RV Camping in Mountains and Near Lakes

By Bob and Pam Stephens

North Central Arkansas is composed of Ozarks (meaning “rounded hillsâ€) with three large lakes: Bull Shoals

http://www.bullshoals.net/ , Heber Lake http://www.heber-springs.com/content/ and Norfork Lake. http://www.lakenorfork.com/ All of the lakes are great for boating activities, and all kinds and fishing. While you are in the area, check out Hand Cove Resort and RV Park http://www.handcoveresort.com/index.htm on Lake Norfork! The White River flows out of the Dam just below Bull Shoals. Bull Shoals-White River State Park is a wonderful Arkansas State Park; a must see area, if you can but make reservations early. Near the State Park is a restaurant called Gaston's. http://www.arkansasstateparks.com/park-fin...tours.aspx?id=8 It's great to enjoy the river and have a good meal. Sit by the three-sided glass windows and enjoy your dining experience and views of the White River. The White River area is known for some of the best trout fishing in the country. There is a small airport located at Gaston's, and people fly in from all over the county to fish.

Near the northern end of the state of Arkansas is the Buffalo River Basin. This is a stunning place http://buffalorivergallery.com/index.php?cat=8 Take a float trip down the Buffalo River. http://www.ozarkmtns.com/buffalo/bfg.html The scenery is great and so is the fishing. Don't come to Arkansas and miss the float trip. Paddling over the course of several hours can be very tiring, so be sure you are up to it! There are several different float trip lengths to choose from! Drive the upper Wilderness area of the Buffalo basin and you will find it is stunning, too. What about a motorbike ride? Grab the Harley because this is a wonderful area for motorcycle riding with curvy roads and great views. Don't miss the town of Jasper off Hwy 7-scenic! http://www.arkansas.com/city-listings/city...ail/city/Jasper It sits in the upper Buffalo wilderness area and there is a wonderful view from the restaurant there, and good cobbler! There are several primitive camping areas in the Buffalo area. If hiking is your thing, this area is a must see. Want to see a campground location for your RV before you pull in? www.campgroundimages.com

Near the Bull Shoals Lake and Norfolk Lake are some very nice small towns and places to live. Mountain Home is a very nice area situated in the Ozarks, so it is a very pretty area. Mountain Home has golf courses and it is near the Lakes. It is in the north end of the state so the weather in the summer is better than the central or the southern part of the state. Stop by and see the small towns of Yellville and Flippin, Arkansas! Ranger Boats are made there! Yes, there really is a Flippin, Arkansas. http://www.flippinweb.com/

Traveling east along the north end of the state you will come to Mammoth Springs, which is a very scenic area. The Red river flows here too, which is a great area for fishing and floating. Riverside Park is set on the banks of the Red River. The only drawback for us was traveling on a dirt road for two miles and there is a railroad tracks close by, but it's a very nice grassy RV Park.

Continuing East and South you will come the Crowley Ridge Area, which is very beautiful http://www.arkansasstateparks.com/crowleysridge/ . If you like to go horseback riding or mountain biking in the Ozarks, this is a must area to come see. This is a great area for hiking, fishing, boating or just taking a nice ride in the car. There are several State Parks in the area to meet your needs as well as Corps of Engineers Parks. Further east of here is the Mississippi Delta area is the town of Jonesboro. It's nice for shopping and dining out.

Heading South and then back toward the middle of the State you will come to Heber Springs. This is a very popular Lake. It is large and is great for fishing and hunting. It is surrounded by the greenery of the Ozarks. If you're into water and boating this is a must. North of Heber Springs is the town of Mountain View http://www.ozarkgetaways.com/index.html It a very old town and is known for its folk music. Throughout the year they have folk music and Blue Grass festivals there. http://www.ozarkgetaways.com/things_to_do.html Stop by and spend a few days …you will be in for a real treat!

Tell them Bob and Pam Stephens, Bob@CamproundImages.com sent you!