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Arkansas: hot springs and rough diamonds
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Nicknamed The Natural State, Arkansas is a paradise for outdoor lovers. The Ouachita and Ozark mountains are cloaked in forests, lakes and wild rivers where you can paddle far from anywhere. Hot Springs, the country's first protected land, blends historic bathhouses with steaming springs right downtown. Further north, Eureka Springs spills its Victorian lanes down the mountainside, the little Switzerland of the Ozarks. It is also the only place in North America where you can dig and keep your own diamonds, at the Crater of Diamonds. Between hikes, swims, an art scene and Southern cooking, Arkansas is lived outdoors, in tune with the seasons. An underrated, green and rolling state that rewards travelers hungry for authenticity.
“True Grit” is set on the Arkansas line, yet the 1969 John Wayne western was shot largely in the Colorado Rockies.
Crater of Diamonds State Park is the only place on Earth where the public can dig for diamonds in their original volcanic source, and keep them.
In Hot Springs, the Buckstaff Bathhouse on Bathhouse Row has run continuously since 1912; you can still take a thermal bath there.
Spring (March to May) and fall (September to November) are perfect: greenery, blossoms then blazing foliage, with mild temperatures for hiking and the river. Summer is hot and humid; winter is mild but quieter. A car is essential to reach parks and hilltop villages, often at the end of winding mountain roads, so carry fuel and water for remote corners. U.S. carrier coverage is good in towns and along main highways, but can drop sharply in the Ozark and Ouachita gorges, along the Buffalo River and in the deep-cut valleys.