AY Magazine / December 2011 / Arkansas' Ozark Mountain Region

Arkansas' Ozark Mountain Region

This area of Arkansas is one of the most beautiful parts of the country and offers a myriad of experiences and opportunities. 

The waters of the White and Buffalo Rivers, Bull Shoals and Norfork Lakes provide some of the finest fishing in the world; you’ll find bass, walleye, striper, crappie, catfish and world-class trout fishing. The Buffalo National River is a canoeist’s paradise. It winds 150 miles through limestone bluffs and forested hills, descending 2,000 feet from its source in the Boston Mountains. The pristine shoreline is comprised of 95,000 acres of protected public land.

The hills in the region boast natural wonders, including caverns and waterfalls — like Twin Falls, Falling Water Falls and Lost Valley — making it perfect for hiking, bird watching, horseback riding and cycling.

Norfork and Bull Shoals Lakes are also excellent for boating, water skiing and other water sports. Norfork Lake has more than 500 miles of rugged, unspoiled shoreline. Wildlife is abundant with good populations of deer, beaver, fox, turkey, otter and bald eagle. Hand Cove Resort & RV Park, on the southeast end of Norfork, is a good location for striper and walleye fishing; it’s close to Sand Island and Jordan area white sand beaches

Another beautiful resort on Norfork is Blue Lady Resort, owned by Brian and Margie Roelands. The resort, near Mountain Home, is home to Raimondo Family Winery and the Cellar at Blue Lady. Margie Roelands is the vintner; her family’s winemaking traditions began three generations ago in Palermo, Sicily, and continue in California. During wine tastings, Roelands talks about the winery and traveling to California to supervise grape picking, the crushing of the grapes and making the wine. Her tastings are marvelous, with homemade focaccia, specially-selected cheeses and the luscious, aromatic oils and balsamics she makes — the Fig Date Balsamic is especially popular. Raimondo Wines can be found in restaurants around the state, including at the Inn at Carnall Hall at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville where her Signature Series Wines are served.

Mountain Home is the largest city in the area and home to the campus of Arkansas State University Mountain Home (ASUMH) as well as the new Donald W. Reynolds Library serving Baxter County. Besides its outstanding curriculum, ASUMH offers excellent employment opportunities for the area as well as cultural events. Recently the Vada Sheid Community Development Center there hosted the Moscow Ballet and a sold-out Brantley Gilbert concert. A beautiful campus, it sits on 140 acres near the edge of town.

Also not far from Mountain Home is Gaston’s White River Resort. The resort is famous for world-class trout fishing; its amenities include an airstrip and a restaurant perched high above the river … the food and the view are excellent. 

Whether it’s a girls’ getaway or a fishing adventure with the kids … whether it’s a vacation or a relocation, the grandeur of the Arkansas Ozarks is yours to enjoy.