Visit

LODGING

• Beard and Lady Inn - 100 yards - 1887 historic hotel with 11 rooms, mercantile store, dining hall, stage, hosts dinner theaters, great place for events and weddings

• StoneWind Retreat and Yurts - 4 miles - stay in one of eight yurts with hot tub and deck with mountain views.

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OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

• Wading and Kayaking in Clear Creek at Chester City Park - 0.5 miles

• Buckhorn OHV Trailhead – 6 miles (can ride UTV to the trail from Chester, waterfall, swimming hole, creek crossing)

• Quail Mountain - Shoot clay, hunt for quail, pheasant, or chukar at Quail Mountain – 1 mile

• Lake Fort Smith State Park -  7.9 miles – (pool, hiking, boating, fishing, mountain biking)

• Winn Mountain Golf Course - 7.9 miles

• Alma Aquatic Water Park - Alma - 16 miles

• Devil’s Den State Park – 17.5 miles – (CLOSEST WATERFALLS, world class hiking, pool, mountain biking, horse trails, boating, fishing)

• Eagle Crest (~$45 for 18 holes) and River Valley Golf Courses  (~$10 to $24 for 18 holes) - Alma – 20.8 miles

• Van Zandt Park - Van Buren - Outdoor Pickleball courts - 22.1 miles

• White Rock Mountain National Park – 24.8 miles - Takes 1 hour on country roads (hiking, amazing view)

• Razorback Regional Greenway Bike Trail - 15th St Starts just south of Walker Park (can also start as far south as Kessler Mountain Regional Park) - Fayetteville to Bentonville - 30 miles

• Two Skate Parks in Fort Smith - Riverfront Skate and Bike Park (great for bikes as it has multiple pump tracks, bike path through national historic park and along river, bike rental, near splash pad and walk-able to downtown) and Martin Luther King Park - 31 to 35 miles (the skate park in Fayetteville is at Walker Park)

• The Park at West End - 1935 World's Fair Ferris wheel, vintage carousel, Pullman railroad diner car, double decker bus - Fort Smith 33 miles 

• Janet Huckabee River Valley Nature Center – Fort. Smith - 33.9 miles - hiking, fishing, canoeing

• Ben Geren Regional Park - Fort Smith - 33.3 miles - mountain bike trails, go-karts, Parrot Island Water Park, disc golf, fitness course, mini-golf, sand volleyball

• The Jones Center - Cheap ice skating, swimming, gymnastics, fitness, and largest asphalt bike pump track in North America - 42.4 miles

• City of Siloam Springs Kayak Park - West of Fayetteville - 56.6 miles - Two artificial waves on the Illinois River to kayak, canoe, float, and raft down

• Byrd's Adventure Center - Kayaking, Canoeing, ATV, UTV, 4X4 30 miles of riding trails plus nice restaurant - 57 miles - Paddling map

• War Eagle Mill - last working water powered grist mill in Arkansas with organic milled flour, restaurant, arts and crafts - Little Flock - 60 miles

• War Eagle Cavern on Beaver Lake - gem mining, spelunking, and cavern/cave tours - NE of Rogers - 64 mile

 

GROCERIES AND GAS

• Dollar General - 4.9 miles - (Some groceries)

• CLOSEST GAS: Simmons Quik Stop - 9.1 miles 

• CLOSEST GAS: Love's Travel Stop Gas and Workman's Hilltop Travel Center - Rudy - 11.2 miles

• Walmart Supercenter, Harps, CVs - Alma - 16 miles

• Harps Food Stores and Gas - West Fork/Devil's Den - 20.4 miles 

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RESTAURANTS, MASSAGE AND DRINKS​

• Chester Country Cafe - 100 yards - Home cooked diner

• White Willow Massage Therapy - Mountainburg - 4.1 miles - ~$35 for 30 minutes

• Pizza Den - Mountainburg - 3.1 miles - Pizza, Salad bar, wings, hoagies, calzones

• Dairy Dream - Mountainburg - 3.2 miles - Ice cream and hamburgers

• Neon Moon - Mountainburg - 4.6 miles - Hamburgers and fried pies

• Hilltop Restaurant (24-7 breakfast!) at a Phillips 66 Gas Station - Rudy - 11.2 miles

• Subway and Chester's Fried Chicken at Loves Travel Stop Gas - Rudy - 11.2 miles

• Grandma's House Cafe - West Fork - 11.3 miles - Popular home cooking and pies (temporarily closed)

• Awaken Coffee - Alma - 12.6 miles - High quality coffee, decor - located in Beyond Church

• Alma Restaurants - 16 miles - Lots of fast food and restaurants - Steak, Cracker Barrel etc. 

• West Fork Restaurants - Devil's Den - 20 miles - About 3 or 4 places

• Starbucks Coffee - Van Buren - 22.3 miles 

• Bubble Tea - Smiling Cup Boba Tea - 27 miles - Fort Smith

• Fort Smith Coffee Co. and Roastery - 28.7 miles - Best local coffee

• Van Buren (22 miles), Fort Smith (28 miles), Fayetteville (33 miles) - (Tons of fast food, restaurants, ethnic food and fine dining restaurants) 

• Sakuu Asian Bakery and Deli - bubble tea, mochi, bahn mi, backed goods - 29.1 miles - Fort Smith 

• Best BBQ in Fort Smith - Blue Ember Smokehouse - 29.9 miles

• Bubble Tea - BoBo Ribbon Ice, Leaf Tea House, Anime Cafe NWA - 31 to 35 miles - Fayetteville

• Onyx Coffee Lab - Fayetteville - 34.6 miles - World Class Coffee

• JJ's Beer Garden and Brewing Co. - Fayetteville - 35.6 miles - Great food, brew own beer, brewery tours

• Chipotle and Whole Foods - Fayetteville - 35.6 miles

• Best BBQ - Wright's BBQ - Fayetteville - 37 miles

• Arkansas is the oldest and largest wine producing state in the South

• Sassafras Springs Winery - Springdale - 40 miles - 42 mins

• Tonitown Winery - Springdale - 41.8 miles - 42 minutes

• Wiederkehr Winery - Altus  – 48.2 miles - 5 Wineries nearby

• Fox Trail Distillery - 49.8 miles - 46 minutes - Local whisky distillery tasting and tours

 

SHOPPING, THEATERS, and MUSEUMS

• Artist Point Gift Shop and Cultural Center –  6.8 miles

• Ozark Folkways - Winslow, Mt Gaylor – 10.4 miles - Crafts, Art, Music

• A to Z Shopping - 12.7 miles (Sporting Goods like Cabelas so some fishing and kayaking, Tools, Furniture, Groceries)

• Historic Downtown Van Buren – 22 miles - Ride the trolley

• Malco Van Buren Cinema - 23.1 miles 

• Van Buren Fine Arts Center - 23.6 miles

• Fort Smith Central Mall and Cinema - 27.9 miles

• The Woodsman Company - kayaking, fly fishing, camping, hiking - Fort Smith - 28.4 miles 

• Miss Laura's Visitor Center - restored Victorian house of ill-repute  - Fort Smith - 29 miles

• United States Marshals Museum - Fort Smith - 30 miles 

• 112 Drive In Movie Theater - Open Thurs. to Sunday evenings - Fayetteville - 30 miles (There is another Drive In at Poteau, OK)

• Target - Fort Smith - 30.3 miles

• TheatreSquared - local and national theatre productions - Fayetteville - 31.2 miles 

• Pack Rat Outdoor Center - kayaking, camping, hiking - Fayetteville - 34.8 miles

• Crystal Bridges Museum of Art - top art museum in Arkansas - Bentonville - 56 miles

• Scott Family Amazeum - 50,000 square foot children's museum 

 

HISTORICAL SITES

• Ozark Scenic Railroad Tourist Train - Van Buren – 22.5 miles (call in advance for passenger tickets to ride the train passing in front of Chester)

• Historic Downtown Van Buren  – 22 miles

• Drennan-Scott House - Van Buren – 22.9 miles - Pre-Civil War Home

• Arkansas Air and Military Museum - Fort Smith – 29.8 miles

• Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park - Prairie Grove – 32 miles - one of the most intact Civil War sites with museum, walking/driving tours

• Fort Smith Museum of History - Fort Smith - 33 miles - museum with local history and working soda fountain

• Fort Smith National Historic Site - Fort Smith – 33 miles - location of the famous 86 hangings of Judge Issac Parker, the “Hanging Judge” gallows and Museum seen in John Wayne’s “True Grit“

• Subiaco Abbey - 64.1 Miles - (Benedictine monks making beer and hot sauce)

 

AREA EVENTS AND FESTIVALS (Estimated dates)

Year Round:

•  University of Arkansas Razorback Ballgames - Fayetteville – 30 miles

 

May:

• Old Timer’s Day Steampunk Festival - Van Buren – 22 miles - 1st weekend of May

• Steel Horse Rally - Fort Smith – 36 miles - Charity Motorcycle Rally

• Old Fort Days Rodeo - Fort Smith - 36 miles 

 

June:

• Riverfront Blues Festival - Fort Smith - 36 miles

 

July:

• 4th Of July Fireworks in Chester at Chester City Park

• Annual Devil's Den Games 4th of July Celebration - 17.5 miles

• Johnson County Peach Festival - Clarksville – 67 miles - normally 3rd weekend of July - oldest food festival in Arkansas

 

August: 

• Bargains Galore on 64 - 160 mile long yard sale - August 13-15, 2020 - Cuts through Fort Smith, Van Buren, and Alma

• Rodeo of the Ozarks - Springdale - 42 miles - Annual rodeo and demolition derby events

 

September:

• Devil's Den Annual Mountain Bike Race - 17.5 miles

• Downtown Junk Festival - Van Buren - 22 miles - Labor Day Weekend

• Clothesline Fair - Prairie Grove - 31.2 miles - Labor Day Weekend - 100 booths of handmade crafts

• Bikes Blues and BBQ Motorcycle Rally - Fayetteville – 33 miles - Usually in September - Ride in front of Chester - 3rd largest rally in the country

 

October:

• Royal Wade Kimes Music on the Mountain Benefit Concert - Chester – 6 miles

• Apple Festival and Arts & Crafts Fair - Lincoln – 36.8 miles - 1st weekend of October 

• Fall Festival Tradin' Days - Van Buren – 22 miles - 2nd weekend of October 

• Wiederkehr Wine Festival - Altus  – 48.2 miles - normally 3rd weekend of October - Multiple Wineries on the same road

• War Eagle Arts and Crafts Fair  – Rogers - 59.8 miles - 3rd weekend of October