9 Playfully Peculiar Towns In Arkansas
As home to the Ozarks, Arkansas is known as a state with serene mountain escapes and lush scenery. What you may not know, however, is that Arkansas also has a playfully peculiar side. From haunted hotels, UFOs, Bigfoot sightings, and two-seat diners with the tastiest barbeque in the state, things can get a little strange in the Land of Opportunity. If you think you know about everything Arkansas has to offer, think again! So, pack your bag, bring your appetite, and get ready to explore the weird side of this southern gem.
Alma
In western Arkansas is Alma, a town that knows how to eat its greens! In the 1980s, this small community manufactured over half of the canned spinach in the United States, and the area had a little fun with it. As you travel into the town via I-40, you’ll notice a giant green can known as the world's largest can of spinach (don’t worry, it isn’t actually filled with spinach). Most of the canned spinach manufacturing plants have since left the area, but Alma still pays tribute to its leafy green roots in fun ways.
Popeye Park is a delightful green space in the heart of Alma with a Popeye bronze statue in the middle of a fountain. Visitors can explore Popeye’s garden or sit under the pavilion in the park. You may come to check “See World’s Largest Can of Spinach” off your bucket list, but you’ll stay to enjoy the sights in Alma. Lake Alma Park is a great place to relax along the water, and after you can grab some amazing local food at the kitschy Catfish Hole.
Fouke
In the southwestern corner of Arkansas is Fouke, aka the Bigfoot Capital of Arkansas. It’s where you may find the Fouke Monster, a local legend, and where many have claimed to glimpse sightings of Bigfoot since the 1970s. Brave travelers can head to the Sulphur River Bottoms outside of Fouke to potentially catch a glimpse for themselves. However, even if you don’t see Bigfoot, there are plenty of monster-themed activities to check out while in the area!
Fouke embraces its monster lore with peculiar shops like the Fouke Monster Mart. The store is something right out of a horror movie! It’s part convenience store where you can stock up on snacks before heading out into the night to hunt monsters and part museum. The small museum tells the tale of monster sightings in the area and has plenty of exhibits perfect for unique road trip photo ops. Even the health food shops, like Monster Nutrition, lean into the monster lore.
Mount Ida
Mount Ida is a remote community south of the Ouachita National Forest in western Arkansas. It’s home to some of the purest quartz crystal deposits on the planet, and the community has since transformed into a New Age oasis where visitors travel for spiritual healing. You can shop for healing crystals at places like Fiddler's Ridge Rock Shop or Real Earth Creations, and some stores even offer workshops on the healing properties of different gems.
It’s easier to shop for rare gems, but it’s more exciting to find them on your own! Visitors can mine their own gems in Mount Ida at dig sites like Wegner Quartz Crystal Mines. This public mining operation has everything treasure hunters need to harvest true Arkansas Quartz Crystals. Just make sure you bring plenty of sunscreen! After a day of mining for rare minerals, nothing tastes better than an old-fashioned American meal at the Lodge Restaurant, located on the scenic banks of Lake Ouachita.
Jasper
In Jasper, you’re more likely to make friends with an elk than a resident! Nestled in the heart of the Ozarks, there are almost as many elk as there are residents! With a population of under 500 and almost as many wild elk, there are so many opportunities to catch these wild animals in their native habitat. It’s a small town with charming local attractions like the rustic Bradley House Museum, which weaves the tale of the history of Jasper, or you can dine on burgers and milkshakes at the Ozark Cafe.
What makes Jasper so unique is the roaming elk just outside the city limits. Known as the Elk Capital of Arkansas, these majestic beasts roam the Buffalo River corridor, and one of the best places to see them is the Erbie Campground or near the Carver Bridge. If you visit Jasper in June, you can attend the fun Buffalo River Elk Festival, which celebrates the reintroduction of elk to Newton County. There you can attend the Arkansas State Championship Elk Calling Contest, Kids' Fishing Derby, live music, dancing, and a fireworks show.
Yellville
During World War I, Arkansas was a significant source of zinc ore, but its mining operations all ended in the 1960s. Yellville, a small town in the Ozark Mountains, was the closest town to one of the leading operations in the state, the Rush mining district. Today, you can visit the mining district, which is now known as the Rush Ghost Town. This holistically protected town is an eerie ghost of Arkansas’s past, with the remains of mining facilities, community buildings, and even mine shafts that visitors can explore and learn more about the once-thriving operation.
Outside of the ghost town, Yellville has so much to offer. The Yellville City Park provides a playground for the little ones and access to Crooked Creek, where you can canoe, swim, or paddleboard down its calm waters. After you work up an appetite exploring Yellville, the Blacksheep BBQ Smokehouse and Grill is the perfect spot to fill up on brisket or pulled pork.
Marianna
Unless you knew it was there, Marianna is one of those hidden Arkansas towns you’d never find by accident. It is situated on the eastern edge of Arkansas, not too far from Memphis. Simply put, if you’re searching for the best barbecue in Arkansas, skip the big cities—Marianna is where Arkansas BBQ was born! Jones Bar-B-Q Diner does not look like much on the outside, but the real magic lies inside. The two-table diner may be small, but it was the first restaurant in Arkansas to win a James Beard Award for its famous barbecue. Plus, it’s the oldest Black-owned restaurant in the South since its opening in the 1910s. And if you want to continue your food tour of Marianna, Off The Square Cafe is another great spot for cold brews and great food.
Travelers flock to Marianna to get a taste of its famous smoked meats, but there’s so much more to see once you have a belly full of pulled pork. The Mississippi River State Park is a great way to burn off those extra calories, with its beautiful hiking trails and scenic lakeside vistas. It’s located on a major flyway, which means you can catch a glimpse of rare birds as they migrate through the region.
Eureka Springs
When you hear Eureka Springs, think haunted hotels, peculiar castles, and the occasional UFO sighting. One of the most amazing sights (both inside and out) is the Crescent Hotel, built in 1886. It’s seen its share of fame being featured on ghost hunting shows like Syfy channel's Ghost Hunters for the unexplained sightings noted by visitors. Even if you aren’t into hunting ghosts, the magnificent hotel and spa are one of the most fantastical sites in all of Eureka Springs.
If you are more into UFOS than ghosts, the Ozark Mountain UFO Conference is held in Eureka Springs every spring. You can attend UFO panels, book signings, and vendor markets focused on the unknown. To take a walk on the weird side, Quigley's Castle is one of the strangest landmarks in Arkansas. Once a personal dwelling of Elise Fioravanti Quigley, you can expect indoor gardens of tropical plants that feel like an indoor jungle and a jarring collection of dead butterflies mounted on the Butterfly Wall.
Walnut Ridge
In eastern Arkansas is Walnut Ridge, a small community affected by Beatlemania and never quite recovered. In 1964, the Beatles made a surprise landing at the Walnut Ridge Airport, and Walnut Ridge has made it the focal point of their identity ever since. While the airport is known for its Beatles touchdown, it also used to be a WWII training base!
The residents quickly created Beatles Park, where you can see life-sized sculptures of the musicians called “The Beatles Abbey Road Sculpture”, and a truly unique guitar-shaped plaza called “Guitar Walk”. The best time to visit Walnut Ridge is during the fall when they hold the annual Beatles at the Ridge festival. Expect tasty food trucks, live music (like the Liverpool Legends, a Beatles cover band), vendor booths, and a car show.
Mountain View
Before there were movies, television, and streamable music, the best way to spend an afternoon was listening (or playing) live music in a public setting. That tradition still rings true in the secluded community of Mountain View! Situated in the heart of the Ozark Mountains, there’s usually a jam session happening on the courthouse steps year-round. If you love music festivals, there’s usually one happening at the Ozark Highlands Theater. The Mountain View Fall Bluegrass Festival is held every spring and fall, and the Bluegrass & Fried Chicken Festival is held in late summer.
While the music scene is alluring enough to make the drive to Mountain View, it’s also a great place to explore the beauty of the Ozark Mountains. The Blanchard Springs Caverns are a must-see. Inside, the temperature always stays a cool 58°F, making it a great place to beat the summer heat. You can explore stunning chambers adorned with stalactites and underground rivers.
Embrace the Strange in Arkansas
Only in Arkansas can you see the world’s largest can of spinach, listen to impromptu jam sessions on the courthouse steps of Mountain View, or get infected with Beatlemania in Walnut Ridge. From bluegrass to Bigfoot, life in the Land of Opportunity is anything but boring. These small towns never take themselves too seriously— that is precisely what makes them so incredibly charming. If you’re up for something unexpected, these quirky little spots are waiting to surprise you. Just make sure you bring your appetite and enough camera space for a possible ghost or Bigfoot sighting.
