Arkansas Group Travel - Arkansas Tours
TOUR 2: FALL INTO THE NATURAL STATE
2024-07-17 11:30:11
A crisp, colorful tour through the stunning fall foliage of The Natural State
Duration: Five days
Available: Fall
Places Explored: Village Creek State Park, Little Rock, North Little Rock, DeGray Lake Resort State Park, Hot Springs, Petit Jean State Park, Harrison, Eureka Springs
Itinerary Ideal: For all ages
DAY 1
Begin your kaleidoscope fall foliage tour in the Delta region at Village Creek State Park. You might be surprised at the lush autumn forest that reigns over the unique geology of this park. Here, you’ll lunch in an enclosed pavilion, so if it’s chilly, you can enjoy the view but still be warm! Village Creek’s interpreters can tailor a lunchtime program or concert to your group.
For your post-lunch stroll, there are glorious hiking trails in the park’s unusual forest. Trees in the area include maple, beech, butternut and tulip poplar, among many others. Visit the excellent interpretive center, which offers a large meeting facility, and the Discovery Room that features exhibits of prehistoric artifacts and information about the wildlife of Crowley’s Ridge.
Drive into the capital city of Little Rock and nearby North Little Rock, and enjoy dinner in an urban setting, though not too removed from the spectacular foliage, as Little Rock, too, is yet another city that sits amid many trees.
DAY 2
After breakfast and a morning photo op, visit the nation’s 12th presidential library, the William J. Clinton Library and Museum. The center is a modern structure made largely of glass, affording you still more vistas of fall foliage over the Arkansas River and beyond as you explore the exhibits recounting the eight years of presidential history.
Then into the rolling Ouachita Mountains you go, to DeGray Lake Resort State Park. After you’re welcomed with a warm Southern lunch at the resort, take in the splashy array of colors with a crisp, cool afternoon guided boat ride around the lake. Next, take a hike on one of the many trails, all of which offer many varieties of hardwoods. Enjoy dinner and a movie or game night while you overnight at DeGray Lake Resort State Park.
DAY 3
Northward you go, on to Scenic Byway 7, with a stop for lunch and a shopping spree along the way in Arkansas’ Spa City, Hot Springs. This charming historic city is nestled within the glorious fall foliage-covered mountains of Hot Springs National Park.
Your group can schedule a traditional local hot springs bath and massage. Stroll around the downtown area, then take a bus ride up to the Hot Springs Mountain Tower, the best place for taking in breathtaking views from hundreds of feet above the Ouachita Mountains.
Continue north on Scenic 7 to beautiful Petit Jean State Park, and overnight at its cozy Mather Lodge.
DAY 4
Wake up bright and early to catch stunning views from above Cedar Creek Canyon at Petit Jean Mountain. Walk down through the prismatic hardwood canopy of Cedar Creek Canyon Trail to the beautiful Cedar Creek Falls, where the fall colors glimmer as the water falls into the clear bubbling pool.
Now continue through the Ozark Mountains to Harrison. Have lunch and a stroll in the historic downtown. Then venture just south for wild elk viewing. The local roaming elk herd is estimated to number over 650. Early mornings and late afternoons are the best times to spot them.
Dine and overnight in Harrison.
DAY 5
Depart Harrison for your journey to Eureka Springs. Marvel at the unmatched reds, oranges and yellows on trees leading into the historic downtown district of Eureka Springs, another charming Arkansas town snuggled in among majestic forested mountains. In addition to lunching downtown, you might like to get a jump on your holiday shopping. The shops in Eureka Springs remain unique and independent, and one-of-a-kind creations by area artists abound.
In the early evening, revel in the spectacular stained glass effects of the sun-covered foliage. Stop in at Thorncrown Chapel, named one of the American Institute of Architecture’s Top 100 Buildings of the Century and a truly enchanting place. Note the magical way light filters through the wood-beam-and-glass structure. It and the surrounding mountains are spectacular year-round but are especially amazing in the fall!
Have dinner and overnight in Eureka Springs.
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