40 crosses the state from Fort Smith to Memphis, passing through Little Rock. Interstate 30 also goes south from Little Rock to Texarkana. Arkansas' food resembles that of its southern neighbors. Much truly authentic and worthwhile southern cuisine is made in private homes, cookouts, or church functions, rather than actual restaurants. One exception is barbecue, particularly pork barbecue, which is widespread, and available in restaurants, roadside stands, and even trucks. Another regional staple is fried catfish, often it is served with hushpuppies, cole slaw, and french fries or a baked potato. Catfish is especially prevalent in the lowland and Delta regions of the south and east. Traditional African-American cooking, or "soul food" is generally very similar to the traditional cooking of white southerners in terms of ingredients or basic dishes.
Language & Talk
English is the prevalent language in virtually the entire state - although Spanish has become much more apparent in Northwestern Arkansas. Many rural (and quite a few urban) Arkansans have distinctive southern accents and dialects, which is generally a source of pride. The Arkansas accent is more akin to an Oklahoma or Texas accent than the "Deep South" accent, though it has elements of both. Speakers of English as a second language may face difficulty with understanding some speakers with strong accents. The state's accent is often a blend of General American and Southern accents.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
Crime is generally low in most of the state, the main exceptions being the larger cities. Even though many small-town Arkansans view Little Rock as a particularly dangerous and unsafe city, its violent crime rates are in line with other United States cities of similar size. Property crime is more prevalent. Drunk driving can be a danger, especially in rural areas at night. Arkansas is divided between "wet" and "dry" counties, so many drinkers in the state must drive 10–30 miles away from home for a good time. In terms of race relations, Arkansas has progressed in many respects since the 1950s. However, many small towns in the state, especially in the highlands, are mostly or entirely white, and people of color may attract stares or unwanted attention. People of Hispanic background may be assumed to be recent immigrants.
Glimpses of Arkansas
Hawksbill Crag / Whitaker Point
Natural Dam Falls Located on Mountain Fork Creek, Natural Dam Falls is just that, a natural dam in the middle of the creek. While the falls are not all that tall, the natural dam does span the entire creek, almost 200 feet! Another great thing about this waterfall is that you can drive right up to it, as it is located next to a National Forest picnic site. To get to the falls, take exit #5 on I-40 at Van Buren, and then head North on AR Hwy 59. As soon as you cross a bridge and come into the community of Natural Dam, Turn Left at the sign for the falls and picnic area, which are within sight of the turn.
Atop Pinnacle Mountain, just outside Little Rock, AR.
a flag in a field with a sky in the background
Out for an evenings photography with a friend in Little Rock, Arkansas to find interesting things.
A view from the top of Pinnacle Mountain State Park overlooking Lake Maumelle, just outside of Little Rock, AR.
This photo was taken in downtown Little Rock, Arkansas
Bentonville Square
green leafed beside body of water
a large building with steps leading up to it
Hawksbill Crag / Whitaker Point
Natural Dam Falls Located on Mountain Fork Creek, Natural Dam Falls is just that, a natural dam in the middle of the creek. While the falls are not all that tall, the natural dam does span the entire creek, almost 200 feet! Another great thing about this waterfall is that you can drive right up to it, as it is located next to a National Forest picnic site. To get to the falls, take exit #5 on I-40 at Van Buren, and then head North on AR Hwy 59. As soon as you cross a bridge and come into the community of Natural Dam, Turn Left at the sign for the falls and picnic area, which are within sight of the turn.
Atop Pinnacle Mountain, just outside Little Rock, AR.