Camping, Caving, and a Scenic Drive at Ozark National Forest

Ozark National Forest has about 1.2 million acresweekly from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
located in the Ozark Mountains in northernThese programs are free to Blanchard Springs
Arkansas. A few of many highlights in this Nationalcampers with only a small fee for non-campers.
Forest are Mount Magazine Scenic Byway offeringBlanchard Springs Caverns offers three tours. The
beautiful, scenic overlooks of the Arkansas RiverDripstone Trail tour explores the upper level of
Valley, Blanchard Springs Caverns, and manythese caverns; the Discovery Trail tour is longer
campgrounds including Horsehead Lake and Coveand more strenuous leading through the middle
Lake campgrounds offering beautiful lake views.level; and the Wild Cave Tour offers an
If you like beautiful scenic drives, try the Mt.introduction to spelunking or caving.
Magazine Scenic Byway. This Scenic Byway isInformative Forest Service interpreters guide
about 25 miles of highway (mostly Arkansasthese tours. The Dripstone and Discovery tours
State Highway 309) in the western/central portionare limited to around 30 people and the Wild Cave
of Arkansas on the south side of the ArkansasTour is limited to 12 people. All tours begin at the
River Valley. You have to drive slowly for muchVisitor Information Center. Beware, these tours
of the way, especially through the section thatcan cost up to $75 but are very informative and
leads to Mt. Magazine. This section of the bywayare an excellent way to enjoy the beautiful and
provides spectacular views along a windingunique features of this living cave system.
mountain road with 'sharp curves and hairpinTake the scenic drive and go caving during the
switchbacks' leading to the flat-topped Magazineday and camp at night with beautiful views of
mountain. Allow at least one to two hours toeither Cove or Horsehead Lakes. There are many
drive slowly and stop at scenic overlooks toplaces to camp at Ozark National Forest.
thoroughly enjoy the beautiful views along theOne campground that offers views of a lake as
way.well as shade under a mixed forest of hardwoods
At an elevation of 2,753 feet, Mt. Magazine is theand evergreens is Horesehead Lake campground.
highest point in the state. On the way to and onHoreshead Lake is a small fishing lake of about
top of the mountain you'll enjoy gorgeous views100 acres with a swim beach. The campground is
of forested mountains, rock bluffs, and beautifulalso small with only 10 RV and tent sites and is
lakes.situated so that most sites have a good view of
From Mt. Magazine, the byway goes down aboutthe lake. While at the campground, take an easy
2,300 feet to the town of Paris, passing thehike on the three mile Horsehead Lake Trail.
160-acre scenic Cove Lake on the way. TheCove Lake campground is another, slightly larger
byway leads through downtown Paris (populationcampground that also has lake views from some
of about 3,300), and goes on to Webb Cityof the camp sites. This is a good place to camp if
passing more beautiful natural landscapes on theyou're traveling along the Mt. Magazine Scenic
way including meadows, pastures and prairies.Byway since it's en route to Mt. Magazine.
Blanchard Springs Caverns, a system of "living"Camp at Horsehead Lake or Cove Lake
caves and caverns, is another highlight of thiscampgrounds with beautiful lake views from your
National Forest. Life Magazine described it as "onecamp site, take a leisurely drive with spectacular
of the most extraordinary finds of the century".views along the Mt. Magazine Scenic Byway, or go
The name comes from the nearby spring thatunderground and experience caving at Blanchard
pours out of the mountainside and into a pondSprings. Ozark National Forest, like all of our
named Mirror Lake. Nearby is a short, scenic walkNational Forests, offers exceptional opportunities
to the falls where the water exits the caverns.to experience the beautiful natural landscapes of
Special interpretive programs are presented atour country.
the Sheltered Cave Amphitheater three times