If you’re planning to visit Northwest Arkansas during the summer months or fall months, you will be glad to know that the region offers lots to do in terms of outdoor pursuits like swimming, canoeing, and leaf-peeping, as well as visiting museums.
Whether you enjoy outdoors attractions, or the city attractions, attractions in this region are in plentiful supply! Below we’ve rounded up all the great things you can do during a vacation to Northwest Arkansas:
Outdoor Activities
Enjoying fun outdoor pursuits such as camping, fishing, boating, hiking and swimming are, undoubtedly, some of the best things to do in Northwest Arkansas.
The good news if you’re planning an outdoors vacation in Northwest Arkansas is that there are many great outdoor spots to choose from such as Hobbs state park and Beaver Lake (both located a short drive east of Rogers).
Beaver Lake boasts a dam, many walking trails, picnic areas, campsites, beach areas and launching ramps where you can launch a boat or kayak, which makes Beaver Lake one of the best spots for a relaxing vacation, or enjoying fun recreational activities in Northwest Arkansas.
Hobbs state park is nearby Beaver Lake and it’s another great place where you can enjoy things like hiking and camping, though the state park offers other attractions such as an outdoor shooting range as well as opportunities for guided walks with a park ranger.
Besides exploring Beaver Lake and Hobbs state park, you can also explore other areas such as War Eagle Cave (located on Beaver Lake) where not only you’ll be able to enjoy a guided tour of the cave itself, but also enjoy other cool things to do such as gem panning and exploring a mini maze.
Points of Interest
There are many interesting places to visit in Arkansas and interesting things to do in Northwest Arkansas such as visiting museums, sports arenas, arts centers and antique shops and the good news is that many of these are located in Northwest Arkansas!
If you’re looking for city type attractions, destinations such as Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers and Bentonville are the best places to visit in Northwest Arkansas, though their suburbs are also worth exploring. If you just plan to explore the area of Northwest Arkansas, some of the must see places to visit are:
Bentonville
-Museum of Native American History: it’s one of the best of its kind in the US and boasts an amazing collection of interesting artifacts on display, and the best thing is that admission is free!
-Confederate Memorial Monument
-Peel Mansion Museum: is a beautiful period home turned museum that also offers public tours of the house and grounds for around $5.
Siloam Springs
-Siloam Springs Museum: is one of the must-see attractions that you must add to your list of things to do in Northwest Arkansas, as there is no better place to see and learn about pioneer life and Indian culture than this place!
-Sager Creek Arts Center: is the town’s art center/ community theatre, and it's a great place to see not only nice exhibits but also neat theatre performances.
Pea Ridge National Military Park
Pea Ridge National Military Park is located in Pea Ridge, around 20 minutes drive north of Rogers, and it’s another must-visit attraction.
Pea Ridge National Military Park is a great place to enjoy outdoor activities like hiking and horseback riding, though the best thing about a visit here is being able to attend one of the park’s events and live demonstrations.
Rogers
-Daisy Airgun Museum: is another great place to visit in Northwest Arkansas, especially if you’re a gun enthusiast since the museum boasts lots of antique airguns on display.
-Rogers Historical Museum: is a living museum and one of the must-see places in Northwest Arkansas hands down. The Rogers Historical Museum boasts lots of interesting outdoor and indoor exhibits such as a 1900’s caboose, and a restored street complete with an 1800’s barber shop and bank.
Farmers Markets
Visiting a farmers market is another of the fun things to do in Northwest Arkansas, and the great thing is that Arkansas boasts some of the best farmers markets in US!
Places such as Bella Vista, Siloam Springs and Bentonville all boast farmers market, though Fayetteville farmers market is the biggest in Northwest Arkansas selling not only raw meats and baked goods, but also local arts and crafts items.
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