One of the many perks of working for the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage & Tourism was the yearly staff retreats we would attend atop Arkansas’ highest point — Mount Magazine — near Paris (Logan County).
At a height of 2,753 feet above sea level, Mount Magazine is home to one of Arkansas’ grandest state parks featuring scenic views, numerous hiking trails to a rustic —but state of the art — lodge with luxurious accommodations and a first-class restaurant.
But while Mount Magazine and the park that bears its name are both worthy of gracing a magazine cover, that’s not where Arkansas’ tallest mountain takes its name.
According to botanist Thomas Nuttall, who traveled the area in 1819, French settlers named the mountain "Magazine" from the French word for barn (magasin) because of its barn-like shape. This led to the mountain being originally known as Barn Magazine and eventually Magazine Mountain or the more popular Mount Magazine.
There are actually two summits atop the mountain: Signal Hill, with an elevation of 2,753 ft. and Mossback Ridge, which reaches 2,700 ft. Although Mount Magazine is often referred to as the highest point between the Allegheny Mountains and the Rocky Mountains, this is not correct, as there are several mountains in western Texas that exceed Mount Magazine’s elevation.
Most Arkansas historians believe that Europeans first spotted Mount Magazine when French explorer Bernard de la Harpe and his party explored the upper Arkansas River valley around 1722. As you may know, de la Harpe is credited with discovering the river's “la petite roche,” which is known today as “the little rock” from which our state’s capital city takes its name.
The first white settlers arrived in the Mount Magazine area in the mid-19th century, with major settlement of the land taking place between 1850 to 1930. In 1900, the town of Magazine was founded atop the mountain.
In the years to come, hotels, restaurants and other small businesses began to operate there, as the mountain became a popular tourist destination. Unfortunately, the town all but ceased to exist due to the Great Depression, when the tourism industry and new building construction came to a halt.
In 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt made the mountain a part of the Ouachita National Forest. By 1942, all the land on top of Mount Magazine was under control of the federal government. Mount Magazine State Park officially opened in 2001 and was dedicated by then-Gov. Mike Huckabee. While the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage & Tourism operates the state park, the land upon which it sits is still owned and managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
The 2,200-acre park features numerous picnic areas, pavilions, campgrounds and a visitors’ center. Accommodations include several cabins and a 60-room lodge, which feature breathtaking views of the Petit Jean River valley and Blue Mountain Lake. The new lodge offers a conference facility, a restaurant, a fitness center, an indoor swimming pool and a gift shop. The lodge was built on the same location as one built in the late-1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps that was destroyed by fire in 1971.
For those seeking adventure, Mount Magazine State Park provides many recreational opportunities, including hang-gliding, horseback riding, hiking, camping, rock climbing and rappelling.
Be sure to call ahead if you want to rent one of the park’s rustic cabins or stay at the lodge as accommodations fill up quickly, especially during the fall. You can contact the park’s office at (479) 963-8502 for more information.
I've been fortunate to experience the beauty and wonder of Mount Magazine many times. Take it from me — this is one place that should be atop every Arkansans’ bucket list.
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