Places To Visit In Franklin County

Shores Lake/White Rock Loop Trail
Location: About 14 miles north of I-40 at Mulberry off Hwy. 215

This loop trail connects two of the more popular Forest Service recreation areas: Shores Lake and White Rock Mountain. It offers an excellent weekend hike up a beautiful creek drainage to the top of spectacular White Rock Mountain, and returns via another creek drainage. Camping is open along the trails; or there are campgrounds available at each end. White Rock also has cabins or a multi-person lodge available for rent. For reservations, call (501) 369-4128. Plan on spending the night on the mountain; White Rock offers one of the best spots in the state to watch the sunset. The Shores Lake Trailhead is located at the back of the Shores Lake Campground on a spur road. A portion of the trail follows the Ozark Highlands Trail. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: The Ozark Highlands Trail–Western Section Map shows a portion of the trail. This map is available from the Forest Service.

For Information: Boston Mountain Ranger District, 1803 N. 18th St., Ozark, AR, 72949, (479) 667-2191 www.fs.fed.us/oonf/ozark

St. Mary's Catholic Church
Altus

You'll think you're in Europe when you visit this 1902 Roman Basilical style church, known for its paintings and ornate gold leaf work. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Chateau Aux Arc Vineyards & Winery
Altus

Locateed in Arkansas's Wine Country, this winery is the world's largest planter of Cynthiana grapes, the largest U.S. Chardonay vineyard outside California and the largest Zinfandel planter in Arkansas; wine tastings. All bus tours should call in advance.

Ozark Bridge
Ozark

Spanning the Arkansas River as Scenic Hwy. 23, this structure is listed as one of the 16 most beautiful long spans in the U.S. by the American Institute of Steel Construction. A lighting project showcases the structure at night.

Pig Trail Scenic Byway

State Highway 23 North of Ozark for 19 miles is one of the states most scenic roads. Newly dedicated as a scenic byway, it twists through the mountains, with switchbacks in the most steep parts. The “pig trail” nickname is a result of the highway’s being used to take sports enthusiasts to Fayetteville to view the Arkansas Razorback games. Springtime is gorgeous, with dogwoods throughout the forest, whereas our fall color rivals the East Coast when the scenery is at its peak. This major north/south route through the forest traverses a broad cross-section of the Boston Mountains.

Mulberry River

The approximately 55-mile Mulberry River is definitely one of the state's wildest rivers during spring. From its beginnings deep in the Ozarks to its confluence with the Arkansas River, the Mulberry pours over ledges, shoots through willow thickets, and whips around sharp turns. These "wild" characteristics are what give the stream its class II/III rating, and high marks from the floating public. In drier times, it's a good place to swim, wade, skip rocks, and fish. Visitors to the Mulberry can expect prime Ozark Mountain scenery--narrow canyons, tree-lined bluffs, and dense woods. A good assortment of wildlife is found in the immediate area, including one of the state's largest concentrations of black bears. The stream itself is clear and cool. In 1985, the General Assembly declared the Mulberry to be "a scenic river of the State of Arkansas" and in 1992 it was named a National Wild and Scenic River.

Ozark National Forest

The Ozark National Forest covers more than one million acres, mostly in northwest Arkansas. Some of the most noted recreation sites are just north of the Ozark Area.

White Rock Mountain, over 2,300 ft. elevation, is one of Arkansas’ highest peaks. Rental cabins, campground, hiking trails and a scenic view of the Boston Mountains are provided for the rustic camper or sightseer.

Shores Lake has camping, picnicking, hiker trails, and fishing. Redding, Wolf Pen, Horsehead Lake and Gray’s Spring are also recreation sites, all within a few miles of the Ozark area.

The Ozark Highland Trail offers cross country hikers an uninterrupted backpacking experience. The trail stretches from one end of the National Forest to the other for 169 miles. Numerous access points to the trail are available just north of Ozark.

The Boston Mountains

The beautiful Boston Mountains in northern Franklin county, with their many natural streams and forests, provide hunting, canoeing, fishing, float trips, and swimming. The climactic temperature is considered mild, making this an ideal agricultural and recreation area.

OZARK LAKE

Formed by the completion of the Ozark-Jeta Taylor Lock and Dam and Powerhouse in 1969, Ozark Lake reaches 36 miles westward and contains about 10,600 surface acres of water with 173 miles of shoreline. The Ozark Lake is administrated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The fertile waters of the Arkansas River which form Ozark Lake offer unlimited fishing opportunities. All game fish native to Arkansas are in abundance here. For added variety, the Arkansas Game and Fish commission stocked the lake with striped sea bass and walleyed pike. Fishing is good year round for catfish, bream, crappie, white and largemouth bass. From late fall to early spring, anglers fishing the tailwater immediately below the Lock and Dam can enjoy the best sauger fishing in the nation.

AUX ARC PARK

Pronounced Ozark, this park is located South of Ozark on the Arkansas River. A choice of a campsite on the Ozark Lake or below the Ozark Lock and Dam is available. 60 RV campsites are available. Boat docks at the campsites on the lake, 2 pavilions, picnic areas, playground, and a public boat ramp are also available. Aux Arc Park public access bridge leads to some of the most scenic and best fishing sites on the Arkansas River.

LOST MINES

There are two in the area. It is said that one of the caves possess hidden gold and according to legend, was placed there by Spaniards who were traveling through Arkansas from Mexico.