6 Great Reasons to Visit Eureka Springs This Autumn

  • Fall Color in The Arkansas Ozarks – There is not a prettier place on the planet earth than The Arkansas Ozarks when autumn arrives. The mountainsides, the hollows, the hiking and mountain biking trails are painted with hues of gold, red, orange, and purple.  Mother Nature turns the emerald green hardwood trees of    summer into explosions of breathtaking color. This Victorian village has developed a web of foot trails and challenging mountain biking trails for a way to see the rainbow of fall color right in town.  The Ozarks boast fall foliage “Top 10 in America” bona fides from such entities as Fodor’s Travel, Travel & Leisure, The Travel Channel, Country Living Magazine, and AARP.   Trip Advisor said of Eureka Springs: “It’s very relaxing, especially in the fall with all the beautiful foliage.”
  • Experience Exclusive Resort Activities – There is only one mountaintop spa resort in Eureka Springs: the 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa. The operative word here is resort… with multiple, daily activities all for overnight guests to enjoy in addition to the traditional offering of spa, dining, grounds, and relaxation.  Some of the featured fall resort activities include: “Rebuilding The Legend – A 20-year review of the Crescent Hotel’s journey to return to prominence as “The Symbol of Arkansas Hospitality”, “The Real Stories of The Crescent College Years” – One of the hotel’s historians will show guests around the College exhibit, speaking about the many fascinating college girls with great stories, “Garden Tour” – Join the Crescent Hotel’s talented gardener as she escorts you around our award-winning gardens educating you on the what and the why of the plants, “Not Really A Door” – A one-hour, two-actress, supernatural comedy-murder-mystery-thriller that is free to registered guests, and “High Time in the SkyBar” – Live music during a high time and high overlook atop The Ozarks.
  • Day Trippin’ on Highways That Are Byways – Eureka Springs makes the perfect hub for day trips along ribbons of asphalt driving to all those fabulous vistas. Whether you opt to drive north, east, south or west, you will be awe struck by the colors near the highway shoulders as well as the vistas these highways offer.   And, whether you arrive on a motorcycle or in a motorcar, the serpentine spokes out of Eureka will not disappoint.  Four popular, nearby day trips are west to the world-renowned Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville; north to an Ozark must via the Mark Twain National Forest, Branson (MO); east to the Buffalo National Park River region including gazing upon grazing herds of elk in Boxley Valley; and south to the number one road route in America, The Pig Trail National Scenic Byway.
  • Awesome Hiking –n- Mountain Biking Trails – This Victorian village has developed a web of foot trails and challenging mountain biking trails for a way to see the rainbow of fall color right up close and personal. Several hotels have installed trailheads to the web of city maintained trails and routes –like those at Lake Leatherwood and Black Bass Lake– making it easy for those who want to venture out after a good night’s rest.  Maps and tips from hotel activity directors will help you match trails to your comfort level.  With the growing interest of mountain biking, bikes may be rented.  A shuttle to shred The Eureka Springs Downhill is available at Lake Leatherwood City Park.
  • Activities and Attractions Abound – Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, Intrigue Theater, The Great Passion Play, Crescent Hotel Ghost Tour are just a few. The architecture of an active downtown entertainment and shopping district is worth a fall stroll in itself.  But you add to that dozens of unique, non-chain shops, art galleries, and nearly two dozen bars and quality restaurants makes a fall vacation to Eureka Springs complete.
  • Overnight Delights – Being a historic community, quaint and iconic historic hotels are the place to stay in the fall. The ambiance of historic lodging that offers 21st century accoutrements make a fall stay in Eureka Springs most enjoyable.  The two lodging properties that have the greatest history and continue to be the most popular not only in Eureka Springs but all of Arkansas are the aforementioned 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa and it’s downtown “sister”, the 1905 Basin Park Hotel.  While discovering downtown, a midday meal outside “on the balcony” at the Basin Park’s Balcony Restaurant affords you a bird’s eye view of shops, galleries and Basin Spring Park City Park.  At the Crescent, whether you opt for a nice dinner in the hotel’s Crystal Dining Room Restaurant or choose to take the short stroll to the popular Ermilio’s Italian Restaurant three blocks away, you must include a cool evening moment for a beverage -seated al fresco- in the hotel’s SkyBar Gourmet Pizza that overlooks The Ozarks’ hills-n-hollers highlighted by the brilliant, glowing Christ of The Ozarks statue, the world’s tallest in the northern hemisphere.

So now you know the when (this autumn), you know the where (Eureka Springs, Arkansas), you know the why (fall colors, great activities and attractions, etc.), and you know who is ready to welcome you (the 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa and the 1905 Basin Park Hotel) for the fall vacation of a lifetime.   All you need to do now is mark dates on your calendar, book a room, plan your activities, pack up the car and then drive to the “Extraordinary Escape” community nestled in The Arkansas Ozarks.