Mt. Magazine State Park Rises Again

Becky and I went wandering this weekend. We discovered a fabulous treasure in our state. As kids we both had heard of Mt. Magazine. Any school kid then could tell you it is the highest place in Arkansas. There was a resort there but it burned down in 1971. Now all is new again. Every structure I saw save for the amphitheater and a small, stone pavilion was brand new. All of the construction is on par with the best the Arkansas State Parks Service has to offer. These pictures are the sitting room by registration.

We saw a menu and a promotional leaflet from the old place in the 40's and 50's. Steaks, chicken and fish and mashed potatoes and green beans were the fare. For entertainment the Dan Blocker singers were featured. Becky and I wondered if Dan Blocker was the same Dan Blocker "Hoss Cartwright" of T.V.'s "Bonanza" fame. There was a troupe of young entertainers that sang and danced and performed comedy skits on a stage. The publicity photos had several young people posed in costumes smiling and beaming like flowers in the sun. Now days for entertainment you can just sit in your room watching the television . (Too bad)

The old place was very rustic. It was actually one of those depression era works projects. The Federal Government acquired the land in the early years of the depression. Prior to the depression there was a speculative effort to subdivide the mountaintop and build a town. The onset of the depression finally killed that idea, but the effort may have been doomed on account of the lack of water and the difficulty of the basic logistics involved. It is no wonder that fire took the old lodge.

The new place is the perfect combination of the old, rustic architecture blended seamlessly with new architectural advances like fire protection and ADA access. Every room has a view the mountain is famous for. When you dine it is like dining in the clouds. There are business and conference facilities. The indoor pool and sauna are beautifully set overlooking the valley below. There is a quiet sitting room upstairs where you can read or wirelessly connect to the internet.There are hiking trails, a hang glider jumping off point and terraces just to comfortably sit watching the passing time. The State Parks visitor center is very nice. Some great nature displays and a sun room overlooking bird feeders for birdwatching. They even provide binoculars!

As we walked the paths we felt awe at the magnificent vistas. We breathed in the fresh, cold air and got the blood stirring. We experienced being part of nature. We enjoyed and appreciated the warm, sheltering hospitality of the lodge at Mt. Magazine State Park. Arkansans should make a pilgrimage to the mountaintop and experience it's powers of restoration.