We stayed at the Mt. Nebo Arkansas State Park over spring break and visited a few other state parks in the surrounding area while we were there. Since we just took the kids on a little fall state park getaway I figured it was time I got around to sharing the previous trip!
MOUNT NEBO ARKANSAS STATE PARK
If you’re looking for an easy way to experience state parks without hauling in a tent and all the supplies, but don’t own a camper, I highly recommend checking out parks with cabins available. The rates are comparable to or better than area hotels, and they come with a full kitchen and all the utensils.
After visiting Lake Catherine, we have fallen into a pattern of breakfasts and dinners prepared and enjoyed at the cabin, and dining out for lunch while we’re out exploring. It’s fun to visit as many state parks in the area as possible while we’re there.
The funny thing is that we have yet to get the kids’ passports stamped from the three parks closest to us! I’ve even posted about the Prairie Grove Battlefield Park before!
Mt Nebo has rustic cabins. They’re also great for couples getaways. If you do plan a romantic stay, Arkansas wine country is just a 45-minute drive away. The Civilian Conservation Corps built many of the cabins in the 1930s, and cabin one marked the first rental cabin in state park history.
If you like mountain biking this is a great place to stay; there are bicycle trails galore around the camp. We went on a rather wet, foggy week, but once the weather cleared up we made sure to explore the trails a bit.
OUR CABIN at MT NEBO
Our kids are still small, so we booked a one-bedroom cabin and the kids slept on the pullout couch. So far almost every cabin we’ve stayed in has been similarly furnished. The bigger differences can be seen in the kitchens and bathrooms.
THE MT NEBO VISITOR’S CENTER & A JUST A FEW OF THE MANY VIEWS THE PARK OFFERS
You can walk down the steps from the visitor center and immediately hit the trails or just enjoy the view.
TRAIL BY OUR MT NEBO CABIN
The sign showing the elevation is located elsewhere in the park. However, just a short walk away on a trail right by our cabin went right past the old footers of a previous resort. It was pretty neat, and the footers were perfectly spaced for the kids to jump from rock to rock.
BENCHROAD TRAIL AT MT NEBO STATE PARK
Once the rain stopped, we hit the Benchroad Trail (by the bigger lookout point pictured above). We didn’t go that far down it since it was wet and still quite foggy, but the trail leads to what used to be a town. Apparently, there are still some artifacts there waiting to be seen from the trail.
Like I said, it was a just a bit foggy!
TRAIL LEADING TO THE MT NEBO CAMPSITES
There are a few campsites scattered along the trail, with signs along the way pointing out different trailheads, campsite locations, and even historical information. Mt Nebo definitely has more to offer on the trails than we were able to experience on our trip due to the weather and amount of time we had.
MILLER’S GOAT TRAIL
One of the earlier park superintendent’s children had a pet goat. Not only did it make several photo appearances, it also has a trail named after it! We didn’t go down it (have I mentioned it was foggy?), but it’s definitely one I’d like to revisit.
MT MAGAZINE VISITOR’S CENTER & MUSEUM
It was way too foggy to see much of anything outside the day we were at Mt Magazine for our passport stamps, but the visitor’s center still had much to offer. There was a lot of information about the park’s history as a resort, the town that used to exist there, and local wildlife.
Someday we’ll have to go back so we can see more of the park than just the visitor’s center.
LAKE DARDANELLE VISITOR CENTER & MEADOWBROOK TRAIL
We don’t have a boat, but that didn’t stop us from checking out their beautiful visitor’s center and taking a muddy walk down the trail just on the other side of its parking lot.
PIT STOP TO DRIVE THROUGH PARIS
Arkansas, of course. We took a quick drive through the small town to take a look. We saw the nod to the town’s larger namesake, found the local United Methodist church, and even some wall murals. I don’t know about you, but I love historic churches and wall murals.
AND PETIT JEAN STATE PARK
This one has to be one of the best state parks we have in Arkansas. We spent a few hours there exploring the visitor’s center and one trail, but there is so much to do! This park books up fast too; we will definitely make the effort to go back for a few days in order to explore more of what the park has to offer in the future.
They have a beautiful visitor center and a fun little coffee shop/deli nearby.
We would definitely like to return to most of the places we visited on this trip! As has become the norm on our little state park getaways, we saw a lot in just three days. In September we stayed at Moro Bay state park in Jersey, AR and collected a total of seven stamps/rubbings for the kids’ state park passports!
I guess the pressure is on to get that trip posted soon as well! I have so many ideas and several drafts started, so I’m thinking that means my little unplanned hiatus from the blog is over. Until next time, stay frugal and healthy my friends! I’ll see you in the next post.