A visit to Mount Magazine State Park
August is a special month for me; one that dominates my memories. I was born in this month and years later, in this month, fell in love with the man of my dreams.
Every August that man, now my husband, plans something to surprise me. Last year, we chased the eclipse to Cape Girardeau, Missouri. It was so much fun and something we will always cherish. Pictures of each other in silly glasses and reminiscing with our daughter about my first eclipse will always be in my mind. She was the same age I was when our school hosted its own version of an eclipse viewing party.
Another one of my favorite birthday trips was our first trip to Mount Magazine State Park in 2007. The Lodge opened in 2006 wowing us with its wood-planked ceilings and large timber columns. Windows are everywhere, showcasing the views of Arkansas’ highest point. While it is rustic, it is also grand with its choice of furnishings and decor and truly represents the quiet opulence that Arkansas has at her roots as the Natural State.
Just because she is grand, does not mean Arkansas doesn’t know how to have fun. She does and Mt. Magazine offers to visitors hang gliding, rock climbing, hiking, cycling and ATV riding, along with horseback riding for the thrill seekers. There is fishing and picnicking for those preferring the calmer side of life but wish to be outdoors. For those seeking that opulent feeling, just being inside the lodge, out on the grounds or dining in the restaurant will fill your heart.
The Lodge and cabins are one of Arkansas finest assets. A winding herb garden surrounds the lodge offering up its delightful scents to visitors with sage, thyme, and basil among others. Rocks are labeled naming the plant. Butterflies enjoy the garden as much as the hummingbirds and bees. Be sure to bring your camera for some great shots.
Even with 60 guest rooms and 13 fullyequipped cabins, reservations can be hard to come by in the fall, so you might have to plan ahead in case they are booked. Reservations are available online by searching for the park or going through www. arkansas.com.
Lodge amenities include an indoor swimming pool, fitness center, game room, conference, banquet and meeting rooms, business center, and high-speed internet access. Fortythree guestrooms feature balconies and 17 rooms offer spa tubs. Four corner suites have fireplaces and two balconies each.
Dining
Dining at the Skycrest Restaurant has always been first class. They recently updated the restaurant and I can’t wait to see how they have outdone themselves. Open daily serving a breakfast menu, lunch menu and a dinner menu, the restaurant serves dishes unique to its own kitchen. We dined each menu and were not disappointed with anything. Local wines grace the tables should wish to imbibe. Arkansas is refined in viticulture if you are interested; Arkansas Wine Trail information can be found online.
History
The area at Mount Magazine was first discovered by Bernard de la Harpe in 1722. Magazine’s peak is the highest spot in all of Arkansas. Standing at 2,753-feet above sea level at Signal Hill, the mountain gives a view unlike any other in the state.
The park’s brochure
describes it as having “magnificent vistas of broad river valleys, deep hollows, and distant mountains.” It goes on to say that “as early as the 1870s, people were attracted by lower temperatures, usually 10-15 degrees
cooler than in the valley. Settlers and vacationers began using the mountain to escape the summer heat. Drought, erosion and the Great Depression brought much of that to an end. In the 1930s and ‘40s, campgrounds, trails, cabins, and lodge” were constructed by the federal Works Progress Administration. That lodge burnt in 1971. The current lodge opened in 2006.
The cabins feature one, two or threebedrooms with covered decks with hot tubs. Amenities include wood-burning fireplaces, kitchens, a private bathroom for each bedroom and highspeed internet.
Cameron Bluff Campground has 18 sites with full hookups
and a modern bathhouse with hot showers. A dump station is located in the area. Campers must register at the Visitor Center before occupying a campsite. All sites are reservable and can be reserved up to one year in advance.
A group rental pavilion is in the Greenfield Picnic area near the Visitor Center. Be sure to check with the Visitor
Center for all outdoor information. Hang gliding is allowed, but there are restrictions, so it is best to stop at the Visitor Center as you come up the mountain, before you get to the lodge and cabins. The park is located at 16878 Highway 309 South in Paris. The park office can be reached for campsite reservations and outdoor questions by calling 479-963-8502.
Lodge and cabin reservations may be obtained by calling 1-877-665-6343. You may email mountmagazine@ arkansas.com or visit www.mountmagazinestatepark.com for more information.