When most people think of the Deep South states, they typically envision the beaches of Florida or the unique French quarters of New Orleans, Louisiana. Arkansas often gets overlooked, which is a shame considering its picturesque landscapes and quirky attractions. Within its small towns, you will find the first national park, recreations of famous European structures, hidden churches in the woods, an underground waterfall, and much more. These whimsical towns in the Natural State are great places to visit, kick back, and relax.

Eureka Springs

Speaking of whimsy, nothing can put you in a whimsical mood quite like making an astonishing discovery. Eureka Springs is a fine example of such a discovery, as it was founded in 1879 when Dr. Alvah Jackson discovered medicinal springs water in the area. You will have a lot to discover in Eureka Springs as well, both inside the town and in the Ozark Mountains around it. You can be right at home in nature in the downtown area by taking the Harmon Loop or Spring Garden Trails, which will take you by several natural springs.

At Lake Leatherwood City Park, you can enjoy more than 25 miles of hiking trails. And if you are willing to go off the beaten track, you can discover the breathtaking Thorncrown Chapel, a church in the middle of the woods made in the shape of a diamond, with 425 windows letting in natural light.

Magnolia

Magnolia was first founded in the 1850s and was modeled after Oxford, Mississippi. This fits, as it is the home of Southern Arkansas University. Despite this, the town maintains a small-town feel with a population of just over 10,700 people. The university itself has a 658-acre Agricultural and Horticultural Farm that offers tours to visitors and residents alike. It’s also close to Lake Columbia, which offers three boat ramps, campsites, and plenty of fish to catch.

There are many shops in town that stock sporting goods for your day of fun on the lake, including Steve’s Outdoor Sports and Shooters Sporting Goods. There are several relaxing attractions you can see within the town limits, such as the historic Columbia County Courthouse, built in 1905 in the Renaissance Revival style, and the Cecil Traylor Wilson Garden.

Mountain Home

This picturesque Arkansas town nestled in the Ozark Mountains was first incorporated in 1888. Mountain Home is a treasure trove of picturesque natural landscapes, due to its position by the Norfolk and Bull Shoals Lakes. Norfork Lake has 22,000 acres and offers docks for boating, water skiing, swimming, and more. Bull Shoals Lake is most famous for its largemouth bass population and was named among the top 100 bass lakes.

You can also visit Bull Shoals Cavern, a 350-million-year-old cave with streams, trails, gemstone panning, and a waterfall. If you want to get a feel for what it was like in the early days of Mountain Home, then make sure to visit Mountain Village 1890 (in Bull Shoals), a recreation of an 1890 Ozark settlement.

El Dorado

This town gets its name from the Spanish word for place of great riches. Spanish explorers first explored the area in 1541, but a settlement wouldn’t be set up until 1843. The town truly did hit it rich in 1921 when oil was discovered nearby, which caused the population to explode. If you are coming to El Dorado, you will find a lot of hidden treasures, such as the intriguing South Arkansas Historical Preservation Society, which operates the Newton House and houses a lot of relics of the town from its founding to the modern-day, and the multiple historic districts in town.

For outdoor activities, visit the South Arkansas Arboretum or Moro Bay State Park in nearby Jersey, Arkansas.

Paris

This fun town gets its name from the “City of Lights” in France. Paris offers a little taste of France while still keeping that Southern U.S. charm. For one, you can see a 25-foot model of the Eiffel Tower downtown at the Eiffel Tower Park. If you bring a partner along, you can seal your love with a padlock at the Love Lock Fence. Also in town, you can visit the Logan County Museum, which is inside a historic jail where the last hanging took place in Arkansas in 1914.

Paris is close to the Mount Magazine State Park, which has 14 miles of hiking trails and hang gliding, and the Cove Lake Recreation Area for swimming, fishing, hiking, and more.

Jasper

Jasper is an ideal place to visit if you want to see the Ozark Mountains. It sits right in the middle of the Ozark National Forest and, as a result, is a great central location for your larger adventure in the Ozark Mountains. There are several scenic hiking trails you can reach nearby, including the Round Top Mountain Trail, Triple Falls Trail, Hawksbill Crag, and Pedestal Rocks Loop.

If fishing is more your cup of tea, the Buffalo National River is a must-visit. In Jasper’s downtown area, you can see the 1902 Newton County Jail, the 1933 Arkansas House, and many cute boutique shops like Crystal Cottage Rocks and Beads. While you are in the area, take the time to see the Arkansas Grand Canyon or explore the Boxley Valley Historic District outside of town.

Lake Village

Located on the Great River Road National Scenic Byway, this town gets its name from Lake Chicot, the largest natural lake in Arkansas. Lake Village is a fisherman’s paradise, as crappie, bluegill, and catfish can be found at Lake Chicot State Park. The park also provides cabins, marinas, and more for a day of relaxing by the shore.

The downtown area runs right along the lake, and at Jack R. Rhodes Lakefront Park, you can enjoy a stroll by its waters. In Lake Village, you can explore the Lakeport Plantation, a Greek revival antebellum house, the last of its kind in the region. There is also a unique museum in Lake Village: Our Lady of the Lake Church Museum. Here you will find photos and artifacts from Italian immigrants who settled in the area in the late 1800s.

Hot Springs

Hot Springs has a long history of being a resort town that would bring in people from far and wide to soak in its thermal spring waters, which have an average temperature of 143 degrees Fahrenheit. The Native Americans called the area the Valley of the Vapors. President Andrew Jackson was so impressed by it that he named it a federal reservation, making Hot Springs the first national park in America. Within the Hot Springs National Park, you can take a dip in the hot springs or explore the 26 miles of hiking trails. Exploring the town itself, you will find the Gangster Museum of America, which gives information on infamous vacationers in the area, such as Al Capone and Lucky Luciano. You can also check out the historic Bathhouse Row, which was built between 1912 and 1923. Patrons of the arts should consider visiting the Riley Art Glass Studio or Gallery Central.

Arkansas’s nickname is The Natural State, which fits it quite well considering its many lakes, rivers, and mountains. Just in these eight small towns alone, you will find hot springs, caves, Ozark Mountain towns, and other picturesque destinations. But more than that, you will also leave with a whimsical feeling in your chest as you explore the many hidden gems here, from a hidden church to a gangster museum. These whimsical towns in Arkansas are perfect for adventurers and casual travelers alike.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said it early on. Pitcher Gabe Gaeckle was on a two-year course, bullpen arm the first year, then ascend to an even bigger role once the likes of former ace Hagen Smirh moved on.

“I feel like he’ll be a starter for us,” Van Horn said in March. “He could be a starter this year but we got some guys. If we needed him to start, we could start him. He’ll be a starter next year for sure and that’s what I see.”

Now those guys are gone, the entire starting rotation from last year, Smith, Brady Tygart and Mason Molina have all started their pro careers. It leaves a massive void that Gaeckle is may help help fill.

“Whatever they want me to do I’m happy to do,” Gaeckle said. “I’m starting the scrimmages, so they’re probably building me up for that.”

After a stellar freshman season in which he became the team’s closer and pitched to a 2.32 ERA across 42 2/3 innings, Gaeckle’s fall got off to a rough start. He gave up three homers to the first three batters that he faced.

Four appearances into the fall Gaeckle is starting to settle in. He struck out five of the seven hitters he faced in two clean innings Thursday.

“I’m just working on a few pitches.” Gaeckle said. “I’m trying to throw more change-ups to righties this fall. I’ve done that a few times. Just sharpening up the rest of the arsenal.”

Although Gaeckle is one of the frontrunners to lock down a spot in the starting rotation, Van Horn has no shortage of candidates. Left-handed transfer from Ohio State Landon Beidelschies has yet to allow a run in two appearances, according to unofficial stats kept by the Arkansas media. Gage Wood is also trying to make a case after taking over in the rotation late last year.

East Carolina transfer Zach Root also becomes the next left hander to wear 33 under Van Horn. His fastball sat 91-93 Thursday in his inning of work.

Homers continue to fly out of Baum-Walker Stadium at a steady pace, including six in Thursday’s scrimmage. It was the first homer of the fall for both second baseman Cam Kozeal and catcher Elliott Peterson. Third baseman Brent Iredale also hit his team-leading fifth homer.

Arkansas will continue scrimmaging Saturday, all scrimmages are free and open to the public. A time has not been announced. The Razorbacks will play its annual Fall Classic, a seven-inning intrasquad scrimmage, 6 p.m. Oct. 4. The event is also free and open to the public.

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FAYETTEVILLE — University of Arkansas receiver Andrew Armstrong stayed down on the field for a minute after taking a huge shot from Champ Anthony in the first quarter of last week’s 24-14 win at Auburn.

Walking on the field at Jordan-Hare Stadium after the game, Armstrong was overheard telling a teammate it was the hardest he’s been hit in his life.

Razorback play-by-play announcer Chuck Barrett brought up the play during Armstrong’s stint on “Sam Pittman Live” on Wednesday night, joking, “Man, I thought you were dead Saturday, I’m not going to lie to you.”

Armstrong chuckled for a moment then talked about the play and the eventual aftermath.

“Man, it was the hardest … I told myself it’s not really the hit that’s hitting me,” Armstrong said. “It’s about when I turn 50 years old … they’re going to have the world’s greatest hits of college football and I’m going to see myself on there years later.”

Armstrong returned to the game and finished with a team-high five catches for 47 yards.

Anthony suffered a serious leg injury on the next snap and had to be carted off the field.

“Man, the hit was crazy,” Armstrong continued. “It was a big hit but at the end of the day it’s football. Like, that’s what I signed up for. I signed up to get hit. So no matter if it was a soft hit or a hard hit, I’ve got to go back out there and show toughness.”

Armstrong said he had the wind knocked out of him but he recovered quickly.

“Once I stood up I was good, I was ready to go (back) out there,” he said. “They were just making sure I was good, making sure I could run on the sidelines and nothing was wrong.

“But when I was on the ground … there’s nothing worse than you getting hit and whole crowd is saying ‘Oooooh!’ right?”

Ball named

Arkansas defensive tackle Cam Ball was named on Thursday as one of 52 players on the watch list for the annual Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year.

The student-athletes on the list, nominated by their schools, have “demonstrated a record of leadership by exhibiting exceptional courage, integrity and sportsmanship on and off the field.”

Ball, a senior from Atlanta, has notched 12 tackles this season and 74 in his career, including 4 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks, 2 quarterback hurries and 2 forced fumbles.

Ball is one of 11 SEC players on the watch list along with Missouri’s Brady Cook, Auburn’s Luke Deal, South Carolina’s Alex Huntley, Alabama’s Tim Keenan III, Texas’ Jake Majors, Tennessee’s Bru McCoy, Mississippi State’s Albert Reese IV, Texas A&M’s Albert Regis, Georgia’s Jalon Walker and Kentucky’s J.J. Weaver.

The 20 semifinalists for the award will be announced Oct. 22, and three finalists will be named Dec. 16. The winner will be announced at the award ceremony on Feb. 12, 2025.

The winner will receive a $10,000 contribution in his name to his school’s athletic scholarship fund.

One-score games

Coach Sam Pittman, acutely aware of his rough record in one-game games in his fifth season at Arkansas, made some wise cracks about it as he approached the interview table underneath Jordan-Hare Stadium after Saturday’s 24-14 win at Auburn.

“I almost let them score,” Pittman said as he took his seat behind the interview table. “I thought, ‘Man, if we let them score my percentage will go up.’ But we didn’t.”

Auburn drove 71 yards with a series of short passes and a Payton Thorne scramble in the final 56 seconds. Thorne completed an 18-yard pass to Malcolm Simmons to the Arkansas 9 as the clock ran out.

Tough stretch

Five of the Razorbacks’ next six games are against teams ranked in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll, including Saturday against No. 24 Texas A&M, and top-10 games against No. 1 Texas, No. 5 Tennessee, and No. 6 Ole Miss.

The combined record of Arkansas’ remaining SEC opponents is 23-5, with only Mississippi State (1-3) holding a losing mark. The Hogs’ lone remaining nonconference game is against Louisiana Tech (1-2) on Nov. 23.

Penalty plus

Arkansas had season lows of four penalties and 20 penalty yards against Auburn. The Tigers drew five flags for 45 yards, but suffered a crucial defensive pass interference call in the fourth quarter that extended the Hogs’ game-clinching touchdown drive.

The Razorbacks are very close to the national average with 51 penalty yards per game to rank 59th, while Texas A&M is 88th with 60.8 penalty yards per game.

Hoggin’ the ball

Arkansas and Texas A&M are both capable of controlling the clock with their running games as both rank in the top 25 in the nation in time of possession.

The Razorbacks are averaging 33:06.5 of possession time per game to rank 16th in the FBS, while the Aggies average 32:20.75 per game to rank 23rd.

Drawing even

Coach Sam Pittman leveled his record at Arkansas to 26-26 with the win at Auburn, re-reaching .500 for the first time in a year.

The Razorbacks were last at a .500 level under Pittman following a 27-20 loss at Ole Miss last Oct. 7, which brought his record to 21-21. After winning the first two games of 2023, Arkansas was 21-17 under Pittman following an 18-10 stretch that dated to the 2021 season opener.

Plus side

By beating Auburn 5-2 in the turnover category on Saturday, Arkansas got on the plus side for the season at plus-1.

That moved the Hogs up 34 spots in the FBS rankings from No. 98 into a tie for No. 64 with a plus-0.25 turnover margin per game.

On the flip side, Auburn fell into a tie for 132nd among the 134 FBS teams with a minus-2.5 turnover margin per game. The Tigers’ 14 total turnovers are tied with Temple for the most in the country.

A suplex?

Arkansas tailback Ja’Quinden Jackson had some interesting reps in pass protection at Auburn.

In addition to a few routine reps in which he met a blitzer in the gap and held him up, Jackson had two wild plays.

On a fourth-and-1 call late in the second quarter, Jackson just whiffed on the right edge on linebacker Jalen McLeod, who had unimpeded access to Taylen Green on a play-action throw to sack him for a 6-yard loss.

Later, on a critical 6-yard keeper by Green to pick up third-and-4 on an Arkansas touchdown drive, Jackson was responsible for edge blitzer Eugene Asante. As the linebacker neared Jackson, he went low to drive into the back and Jackson appeared to clasp his arms around Asante’s left leg, pivoting and up-ending him before planting him in the grass as Green wheeled past.

The Auburn sideline erupted in protest on the play, with lip readers noting Coach Hugh Freeze shouted to the nearest official, “He suplexed the s*** out of him!”

ESPN analyst Roddy Jones defended Jackson’s block as the network replayed it three times.

“I didn’t see a hold,” Jones said. “He kind of got his arms around him as he got lifted.”

Added play-by-play announcer Mark Jones, “That kind of reminds me of Greco-Roman wrestling in the Olympics.”

Late sacks

Doneiko Slaughter and Nico Davillier had sacks on Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne on first and third downs just after Arkansas moved ahead 24-14 late in the fourth quarter to help ice the win.

Slaughter, lined up in his nickel position, ran a delayed blitz and shot straight to Thorne for an around-the-waist, 6-yard sack. Two plays later, Davillier put a spin move on left tackle Percy Lewis IV to crash down on Throne. Davillier missed his first swipe at the quarterback but recovered and took him down a second later for a 4-yard sack.

Key assists

Both of Ja’Quinden Jackson’s 1-yard touchdown runs against Auburn came with legal help from teammates.

On the first play of the second quarter, Jackson went right with a short lead toss from Taylen Green and headed for the B gap (between offensive guard and tackle), where 340-pound Jayson Jones met him. Jones stopped the initial surge but Jackson kept churning and right guard Josh Braun helped push him and the pile across the goal line for the first score of the game.

On the second tough run, which provided Arkansas a 24-14 lead with 3:38 to play, tight end Ty Washington executed his down block on Keyron Crawford, then grabbed Jackson with both arms to help with the final surge, after which Jackson fell with a fraction of the ball over the goal plane in his left arm.