Mount Magazine in Arkansas

Mount Magazine was a great place to be on a hot July weekend.  The breeze and scenery at the mountain top was worth the trip.  And it was a long trip for us without much to see along the way.  There were times on the Scenic Byways that led to this part of Arkansas that we didn't even see other cars on the road besides ours for long periods of time!

 

We began our visit to the Mount Magazine State Park at the Visitors Center that was very helpful and informative.  They provided information about the hiking trails and things to do in the park. There was a wildlife observation area overlooking a garden of native plants.  We really enjoyed the hummingbirds that put on quite a show. 

It is hard to believe that the lodge and cabins on the bluff of Mount Magazine are owned and ran by as state park system.  I think of lodging at state parks to be described as rustic.  The Lodge of Mount Magazine State Park is modern and  perfect for its setting.  We stayed in a cabin on the lodge's property that had every thing you could need.  The wrap-around deck with rocking chairs and a hot tub overlooking the Petit Jean River Valley was my favorite part..  The lodge and restaurant shared this same amazing view.  It was really beautiful in the summer but it must be spectacular in the fall.


We knew there is lots of wildlife in the state park and were on the lookout for black bears.  We did not see any bears but discovered two fawns by our driveway when we checked into out cabin. We continued to see deer out in the park and each morning in view of our deck.  One evening as we were checking out the huge full moon from our deck, we saw two deer laying down at the edge of our back yard.  We counted up 15 different deer that we saw up close in our two day stay!  I decided that having deer near your cabin is better than having bears.

The scenery was beautiful, the cool breezes were rare to find in the summer, and there was a surprise around every curve of the road.  Mount Magazine was a great summer destination.  Too bad it is such a long trip or we might be checking it out in the fall. 

Happy Birthday Fred!