42 AMERICANWAY
OCTOBER 1 2008
A R K A N S A S
AS THE SUMMER ENDS
and the mercury
falls, expectations riseamong foliage fans in
theOzark regionofArkansas:Leaf-peeping
season isunderway.Across thehillsandval-
leysof thisscenic territory, autumncreatesa
kaleidoscopiccanvas,where lushgreengives
way to gold, yellow, red, and orange. It’s
nature’s impressionism, presented in 3-D.
Peak times for leaf peeping depend partly
on theweather and vary by locationwithin
theOzarks,which isavastarea that stretch-
esacrossnorthandnorthwesternArkansas.
But most travelers mark mid-September
through thefirst part ofNovember on their
calendars as the optimal time to view the
leaves before they begin to lose their color
and the landscapedraws its shades, gather-
ing itself inuntil next year’s show.
Here are three great locations for leaf
peeping, as well as tips on what to do and
where to stayonce you’re there.
striking autumn landscape. The sylvan 50-
mile trail is designated as an Epic ride by
the InternationalMountainBicyclingAsso-
ciation, anhonor only43 trails in the coun-
tryhave received.
No trees grow in
BlanchardSpringsCav-
erns
, but stalagmites and stalactites sprout
from the floor and ceiling, respectively, of
the three-level cave system, one of themost
popular year-round attractions in town.
Take a tour of the spectacular caverns with
an interpretiveguide, and thengetan intro-
duction to theart of spelunking.
Aboveground,MountainViewoffers lots
of good, homey grub. Fuel up with pizza
andmore at
Tommy’sFamous
or
KinFolks
Bar-B-Q
.
When it’s time to bed down, comfort-
able options abound. Superb local accom-
modations include the
WildflowerBedand
Breakfast
and the
Country Oaks Bed &
Breakfast
, which has hiking trails behind
itsproperty.
MountainView (for active types)
Fall colors and folk culture— visitors find
both in this historic town two and a half
hours north of Little Rock. Established in
1873,MountainView stands as a civic time
capsule, activelypreserving tra-
ditional folk ways. Start your
tour at the
Ozark Folk Center
State Park
, which presents
Ozark heritage as living his-
tory. Tap your toes to Ameri-
can mountain music, watch
blacksmithing demonstrations,
and learn to play the dulcimer
or pluck the fiddle while sur-
rounded by foliage that takes
yourbreathaway.
You’llneeda secondwindbe-
fore setting off on the
Syllamo
Mountain Bike Trail
, which
cuts a scenic path through the
LeafPeeping
intheOzarks
ByJoshSens
OzarkFolkCenter State
Park
(870) 269-3851
SyllamoMountainBikeTrail
(870) 269-3228
BlanchardSpringsCaverns
(888) 757-2246
CountryOaks
Bed&Breakfast
From$65per night
17221Highway9
(800) 455-2704
KinFolksBar-B-Q
WashingtonStreet, directly
behind the courthouse
(870) 269-9188
Tommy’s Famous
Carpenter atWestMain
(870) 269-3278
WildflowerBedand
Breakfast on theSquare
From$65per night
100WashingtonStreet
(870) 269-4383
IfYouGo
BuffaloNational River
