The Ozark Mountains span Arkansas and Missouri, offering stunning landscapes of forested highlands, dramatic rock formations, and crystal-clear waterways. This natural wonderland is also home to charming mountain towns, a rich cultural heritage, and endless outdoor adventures.
Here is a list of 20 remarkable destinations showcasing this region’s best.
Buffalo National River
The Buffalo National River winds for 135 miles through the heart of the Ozarks, featuring towering limestone bluffs and pristine waters. As America’s first national river, it offers excellent floating, hiking, and wildlife-watching opportunities.
The emerald waters provide perfect conditions for canoeing and kayaking through some of the region’s most scenic landscapes.
Blanchard Springs Caverns
Often called the “living cave,” Blanchard Springs Caverns features stunning crystalline formations that continue to grow and change. Located in the Ozark National Forest, this three-level cave system offers guided tours through beautifully lit rooms with paved trails.
The surrounding recreation area includes hiking trails, a scenic spring, and Mirror Lake, stocked with rainbow trout.
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Eureka Springs
This Victorian mountain village features winding streets with historic buildings perched on steep hillsides. Known for its healing springs, vibrant arts scene, and inclusive atmosphere, Eureka Springs blends natural beauty with cultural richness.
The entire downtown is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, making a simple stroll feel like stepping back in time.
Table Rock Lake
Spanning over 43,000 acres along the Missouri-Arkansas border, Table Rock Lake offers pristine blue waters ideal for boating, fishing, and swimming. The lake features numerous coves and inlets perfect for exploration, while its clear waters make it a favorite for scuba diving.
Surrounding viewpoints provide breathtaking panoramas of the lake nestled among the Ozark hills.
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
Located in Bentonville, Arkansas, this world-class museum blends art with nature. Founded by the Walton family, Crystal Bridges houses American masterpieces in a stunning architectural setting spanning spring-fed ponds.
The 120-acre campus includes hiking trails, outdoor sculptures, and native gardens that complement the indoor museum experience.
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Ozark Folk Center State Park
This unique cultural center in Mountain View, Arkansas, preserves traditional Ozark crafts, music, and folklore. Visitors can watch artisans demonstrate blacksmithing, pottery, quilting, and other heritage crafts.
Evening music performances showcase authentic mountain folk traditions, and the herb garden features over 500 varieties of medicinal and culinary plants.
Petit Jean State Park
As Arkansas’ first state park, Petit Jean offers diverse natural features, including Cedar Falls, a 95-foot waterfall cascading into a pristine pool. The Civilian Conservation Corps built the park’s rustic cabins and lodge during the Great Depression.
Hiking trails lead to breathtaking overlooks of the Arkansas River Valley and unique rock formations like Bear Cave and Turtle Rocks.
Ha Ha Tonka State Park
This Missouri gem showcases the ruins of a 1900s stone castle perched atop a bluff overlooking Ha Ha Tonka Spring and Lake of the Ozarks. The park features natural bridges, a basin, and a 70-foot natural bridge spanning a massive basin.
Fourteen miles of trails wind through varied terrain, offering views of unusual geological formations and lush woodland landscapes.
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Silver Dollar City
Near Branson, Missouri, this 1880s-themed amusement park combines thrilling rides with traditional Ozark craftsmanship. The park features over 40 rides and attractions, including world-class roller coasters and water adventures.
It also showcases more than 100 craftspeople demonstrating traditional skills. Seasonal festivals celebrate everything from bluegrass music to Christmas traditions.
Mount Magazine State Park
Mount Magazine is home to Arkansas’s highest point at 2,753 feet, offering sweeping views of the Petit Jean River Valley and Blue Mountain Lake. The park’s modern lodge provides luxury accommodations with panoramic vistas, while numerous trails lead to scenic overlooks and butterfly havens.
Hang gliding, rock climbing, and mountain biking attract adventure seekers year-round.
Top of the Rock Ozarks Heritage Preserve
This Johnny Morris creation near Ridgedale, Missouri, features multiple viewing balconies overlooking Table Rock Lake and the Ozark Mountains. The preserve includes the Ancient Ozarks Natural History Museum, which displays Native American artifacts and prehistoric animal remains.
An electric cart tour takes visitors through limestone formations, waterfalls, and across a natural stone bridge.
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Ozark Highlands Trail
This 218-mile hiking path traverses some of the Ozark Mountains’ most remote and scenic portions. Winding through the Ozark National Forest, the trail passes waterfalls, old-growth forests, and panoramic vistas.
Backpackers can experience multi-day adventures, while day hikers enjoy shorter sections featuring distinctive rock formations and diverse ecosystems.
Thorncrown Chapel
Nestled in the woodland near Eureka Springs, this architectural marvel, designed by E. Fay Jones, features 425 windows and over 6,000 square feet of glass. Rising 48 feet into the forest canopy, the chapel’s wooden structure creates a sense of being inside an intricate lattice among the trees.
The play of light through glass throughout the day creates an ever-changing, ethereal atmosphere.
Bull Shoals Lake
This massive reservoir spans over 45,000 acres across the Arkansas-Missouri border, offering some of the clearest water in the Ozarks. Known for excellent bass and trout fishing, the lake’s 1,000 miles of shoreline provide countless coves for exploration.
The surrounding public lands feature hiking trails, camping areas, and wildlife viewing opportunities.
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Onyx Cave Park
Near Eureka Springs, this fascinating cave system features delicate onyx formations created over millions of years. An audio-guided tour explains the cave’s geology and history and showcases stalactites, stalagmites, and flowstone formations.
The surrounding park includes nature trails and picnic areas in the Ozark forest.
Mountain View Square
Known as the “Folk Music Capital of the World,” the town square in Mountain View, Arkansas, becomes an impromptu stage for folk musicians who gather to play traditional Ozark music. Informal jam sessions happen year-round but are especially common during spring and summer evenings.
Visitors can bring lawn chairs and listen to authentic mountain music in this casual, welcoming atmosphere.
Dogwood Canyon Nature Park
This 10,000-acre nature preserve straddles the Missouri-Arkansas border and features clear streams, cascading waterfalls, and ancient burial caves. Visitors can explore via walking trails, bicycle paths, horseback rides, or tram tours.
The park’s waters teem with trout, while the forests and meadows host elk, bison, and numerous bird species.
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White River
Famous for world-class trout fishing, the White River flows cold and clear through the heart of the Ozarks. Below Bull Shoals Dam, the tailwaters create the perfect habitat for trophy brown and rainbow trout.
Floating the river offers chances to spot bald eagles, herons, and deer along the forested banks.
Lost Valley Trail
Located near Ponca, Arkansas, this mile-long trail packs remarkable diversity into a relatively easy hike. Following Clark Creek, the path leads to a natural bridge, a 35-foot waterfall, and Eden Falls Cave.
The valley’s rich ecosystem supports abundant wildflowers in spring and vibrant foliage in autumn.
Roaring River State Park
This Missouri park centers around Roaring River Spring, which produces 20 million gallons of water daily. The park’s trout hatchery supplies fish for the premier trout stream that flows through the valley.
Three hiking trails explore the surrounding hills, passing caves, sinkholes, and glades that showcase the distinctive Ozark terrain.
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Natural Wonders That Endure
The Ozark Mountains are a testament to natural resilience and cultural preservation in America’s heartland. For centuries, these ancient highlands have shaped the lives of those who call them home, fostering distinctive music, craftsmanship, and storytelling traditions that continue to thrive today.
Visitors seeking adventure, tranquility, or cultural enrichment will find that these 20 destinations merely scratch the surface of what the region offers. The Ozarks’ combination of accessible wilderness, small-town charm, and deep-rooted heritage creates an experience that resonates long after travelers return home.
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